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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-218301
This preliminary prospectus supplement relates to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY 16, 2018
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To prospectus dated May 26, 2017)
$650,000,000 of American Depositary Shares
(Representing Ordinary Shares)
BeiGene, Ltd.
We are offering $650,000,000 of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, of BeiGene, Ltd. Each ADS represents 13 ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share.
The ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol "BGNE". The last reported sale price of the ADSs on the NASDAQ on January 12, 2018 was $103.28 per ADS.
Investing in the ADSs involves a high degree of risk. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page S-12 to read about factors you should consider before buying the ADSs.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
PRICE: $ PER ADS
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Per ADS | Total |
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Public offering price |
$ | $ | |||
Underwriting discounts(1) |
$ | $ | |||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | $ |
We have granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to an additional $50,000,000 of ADSs from us within 30 days of the date of this prospectus supplement at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.
Two of our existing affiliates, including investors affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors and Hillhouse Capital Management, Ltd., have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $325 million in ADSs in this offering on the same terms as other investors. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, less or no shares in this offering to any of these investors, or any of these investors may determine to purchase more than, less than or none of the shares they have indicated an interest in purchasing in this offering, including as a result of the pricing terms. See "The Offering."
The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs against payment in New York, New York on , 2018.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | Morgan Stanley | Cowen | Leerink Partners |
, 2018
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement adds to and updates information contained in and incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus on Form S-3 (File No. 333-218301) dated May 26, 2017 relating to our ordinary shares and ADSs (which we refer to as the accompanying prospectus).
Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized any person to provide you with information different from that contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectuses prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we may have referred you in connection with this offering. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information others may give you. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell, nor are they seeking an offer to buy, these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information in, or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus speaks only as of the date of the prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or of any sale of the securities offered hereby. If the information in this prospectus supplement differs from the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, you should rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement. However, if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain or incorporate by reference market data and industry forecasts that were obtained from third parties and industry publications. These data involve a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. We have not independently verified any third-party information. While we believe the market position, market opportunity and market size information included in this prospectus is generally reliable, such information is inherently imprecise.
No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of the ADSs or possession or distribution of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of the prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
The representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
We own various applications and unregistered trademarks and service marks, including BeiGene, and our corporate logo appearing in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. All other trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective holders. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and
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trade names in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus may be referred to without the ® and symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend to use or display other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, throughout this prospectus supplement, the words "BeiGene," "BGNE," "we," "us," "our," the "company" or similar references refer to BeiGene, Ltd. and its subsidiaries.
All references in this prospectus to "$," "US$," "U.S.$," "U.S. dollars," "dollars" and "USD" mean U.S. dollars and all references to "¥" and "RMB," mean Renminbi, unless otherwise noted. All references to "PRC" or "China" in this prospectus refer to the People's Republic of China.
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This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference, contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents that are incorporated herein and therein by reference, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected growth, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that 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.
The words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," could," "should," "continue" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about:
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These forward-looking statements are only predictions, and we may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, so you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, particularly under the caption "Risk Factors," including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, or our September 2017 Quarterly Report, which could cause actual future results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.
You should read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate herein and therein by reference, with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference, include statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third
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parties. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we believe these industry publications and third party research, surveys and studies are reliable, you are cautioned not to give undue weight to this information.
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This summary highlights selected information about us and the ADSs that we are offering. It may not contain all of the information that may be important to you. Before investing in the ADSs, you should read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein carefully for a more complete understanding of our business and this offering, including our consolidated financial statements, and the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
We are a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company rooted in China that is dedicated to becoming a global leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative, molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer.
We have three internally-developed late-stage clinical drug candidates:
In 2017, we entered into a strategic collaboration with Celgene Corporation, or Celgene, in which we granted Celgene exclusive rights to develop and commercialize tislelizumab for solid tumors in the United States, Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world outside of Asia. We retained rights to tislelizumab for solid tumors in Asia (ex-Japan) and for hematological malignancies and internal combinations globally.
In addition, Celgene granted us an exclusive license to market its approved cancer therapies ABRAXANE®, REVLIMID®, and VIDAZA® in China excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and also transferred its commercial operations and personnel in China to us in connection with our acquisition of 100% of the equity interests of Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which has allowed us to generate product revenue in China since September 2017 and which we expect to expand in preparation for the potential launch of our internally developed drug candidates and our other in-licensed drug candidates in China.
As of January 1, 2018, we have a global team of over 850 employees, including more than 400 scientists and clinicians, in China, the United States and Australia. Our offices are located in Beijing; Shanghai; Cambridge, MA; Fort Lee, NJ; and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA; including a research and development center in Beijing, manufacturing sites in Suzhou and Guangzhou, and commercial operations in Shanghai.
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The following table summarizes the status of our product portfolio and pipeline as of the date of this prospectus supplement:
Abbreviations: WM = Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia; CLL = chronic lymphocytic leukemia; MCL = mantle cell lymphoma; FL = follicular lymphoma; NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer; HCC = hepatocellular carcinoma; MM = multiple myeloma; HL = Hodgkin's lymphoma; NHL = non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; DLBCL = diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; MDS = Myelodysplastic syndrome; AML = acute myeloid leukemia; UC = urothelial carcinoma; CMMoL = chronic myelomonocytic leukemia; 1L/2L/3L = first, second or third line; R/R = relapsed/refractory; ND = newly diagnosed.
On January 9, 2018, we announced that we had entered into a commercial supply agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim Biopharmaceuticals (China) Ltd., or BI, for tislelizumab, which will be manufactured at BI's facility in Shanghai.
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On January 8, 2018, we announced that we had entered into an exclusive license agreement with Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., or Mirati, for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of Mirati's investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor sitravatinib in Asia (excluding Japan), Australia, and New Zealand.
We expect that as of December 31, 2017, our cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were between $835 million and $840 million. Our independent registered public accountants have not audited, reviewed or performed any procedures with respect to this financial data and accordingly do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. This amount could change as a result of further review.
Risks Associated With Our Business
Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully in the "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and under "Risk Factors" in our September 2017 Quarterly Report. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
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We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability on October 28, 2010. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The principal executive office of our research and development operations is located at No. 30 Science Park Road, Zhong-Guan-Cun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 10 58958000. Our current registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Mourant Ozannes Corporate Services (Cayman) Limited, 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands. Our website address is www.beigene.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this prospectus supplement, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus supplement. The ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol "BGNE".
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The Offering: |
We are offering $650,000,000 of ADSs in this offering. | |
Ordinary Shares Outstanding Immediately After This Offering: |
shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full). |
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Option to Purchase Additional ADSs: |
We have granted a 30-day option to the underwriters to purchase up to an aggregate of $50,000,000 of additional ADSs. |
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American Depositary Shares: |
Each ADS represents 13 ordinary shares. You will have the rights of an ADS holder as provided in the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and all holders and beneficial owners of ADSs issued thereunder. To better understand the terms of the ADSs, you should carefully read the section in the accompanying prospectus titled "Description of Securities," which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, and the deposit agreement referred to therein. |
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Investors in the ADSs will be able to trade our securities and receive distributions on them to the extent described in the section in the accompanying prospectus titled "Description of Securities." |
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Depositary: |
Citibank, N.A. |
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Use of Proceeds: |
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full), after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including research and development activities. See "Use of Proceeds" for additional information. |
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Risk Factors: |
You should carefully read "Risk Factors" beginning on page S-12 and the other information included in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including our September 2017 Quarterly Report and the other documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, for a discussion of risks that you should consider before deciding to invest in the ADSs. |
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NASDAQ Trading Symbol: |
"BGNE" |
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Indications of Interest: |
Two of our existing affiliates, including investors affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors and Hillhouse Capital Management, Ltd., have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $325 million in ADSs in this offering on the same terms as other investors. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, less or no shares in this offering to any of these investors, or any of these investors may determine to purchase more than, less than or none of the shares they have indicated an interest in purchasing in this offering, including as a result of the pricing terms. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discounts on any ADSs purchased by these investors pursuant to these indications of interest as they will on any other ADSs sold to the public in this offering. |
The number of ordinary shares to be outstanding after this offering is based on 589,772,330 ordinary shares outstanding as of September 30, 2017, including 1,106,250 issued but unvested restricted shares, and excludes:
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement reflects or assumes the following:
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Investing in the ADSs involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and all other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, including the risks and uncertainties discussed under "Risk Factors" in our September 2017 Quarterly Report, as updated by the risks described under "Risk Factors" in the accompanying prospectus and as further updated by the risks described below, as well as in other documents that we subsequently file with the SEC that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. See also "Where You Can Find More Information."
Risks Related to the American Depositary Shares and This Offering
The price of the ADSs historically has been volatile, which may affect the price at which you could sell the ADSs.
The market price for the ADSs has varied between a high price of $118.95 on October 10, 2017 and a low price of $31.00 on January 12, 2017 in the 12-month period ending on January 12, 2018. This volatility may affect the price at which you could sell the ADSs. The ADS price is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to significant price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the other factors discussed in these "Risk Factors" and under "Risk Factors" in our September 2017 Quarterly Report and our subsequent periodic reports; variations in our quarterly operating results from our expectations or those of securities analysts or investors; downward revisions in securities analysts' estimates; and announcement by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds that we receive from this offering, including applications for working capital, possible acquisitions and other general corporate purposes, and we may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our shareholders disagree. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our investors.
As the public offering price is substantially higher than our net tangible book value per ordinary share, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution.
If you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will pay more for your ADSs than the amount paid by existing holders for their ordinary shares or ADSs on a per ADS basis. As a result, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution of $ per ADS (assuming no exercise of outstanding options to acquire ordinary shares, no vesting of outstanding restricted share units, and no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional ADSs), representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS as of September 30, 2017, after giving effect to this offering, and the public offering price of $ per ADS. In addition, you will experience further dilution to the extent that our ordinary shares are issued upon the exercise of share options or vesting of restricted share units. All of the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of currently outstanding share options will be issued at a purchase price on a per ADS basis that is less than the public offering price per ADS in this offering. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see the section of this prospectus supplement titled "Dilution."
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Future sales of the ADSs in the public market could cause the ADS price to fall.
The ADS price could decline as a result of sales of a large number of the ADSs or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.
Upon completion of this offering, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares, approximately % of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately after this offering will not be subject to lock-up agreements and may be freely converted into ADSs and sold to the public after this offering from time to time. In connection with this offering, our directors and executive officers, certain trusts and parties affiliated with such directors and officers and certain holders of our shares, who collectively held 119,938,970 ordinary shares as of January 12, 2018 (including shares held in the form of ADSs), have signed lock-up agreements which, subject to certain exceptions, prevent them from selling any of our ordinary shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs for a period of not less than 90 days from the date of this prospectus supplement without the prior written consent of each of the representatives. Certain trusts and parties affiliated with our directors and officers, who collectively held 144,387,671 ordinary shares as of January 12, 2018 (including shares held in the form of ADSs), have not signed lock-up agreements. The representatives may, in their sole discretion and at any time, without notice release some or all of the shares or ADSs subject to lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the 90-day period. See "Underwriting" for a discussion of certain transfer restrictions. When determining whether or not to release shares or ADSs from the lock-up agreements, the representatives may consider, among other factors, the shareholder's reasons for requesting the release, the number of shares or ADSs for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time. All ADSs representing our ordinary shares sold in this offering will be freely transferable by persons other than our "affiliates" without restriction or additional registration under the Securities Act. The ordinary shares outstanding after this offering will be available for sale, upon the expiration of the 90-day lock-up period described above beginning from the date of this prospectus supplement (if applicable to such holder), subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. Any or all of these shares may be released prior to the expiration of the applicable lock-up period at the discretion of one of the designated representatives. To the extent shares are released before the expiration of the applicable lock-up period and sold into the market, the market price of the ADSs could decline significantly.
Furthermore, we have or plan to register the offer and sale of all ordinary shares that we have issued and may issue in the future under our equity compensation plans, including upon the exercise of share options and vesting of restricted share units. Subject to the lock-up agreements described above, these ordinary shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance. If these additional ordinary shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our ADSs could decline.
As of September 30, 2017, we had 589,772,330 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 394,563,689 ordinary shares were held in the form of 30,351,053 ADSs. Of this amount, 32,746,416 ordinary shares issued to Celgene Switzerland LLC at the closing of the Celgene transactions are subject to a one-year lock-up until August 31, 2018.
On May 26, 2017, we filed a registration statement on Form S-3 on behalf of certain shareholders, registering 299,279,370 ordinary shares in the form of 23,021,490 ADSs to be resold by the selling shareholders identified therein and in any related prospectus supplement from time to time. As of September 30, 2017, the holder of approximately 224,372 of our then-outstanding ordinary shares, had rights, subject to some conditions, to include its ordinary shares in registration
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statements we may file for ourselves or other shareholders. We have also agreed to grant certain registration rights with respect to the shares to be issued to Celgene Switzerland in the event that the shares not eligible for sale under Rule 144.
In addition, in the future, we may issue additional ordinary shares or other equity or debt securities convertible into ordinary shares in connection with a financing, acquisition, licensing or collaboration, litigation settlement, employee arrangements or otherwise. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing shareholders and could cause the ADS price to decline.
The market price of ADSs may be adversely affected by market conditions affecting the stock markets in general, including price and trading fluctuations on the NASDAQ.
Market conditions may result in volatility in the level of, and fluctuations in, market prices of stocks generally and, in turn, the ADSs and sales of substantial amounts of the ADSs or ordinary shares in the market, in each case being unrelated or disproportionate to changes in our operating performance. The overall economy has recently contributed to the volatility of the markets, which may have an effect on the market price of the ADSs.
We may be a passive foreign investment company in future taxable years, which may have adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for U.S. shareholders.
U.S. investors should be aware that we determined that we were a passive foreign investment company, within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or PFIC, for 2016. Based on the composition of our assets and income in 2017, we believe we were not a PFIC for 2017 and based on the expected composition of our assets and income, we do not expect to be a PFIC for 2018. However, as our PFIC status must be determined annually with respect to each taxable year and will depend on the composition and character of our assets and income and the value of our assets (which may be determined, in part, by reference to the market value of our ADSs, which may be volatile) over the course of such taxable year and as we currently hold and expect to continue to hold a substantial amount of cash and cash equivalents, we may be a PFIC in any taxable year. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during a U.S. shareholder's holding period of the ADSs or ordinary shares, then, regardless of whether we cease to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status, such U.S. shareholder generally will be required to treat any gain realized upon a disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, or any "excess distribution" received on the ADSs or ordinary shares, as ordinary income earned over the U.S. shareholder's holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares, and to pay the applicable taxes on such ordinary income along with an interest charge at the rate applicable to underpayments of tax on a portion of the resulting tax liability. In addition, the U.S. shareholder would be subject to the same adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences on (i) certain distributions by any of our subsidiaries treated as PFICs ("lower-tier PFICs"), and (ii) a disposition of shares of a lower-tier PFIC, in each case as if the U.S. shareholder owned the shares of the relevant lower-tier PFIC directly, even though the U.S. shareholder has not received the proceeds of those distributions or dispositions. For further information, U.S. shareholders should read the discussion under "TaxationMaterial United States Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsPassive Foreign Investment Company" in the accompanying prospectus. Each U.S. shareholder should consult its own tax advisors regarding the PFIC rules and the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares.
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Risks Related to Obtaining Regulatory Approval for Our Drug Candidates
Our drug candidates may cause undesirable adverse events or have other properties that could interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials, delay or prevent regulatory approval, limit the commercial profile of an approved label, or result in significant negative consequences following any regulatory approval.
Undesirable adverse events, or AEs, caused by our drug candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, CFDA, EMA or other comparable regulatory authority. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity or prevalence of AEs. In such an event, our trials could be suspended or terminated and the FDA, CFDA, EMA or other comparable regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of, or deny approval of, our drug candidates for any or all targeted indications.
Treatment-related serious adverse events, or SAEs, that have been reported in our monotherapy clinical trials include but not are limited to the following: (i) for BGB-3111, petechiae (spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding), purpura (subcutaneous bleeding), bruising, other serious hemorrhage (grade 3 hemorrhage or central nervous system hemorrhage of any grade), atrial fibrillation, diarrhea, haemothorax, colitis, febrile neutropenia, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, pneumonia, renal hematoma, urinary tract infection, pneumonitis, leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, toxic epidermal necrolsysis, septic shock, cardiac arrest and headache; (ii) for BGB-A317, colitis, hypotension, diarrhea, diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, dyspnea, hypoxia, pneumonitis, fatigue, alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, increase, aspartate aminotransferase, or AST, increase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, or GGT, increase, autoimmune pancreatitis, back pain, dermatitis, hyperglycaemia, hyperthyroidism, nausea, proteinuria, stomatitis, bilirubin increase, leukopenia, neutropenia, pyrexia, mucosal inflammation and hepatitis; (iii) for BGB-290, anemia, neutropenia, nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, fatigue, neutropenia and acute myeloid leukemia / myelodysplastic syndrome; and (iv) for BGB-283, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, anemia, neutropenia, vomiting, hepatitis, ALT increase, AST increase, GGT increase, pyrexia, decreased appetite, hypophosphataemia, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, weight decrease, lymphopenia, leukopenia, and constipation. Some of these events have led to patient death.
In addition, treatment-related SAEs that have been reported in our combination clinical trials include but are not limited to the following: (i) for the BGB-3111 and obinutuzumab combination, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, pneumonia, infusion-related reaction, and serious hemorrhage, including one report of a grade 3 intracranial hemorrhage SAE, which is possibly drug related, in one Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma patient that caused the patient's treatment with BGB-3111 to be interrupted; (ii) for the BGB-3111 and BGB-A317 combination, haemolytic anaemia, pneumonia, pneumonitis, anemia, autoimmune encephalitis, dyspnea, ALT increase, GGT increase, infusion-related reaction, peripheral edema, pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, limb abscess, ulcerative keratitis, catheter site hemorrhage, hemolytic transfusion reaction, nausea, lymph gland infection and eczema; and (iii) for the BGB-290 and BGB-A317 combination, nausea, vomiting, hepatitis, ALT increase, AST increase, GGT increase, fatigue, anemia, liver injury, hypophysitis, and neutropenia. Some of these events have led to patient death.
Drug-related AEs or SAEs could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete the trial, and could result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may harm our reputation, business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
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Additionally, if we or others identify undesirable side effects caused by our drugs or any future approved drug candidates, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the particular drug or drug candidate, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.
Further, combination therapy, such as using our wholly-owned drug candidates as well as third-party products, involves unique AEs that could be exacerbated compared to AEs from monotherapies. These types of AEs could be caused by our drug candidates and could also cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, CFDA, EMA or other comparable regulatory authority. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity or prevalence of AEs.
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We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of ADSs that we are selling in this offering will be approximately $ million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase an additional ADSs in full, we estimate that our net proceeds will be approximately $ million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund our ongoing research and clinical development efforts, including our ongoing and planned registrational trials for zanubrutinib, tislelizumab and pamiparib, both in China and globally; our other ongoing and planned clinical trials; regulatory filing and registration of our late-stage drug candidates; expansion of commercial operations in China and preparation for launch of our drug candidates globally; business development activities; and working capital and other general corporate purposes. We expect to significantly increase our clinical development and other expenses in 2018 as compared to 2017 in support of the planned expansion of our clinical development programs and potential regulatory filings for our lead drug candidates.
We may also use a portion of the net proceeds of this offering for the acquisition or licensing, as the case may be, of additional technologies, drugs or drug candidates, other assets or businesses, or for other strategic investments or opportunities, although we have no current understandings, agreements or commitments to do so at this time.
This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures and the extent of clinical development may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our development efforts, the status of and results from preclinical studies and any ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, as well as any collaborations that we may enter into with third parties for our drug candidates and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering and may change the allocation of use of these proceeds among the uses described above. An investor will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial or other information on which we base our decisions on how to use the proceeds.
Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments, or hold the net proceeds as cash.
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The ADSs have been publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol "BGNE" since our initial public offering on February 3, 2016, which was completed at a price to the public of $24.00 per ADS. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for the ADSs. The following table sets forth the high and low intraday sale prices per ADS on the NASDAQ for the periods indicated.
|
Per ADS |
||||||
| | | | | | | |
Period |
High | Low |
|||||
| | | | | | | |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 |
|||||||
First quarter (beginning February 3, 2016) |
$ | 35.55 | $ | 22.51 | |||
Second quarter |
$ | 33.31 | $ | 26.01 | |||
Third quarter |
$ | 33.92 | $ | 24.53 | |||
Fourth quarter |
$ | 37.89 | $ | 26.58 | |||
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017 |
|||||||
First quarter |
$ | 41.81 | $ | 29.88 | |||
Second quarter |
$ | 45.99 | $ | 34.58 | |||
Third quarter |
$ | 103.80 | $ | 45.21 | |||
Fourth quarter |
$ | 118.95 | $ | 77.54 | |||
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2018 |
|||||||
First quarter (through January 12) |
$ | 105.18 | $ | 96.92 |
On January 12, 2018, the last reported sale price of the ADSs on the NASDAQ was $103.28 per ADS. As of January 12, 2018, there were approximately 91 holders of record of our ordinary shares and five holders of record of the ADSs. This number does not include beneficial owners whose ADSs are held by nominees in street name.
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The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, long-term bank loan (including current portion), shareholder loan and capitalization as of September 30, 2017:
You should read this table together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in our 2016 Annual Report and our September 2017 Quarterly Report, included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as well as the information set forth under the headings "Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our 2016 Annual Report and the information set forth under the headings "Financial Statements" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our September 2017 Quarterly Report.
|
September 30, 2017 |
||||||
| | | | | | | |
|
Actual | Pro Forma As Adjusted |
|||||
| | | | | | | |
|
(unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) |
||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 208,510 | $ | ||||
Short-term investments |
$ | 548,925 | |||||
Long-term bank loan (including current portion) |
$ | 18,036 | |||||
Shareholder loan |
$ | 140,311 | |||||
Shareholders' equity: |
|||||||
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 9,500,000,000 shares authorized, 589,772,330(1) shares issued and outstanding (actual); 9,500,000,000 shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding (pro forma as adjusted) |
59 | ||||||
Undesignated shares, $0.0001 par value; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding (actual); 500,000,000 shares authorized and no shares issued or outstanding (pro forma as adjusted) |
| ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
981,237 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
38 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(231,194 | ) | |||||
Noncontrolling interest |
14,349 | ||||||
Total equity |
764,489 | ||||||
To tal capitalization |
$ | 922,836 | $ |
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The actual and pro forma as adjusted information set forth in the table excludes:
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If you invest in the ADSs in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per ADS and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS immediately after this offering.
Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2017 was $755.1 million, or $1.28 per outstanding ordinary share as of that date, and $16.64 per ADS. Net tangible book value represents our total tangible assets less our total tangible liabilities. Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share is calculated after giving effect to the issuance of ordinary shares in the form of ADSs by us in this offering. Dilution is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share from the public offering price per ordinary share.
Without taking into account any other changes in net tangible book value after September 30, 2017, other than to give effect to the issuance and sale by us of ordinary shares in the form of ADSs in this offering at the public offering price, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2017 would have been $ million, or $ per outstanding ordinary share and $ per ADS. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per ordinary share and $ per ADS to the existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $ per ordinary share and $ per ADS to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution:
|
Per Share | Per ADS |
|||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Assumed public offering price per share |
$ | $ | |||||||||||
Historical net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2017 |
$ | 1.28 | $ | 16.64 | |||||||||
Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors |
|||||||||||||
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering |
|||||||||||||
Dilution per share to investors participating in this offering |
$ | $ |
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value would be $ per ordinary share and $ per ADS, and the dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value to investors in this offering would be $ per ordinary share and $ per ADS.
The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the closing of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual public offering price of the ADSs and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The above discussion and tables are based on 589,772,330 ordinary shares outstanding as of September 30, 2017, including 1,106,250 issued but unvested restricted shares, and excludes:
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To the extent that outstanding options are exercised or restricted share units vest, you will experience further dilution. 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 additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities may result in further dilution to our shareholders.
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We have never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares or any other securities. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings, if any, to fund the development and expansion of our business and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Investors should not purchase the ADSs with the expectation of receiving cash dividends.
Any future determination to pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and may be based on a number of factors, including our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. If we pay any dividends, we will pay the ADS holders to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, as amended, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. See the section titled "Description of Securities" in the accompanying prospectus. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.
If we pay dividends in the future, in order for us to distribute dividends to our shareholders and ADS holders, we will rely to some extent on any dividends distributed by our PRC subsidiaries. Any dividend distributions from our PRC subsidiaries to us will be subject to PRC withholding tax. In addition, regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of dividends of a PRC company only out of accumulated distributable after-tax profits as determined in accordance with its articles of association and the accounting standards and regulations in China. See the section of our September 2017 Quarterly Report titled "Risk Factors Risks Related to Our Doing Business in the PRC In the future, we may rely to some extent on dividends and other distributions on equity from our principal operating subsidiaries to fund offshore cash and financing requirements."
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Under the terms and subject to the conditions of an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, the underwriters named below, for whom Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and Leerink Partners LLC are acting as representatives, have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, the number of ADSs indicated below:
Underwriters |
Number of ADSs |
|||
| | | | |
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC |
||||
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
||||
Cowen and Company, LLC |
||||
Leerink Partners LLC |
||||
| | | | |
Total |
||||
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the ADSs being offered by this prospectus supplement, if any are taken, other than the ADSs covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.
The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional ADSs from us to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of ADSs than the total number set forth above. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any ADSs are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will severally purchase ADSs in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.
The following table shows the per ADS and total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters by us. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional ADSs from us.
Paid by Us |
No Exercise | Full Exercise |
|||||
| | | | | | | |
Per ADS |
$ | $ | |||||
Total |
$ | $ |
ADSs sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement. Any ADSs sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $ per ADS from the public offering price. After the initial offering of the ADSs, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the ADSs by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters' right to reject any order in whole or in part.
We and our officers, directors, certain trusts and parties affiliated with such directors and officers and certain other holders of our ordinary shares, who collectively held 119,938,970 shares as of January 12, 2018, have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any of the ADSs or ordinary shares or any of our securities that are substantially similar to the ADSs or ordinary shares, or any options or warrants to purchase any ADSs or ordinary shares, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive the ADSs or ordinary shares, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, owned directly by us or these other persons (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which we or such other persons has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the "Undersigned's Shares"), without the prior consent of the representatives, for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement. We and such other persons have agreed that these
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restrictions expressly preclude us and such other persons from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of our or such other persons' Undersigned's Shares even if such Undersigned's Shares would be disposed of by someone other than us or such other persons. Prohibited hedging or other transactions includes without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any of our or such other persons' Undersigned's Shares or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Undersigned's Shares.
The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph do not apply to transfers of the Undersigned's Shares:
(a) acquired in the offering, or transactions relating to the ordinary shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the date of the offering;
(b) as a bona fide gift or gifts;
(c) to any member of the immediate family of the locked-up person or any trust or other legal entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the locked-up person or the immediate family of the locked-up person, or if the locked-up person is a trust, to any beneficiary (including such beneficiary's estate) of the locked-up person, provided that any such transfer will not involve a disposition for value;
(d) by will or intestate succession upon the death of the locked-up person;
(e) by operation of law or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement;
(f) by surrender or forfeiture of ordinary shares, ADSs or other securities to us to satisfy (x) tax withholding obligations upon exercise or vesting or (y) the exercise price upon a cashless net exercise, in each case, of share options, equity awards, warrants or other right to acquire ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to our equity incentive plans described in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus;
(g) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction occurring after the completion of the offering, in each case made to all holders of our ordinary shares, including in the form of ADSs, involving a change of control, provided that (x) in the event that the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Undersigned's Shares will remain subject to the terms of the lock-up agreement and (y) no such transfer of ordinary shares, ADS or any such warrant or other security will be permitted pursuant to this provision if such bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidated or other similar transaction is not approved by our board of directors, unless either (A) such transfer is required pursuant to mandatory take-over or squeeze-out provisions under applicable law or (B) the failure to transfer such Undersigned's Shares would result in such Undersigned's Shares being extinguished without value being received by the locked-up person;
(h) to us arising as a result of the termination of employment of the locked-up person and pursuant to employment agreements under which we have the option to repurchase such Undersigned's Shares or a right of first refusal with respect to transfers of such Undersigned's Shares, provided that any filing made pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, will include a footnote noting the circumstances described in this clause;
(i) pursuant to any sales of the Undersigned's Shares beginning 30 days after the date of this prospectus supplement pursuant to a trading plan adopted pursuant to Rule 10b5-1
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under the Exchange Act in effect as of the date of the lockup agreement and disclosed to the representatives; provided any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act as a result of such sales will contain a footnote disclosing that such sales were pursuant to a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1; or
(j) if the locked-up person is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (x) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other affiliates (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of the locked-up person (including, for the avoidance of doubt, a fund managed by the same manager or managing member or general partner or management company or by an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such manager or managing member or general partner or management company as the locked-up person or who shares a common investment advisor with the locked-up person) or (y) as part of a distribution without consideration by the locked-up person to its stockholders, partners, members or other equity holders; provided, however, that in any such case, it will be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding such Undersigned's Shares subject to the provisions of the lock-up agreement and there will be no further transfer of such Undersigned's Shares except in accordance with the lock-up agreement, and provided further that any such transfer will not involve a disposition for value.
Provided that, with respect to clauses (a) through (f) above, it will be a condition to such transfer that no filing under the Exchange Act nor any other public filing or disclosure of such transfer by or on behalf of the locked-up person will be required or voluntarily made during the 90-day period described above and, with respect to clauses (b) through (e) and (g), prior to such transfer or distribution, the transferee, donee, trustee or distributee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth in the lock-up agreement. For purposes of the lock-up agreements, "immediate family" means any relationship by blood, domestic partnership, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.
Certain trusts and parties affiliated with our directors and officers, who collectively held 144,387,671 shares as of January 12, 2018, have not signed lock-up agreements.
The ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol "BGNE."
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell ADSs in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of ADSs than they are required to purchase in the offering, and a short position represents the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A "covered short position" is a short position that is not greater than the amount of additional ADSs for which the underwriters' option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional ADSs or purchasing ADSs in the open market. In determining the source of ADSs to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of ADSs available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase additional ADSs pursuant to the option described above. "Naked" short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional ADSs for which the option described above may be exercised. The underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing ADSs in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the ADSs in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of ADSs made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.
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The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions.
Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the ADSs, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the ADSs. As a result, the price of the ADSs may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NASDAQ, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
The underwriters do not expect sales to discretionary accounts to exceed 5% of the total number of ADSs offered.
We estimate that our share of the total expenses of the offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $ million. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses of up to $30,000 related to clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).
We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. The underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to us and to persons and entities with relationships with us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively traded securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to our assets, securities and/or instruments (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with us. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the ADSs offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The ADSs offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such ADSs be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any ADSs offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.
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Selling Restrictions
European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), an offer to the public of any ADSs may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of the ADSs may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive:
(a) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;
(b) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
(c) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of ADSs shall result in a requirement for the publication by us or any underwriter of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer to the public" in relation to any ADSs in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any ADSs to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any ADSs, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended), including by Directive 2010/73/EU, and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State.
This European Economic Area selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.
United Kingdom
The underwriters have represented and agreed that:
(a) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the ADSs in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 does not apply to us; and
(b) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 with respect to anything done by it in relation to the ADSs in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
Canada
The ADSs 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 ADSs 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 and the accompanying
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prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Hong Kong
The ADSs may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (1) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong); (2) to "professional investors" within the meaning of the Securities and Futures
Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder; or (3) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation, or document relating to the ADSs may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case 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 in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to ADSs which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Japan
The ADSs have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan and the underwriters have agreed that it will not offer or sell any ADSs, directly or indirectly, 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 resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Malaysia
No prospectus or other offering material or document in connection with the offer and sale of the ADSs has been or will be registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia, or Commission, for the Commission's approval pursuant to the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the ADSs may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the ADSs be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Malaysia other than (i) a closed end fund approved by the Commission; (ii) a holder of a Capital Markets Services License; (iii) a person who acquires the ADSs as principal, if the offer is on terms that the ADSs may only be acquired at a consideration of not less than RM250,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currencies) for each transaction; (iv) an individual whose total net personal assets or total net joint assets with his or her spouse exceeds RM3 million (or its equivalent in
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foreign currencies), excluding the value of the primary residence of the individual; (v) an individual who has a gross annual income exceeding RM300,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currencies) per annum in the preceding twelve months; (vi) an individual who, jointly with his or her spouse, has a gross annual income of RM400,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currencies), per annum in the preceding twelve months; (vii) a corporation with total net assets exceeding RM10 million (or its equivalent in a foreign currencies) based on the last audited accounts; (viii) a partnership with total net assets exceeding RM10 million (or its equivalent in foreign currencies); (ix) a bank licensee or insurance licensee as defined in the Labuan Financial Services and Securities Act 2010; (x) an Islamic bank licensee or takaful licensee as defined in the Labuan Financial Services and Securities Act 2010; and (xi) any other person as may be specified by the Commission; provided that, in the each of the preceding categories (i) to (xi), the distribution of the ADSs is made by a holder of a Capital Markets Services License who carries on the business of dealing in securities. The distribution in Malaysia of this prospectus is subject to Malaysian laws. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute and may not be used for the purpose of public offering or an issue, offer for subscription or purchase, invitation to subscribe for or purchase any ADSs requiring the registration of a prospectus with the Commission under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007.
Singapore
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the ADSs may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the ADSs be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA; (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA. Where the ADSs are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) 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 (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares, and debentures of that corporation, or the beneficiaries' rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the ADSs under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.
Switzerland
The ADSs may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the ADSs or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the company, or the ADSs have been or will be filed with or
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approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of ADSs will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of ADSs has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of the ADSs.
Taiwan
The ADSs have not been and will not be registered with the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be sold, issued or offered within Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitutes an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan that requires a registration or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer, sell, give advice regarding or otherwise intermediate the offering and sale of the ADSs in Taiwan.
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We are being represented by Goodwin Procter LLP with respect to certain legal matters of U.S. federal securities and New York State law. The underwriters are being represented as to U.S. federal securities and New York State law matters by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. The validity of the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs offered in this offering and legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Mourant Ozannes. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Fangda Partners and for the underwriters by JunHe LLP. Goodwin Procter LLP may rely upon Mourant Ozannes with respect to matters governed by Cayman Islands law and Fangda Partners with respect to matters governed by PRC law. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, certain investment funds associated with, and partners of, Goodwin Procter LLP beneficially owned less than 1% of our outstanding equity securities.
The consolidated financial statements of BeiGene, Ltd. appearing in BeiGene, Ltd.'s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016, have been audited by Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm 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 (File No. 333-218301), of which this prospectus supplement is a part, covering the securities offered hereby. We previously filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-6 (File Number 333-209044) to register the ADSs. As allowed by SEC rules, this prospectus supplement does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement. You are referred to the registration statement and to its exhibits and to the documents incorporated herein. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are not necessarily complete, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These include our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. We also make available, free of charge on our website, the reports filed with the SEC by our executive officers, directors and 10% shareholders pursuant to Section 16 under the Exchange Act. We make this information available on or through our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
You may also obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities.
We intend to furnish the depositary with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated combined financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of shareholders' meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders' meeting received by the depositary from us.
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The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information from other documents that we file with it, which means that:
The information that we incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement.
Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. Any statement contained in such incorporated documents shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purpose of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a subsequent statement contained in another document we incorporate by reference at a later date modifies or supersedes that statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.
We incorporate herein by reference the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (File No. 001-37686):
You may access our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statement, and amendments, if any, to those documents filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at the
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SEC's website or our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The reference to our website does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in our website. We do not consider information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website to be part of this prospectus supplement or the related registration statement.
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Investor
Relations
BeiGene, Ltd.
c/o BeiGene USA, Inc.
55 Cambridge Parkway
Suite 700W
Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel: (781) 801-1800
Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized any person to provide you with information different from that contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we may have referred you in connection with this offering. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front.
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PROSPECTUS
BeiGene, Ltd.
Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares in the form of American Depositary Shares
Preferred Shares
Preferred Shares in the form of American Depositary Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
By this prospectus, we or any selling shareholder may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, ordinary shares, ordinary shares in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, preferred shares, preferred shares in the form of ADSs, debt securities, warrants, units or any combination thereof as described in this prospectus. The warrants may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or preferred shares, the preferred shares may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares and the debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or preferred shares. You should carefully read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated in any of the foregoing by reference, before you invest in our securities. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained in this prospectus.
Our American Depositary Shares representing ordinary shares are traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol "BGNE."
We or any selling shareholder may offer and sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers on a continuous or delayed basis. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell our securities, we or any selling shareholder will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of our securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from the sale of such securities will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by selling shareholders.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES REFERENCED UNDER THE HEADING "RISK FACTORS" ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS THOSE CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY RELATED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS, AND IN THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS OR THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.
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 26, 2017.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS |
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION |
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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE |
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS |
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RISK FACTORS |
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ABOUT THE COMPANY |
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES |
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CAPITALIZATION |
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
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SELLING SHAREHOLDERS |
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES |
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TAXATION |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
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ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES |
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LEGAL MATTERS |
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EXPERTS |
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We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this documentation are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a "well-known seasoned issuer" as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Under this shelf registration, we and/or selling shareholders may offer our ordinary shares and preferred shares, each of which may be represented by American Depositary Shares, various series of warrants to purchase ordinary shares or preferred shares, debt securities, units, or any combination thereof, from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we and/or selling shareholders may offer. Each time we and/or selling shareholders offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the specific terms of the offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Each such prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the headings "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation by Reference" before you invest in our securities.
Neither we nor any selling shareholder have authorized anyone to provide you with information in addition to or different from that contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any information not contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we or a selling shareholder may authorize to be provided to you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. You should assume that the information in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security.
This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information".
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, throughout this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, the words "BeiGene," "we," "us," "our," the "company" or similar references refer to BeiGene, Ltd. and its subsidiaries; and the term "securities" refers collectively to our ordinary shares, preferred shares, American Depositary Shares, warrants to purchase ordinary shares or preferred shares, debt securities, units or any combination of the foregoing securities.
We own various applications and unregistered trademarks and servicemarks, including BeiGene, and our corporate logo. All other trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus are referred to without the ® and symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will
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not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
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 SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.beigene.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 001-37686) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:
You may access our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statement, and amendments, if any, to those documents filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at the SEC's
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website or our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The reference to our website does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in our website. We do not consider information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website to be part of this prospectus or the related registration statement.
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Investor
Relations
BeiGene, Ltd.
c/o BeiGene USA, Inc.
55 Cambridge Parkway
Suite 700W
Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel: (781) 801-1800
This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference and any prospectus supplement contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference or any prospectus supplement, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that 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.
The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about:
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These forward-looking statements are only predictions and we may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, so you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, particularly under the caption "Risk Factors," that could cause actual future results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we have incorporated by reference and any prospectus supplement with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking
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statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference and any prospectus supplement include statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we believe these industry publications and third party research, surveys and studies are reliable, you are cautioned not to give undue weight to this information.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, which is on file with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and other documents we file with the SEC that are deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
We are a globally focused, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery and development of innovative, molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer. We believe the next generation of cancer treatment will utilize therapeutics both as monotherapies and in combination to attack multiple underlying mechanisms of cancer cell growth and survival. We further believe that discovery of next-generation cancer therapies requires new research tools. To that end, we have developed a proprietary cancer biology platform that addresses the importance of tumor-immune system interactions and the value of primary biopsies in developing new models to support our drug discovery effort.
Our strategy is to develop a pipeline of drug candidates with the potential to be best-in-class monotherapies and also important components of multiple-agent combination regimens. Over the last six years, using our cancer biology platform, we have developed clinical-stage drug candidates that inhibit the important oncology targets Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or BTK, RAF dimer protein complex and PARP family of proteins, and an immuno-oncology agent that inhibits the immune checkpoint protein receptor PD-1. For each of our molecularly targeted drug candidates, we have achieved proof-of-concept by observing objective responses in defined patient populations. Our BTK inhibitor is currently in pivotal studies in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and China. Our PD-1, PARP and RAF dimer inhibitors are currently in the dose-expansion phases of their respective clinical trials and our PD-1 inhibitor is also currently in a pivotal study in China. As of March 20, 2017, trials of our four clinical-stage drug candidates, as monotherapies and in combination, have enrolled a total of over 980 patients. We have Investigational New Drug, or IND, Applications in effect for our BTK, PD-1 and PARP inhibitors with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. All four of our drug candidates are in the clinic in China, including our BTK drug candidate being in two pivotal studies and our PD-1 drug candidate being in one pivotal study. We believe that each of our clinical-stage drug
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candidates is the first in their respective classes being developed in China under the Category 1.1 domestic regulatory pathway to enter into human testing and to present clinical data.
Our research operations are in China, which we believe confers several advantages including access to a deep scientific talent pool and proximity to extensive preclinical study and clinical trial resources through collaborations with leading cancer hospitals in China. Beyond the substantial market opportunities we expect to have globally, we believe our location in China provides us the opportunity to bring best-in-class and/or first-in-class monotherapies and combination therapeutics to our home market where many global standard-of-care therapies are not currently approved or available. As of March 31, 2017, we have assembled a team of approximately 400 employees in China, the United States, and Australia with deep scientific talent and extensive global pharmaceutical experience who are deeply committed to advancing our mission to become a global leader in next-generation cancer therapies.
We believe that oncology treatment has entered an era of revolutionary change in which cancer drugs will be used both as monotherapy and in combination to attack multiple underlying mechanisms of cancer cell growth and survival. Due to breakthroughs in gene sequencing and methods of tumor characterization, cancer is rapidly being redefined from a paradigm of classification based on tissue of origin to molecular characteristics. As a result, this ability to better classify cancers has enabled the development of molecularly targeted drugs that address specific cancer subpopulations and provide high response rates in tumors with particular mutations. In addition, the development of immuno-oncology agents such as antibodies targeting the CTLA-4 and PD-1 protein receptors and the PD-L1 protein has demonstrated the importance of the human immune system in cancer therapy and the potential for more durable responses from agents that activate the immune system to identify and eliminate tumors. We believe that the future of cancer therapy will involve combinations of molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology drugs tailored to particular tumor sub-groups and have directed our research efforts at both types of drugs.
Our belief that this fundamental shift was about to occur in cancer research led us early in our history to develop a cancer biology platform that addresses the importance of tumor-immune system interactions and the value of primary tumor biopsies in developing new models. Our proximity to leading cancer treatment centers in Beijing and our close relationships with clinicians who treat patients and perform biopsies and surgeries at those centers have allowed us to develop an extensive collection of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro cancer models. Given our belief that the human immune system can play an important role in combating cancer and that future treatments will involve combination therapies, we have introduced elements of a functional immune system into these models. Our proprietary models allow our research team to better select targets and to screen and evaluate therapeutic agents that we believe have significant potential alone or in combination for treating a variety of cancers. Our models are a key component in the screening cascade we follow in our drug discovery effort and permit us to evaluate potential drug candidates in conditions that much better approximate a patient's cancer at the time of treatment. This is particularly significant when drug discovery requires evaluation not only of monotherapies but also multiple combinations and regimens targeting specific mutations while simultaneously immobilizing the defenses cancer cells mount against the human immune system.
We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability on October 28, 2010. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The principal executive office of our research and development operations is located at No. 30 Science Park Road, Zhong-Guan-Cun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 10 58958000. Our current registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Mourant Ozannes Corporate Services (Cayman) Limited, 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands. Our website address is www.beigene.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus. The ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol "BGNE."
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods shown. You should read this table in conjunction with the financial statements and notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have no preferred shares outstanding and paid no dividends on preferred shares during the periods indicated. Therefore, the ratios of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred dividends are the same as the ratios of earnings to fixed charges presented below.
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 |
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
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2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges(1) |
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We intend to include information about our capitalization and indebtedness in prospectus supplements.
Except as described in any prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, the net proceeds received by us from our sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for our general corporate purposes. From time to time, we may engage in additional public or private financings of a character and amount which we may deem appropriate. Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by any selling shareholder.
Selling shareholders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired or will from time to time acquire from us, our securities. Such selling shareholders may be parties to registration rights agreements with us, or we otherwise may have agreed or will agree to register their securities for resale. The initial purchasers of our securities, as well as their transferees, pledges, donees or successors, all of whom we refer to as "selling shareholders," may from time to time offer and sell our securities pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the name of each of the selling shareholders and the number of securities beneficially owned by such selling shareholder that are covered by such prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also disclose whether any of the selling shareholders has held any position or office with, has been employed by or otherwise has had a material relationship with us during the three years prior to the date of the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or any selling shareholder may offer our ordinary shares and preferred shares, each of which may be represented by American Depositary Shares, various series of warrants to purchase ordinary shares or preferred shares, debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, units, or any combination thereof from
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time to time in one or more offerings under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we and/or any selling shareholder may offer. Each time we and/or any selling shareholder offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities.
Ordinary Shares
We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, and the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Cayman Companies Law, and the common law of the Cayman Islands.
As of May 26, 2017, our authorized share capital was $1,000,000 divided into (i) 9,500,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of $0.0001 each and (ii) 500,000,000 shares of a par value of $0.0001 each of such class or classes (howsoever designated) as the board of directors may determine.
Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or our articles, became effective upon completion of our initial public offering. The following are summaries of material provisions of our articles and the Cayman Companies Law insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares. Under our articles, our name continues to be BeiGene, Ltd.
The following discussion primarily concerns ordinary shares and the rights of holders of ordinary shares. The holders of ADSs are not be treated as our shareholders and will be required to surrender their ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal from the depositary facility in which the ordinary shares are held in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement, as amended, in order to exercise directly shareholders' rights in respect of the ordinary shares. The depositary has agreed, so far as it is practical, to vote or cause to be voted the amount of ordinary shares represented by ADSs in accordance with the non-discretionary written instructions of the holders of such ADSs. See "Description of American Depositary SharesVoting Rights."
General
All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form, and are issued when registered in our register of members. Each holder of our ordinary shares will be entitled to receive a certificate in respect of such ordinary shares. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their ordinary shares. We may not issue shares to bearer.
Dividends
The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Companies Law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.
Voting Rights
Each ordinary share is entitled to one vote on all matters upon which the ordinary shares are entitled to vote.
Voting at any meeting of shareholders is by poll.
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An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting (except for certain types of winding up of the company, in which case the required majority to pass a special resolution shall be 100%). Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Cayman Companies Law and our articles. A special resolution is required for important matters such as a change of name and amendments to our articles. Our shareholders may effect certain changes by ordinary resolution, including increasing the amount of our authorized share capital, consolidating and dividing all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amounts than our existing shares and cancelling any authorized but unissued shares.
Transfer of Ordinary Shares
Subject to the restrictions contained in our articles, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in any usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors, executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and, if in respect of a nil or partly paid up share, or if so required by our directors, by or on behalf of the transferee).
Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share that has not been fully paid up or is subject to a company lien. Our board of directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:
If our directors refuse to register a transfer, they are required, within three months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, to send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.
Liquidation
On a winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution among the holders of our ordinary shares shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus will be distributed among the holders of our ordinary shares on a pro rata basis in proportion to the par value of the ordinary shares held by them. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by the holders of our ordinary shares in proportion to the par value of the ordinary shares held by them.
The liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of our shareholders and any other sanction required by the Cayman Companies Law, divide amongst the shareholders in specie or in kind the whole or any part of the assets of our company, and may for that purpose value any assets and
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determine how the division shall be carried out as between our shareholders or different classes of shareholders.
Because we are a "limited liability" company registered under the Cayman Companies Law, the liability of our shareholders is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by them. Our articles contain a declaration that the liability of our shareholders is so limited.
Calls on Ordinary Shares and Forfeiture of Ordinary Shares
Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their ordinary shares. The ordinary shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture by the company. In addition, the holders of partly paid ordinary shares will have no right pursuant to the Cayman Companies Law to dividends nor will they be able to redeem their shares.
Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Ordinary Shares
We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders thereof, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by our board of directors. We may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our board of directors or by ordinary resolution of our shareholders (but no repurchase may be made contrary to the terms or manner recommended by our directors), or as otherwise authorized by our articles. Under the Cayman Companies Law, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company's profits or out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if our company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Cayman Companies Law no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (1) unless it is fully paid up, (2) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding or (3) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.
Variations of Rights of Shares
If at any time our share capital is divided into different classes of shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class of shares may be varied with the consent in writing of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights will not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, our board of directors may issue preferred shares, without further action by the shareholders. See "Differences in Corporate LawDirectors' Power to Issue Shares."
General Meetings of Shareholders
Shareholders' meetings may be convened by a majority of our board of directors or our Chairman. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obligated by the Cayman Companies Law to call shareholders' annual general meetings; however, our corporate governance guidelines provide that we will hold an annual general meeting of shareholders every year to the extent required by NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by our board of directors.
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The Cayman Companies Law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company's articles of association. Our articles provide that upon the requisition of shareholders representing not less than a simple majority of the voting rights entitled to vote at general meetings, our board will convene an extraordinary general meeting and put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. However, shareholders may propose only ordinary resolutions to be put to a vote at such meeting and shall have no right to propose resolutions with respect to the election, appointment or removal of directors or with respect to the size of the board. Our articles will provide no other right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings.
Advance notice of at least seven calendar days is required for the convening of a general meeting of our shareholders. All general meetings of shareholders shall occur at such time and place as determined by our directors and set forth in the notice for such meeting.
The quorum required for a general meeting of shareholders at which an ordinary resolution has been proposed consists of such shareholders present in person or by proxy who together hold shares which carry the right to at least a simple majority of all votes capable of being exercised on a poll. The quorum required for a general meeting at which a special resolution has been proposed consists of such shareholders present in person or by proxy who together hold shares which carry the right to at least two-thirds of all votes capable of being exercised on a poll.
Nomination, Election and Removal of Directors
Our articles provide that persons standing for election as directors at a duly constituted general meeting with requisite quorum shall be elected by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast on the resolution by the shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at the meeting. Our articles further provide that our board of directors will be divided into three groups designated as Class I, Class II and Class III with as nearly equal a number of directors in each group as possible. Directors assigned to Class I shall initially serve until the 2017 annual general meeting of shareholders; directors assigned to Class II shall initially serve until the 2018 annual general meeting of shareholders; and directors assigned to Class III shall initially serve until the 2019 annual general meeting of shareholders. Commencing with the 2017 annual general meeting of shareholders, each director of each class the term of which shall then expire shall, upon the expiration of his or her term, be eligible for reelection at such annual general meeting to hold office for a three-year term and until such director's successor has been duly elected. Our articles provide that, unless otherwise determined by shareholders in a general meeting, our board will consist of not less than three directors. We have no provisions relating to retirement of directors upon reaching any age limit.
In the event of a casual vacancy arising from the resignation of a former director or as an addition to the existing board, our board may, by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining directors present and voting at a board meeting, appoint any person to be a director, unless the board resolves to follow any available exceptions or exemptions.
For so long as our shares or ADSs are listed on NASDAQ, our directors shall comply with any director nomination procedures required under the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules and shall include at least such number of independent directors as applicable law and the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules shall require.
Our board shall have a chairman who has been elected and appointed by a majority of the directors then in office. The period for which our chairman holds office shall also be determined by a majority of all of our directors then in office. Our chairman shall preside as chairman at every meeting of our board. To the extent that our chairman is not present at a meeting of our board within
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15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the remaining attending directors may choose one of their number to be the chairman of that meeting.
Our directors shall be elected by an ordinary resolution of the holders of ordinary shares at each annual general meeting of the company to fill the seats of those directors whose terms expire at such annual general meeting.
Each of our directors shall hold office until his successor is duly elected or appointed or his earlier resignation or removal, notwithstanding any agreement between the company and the director. Our directors may be removed by a special resolution, with our without cause.
Our board may, from time to time, and except as required by applicable law or the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules, adopt, institute, amend, modify or revoke any of our corporate governance policies or initiatives of the company, which shall be intended to set forth the guiding principles and policies of the company and our board on various corporate governance related matters as the board shall determine by resolution from time to time.
Proceedings of Board of Directors
Our articles provide that our business is to be managed and conducted by our board of directors. The quorum necessary for a board meeting may be fixed by the board and, unless so fixed at another number, will be a majority of the directors.
Our articles provide that the board may from time to time at its discretion exercise all powers of our company to raise capital or borrow money, to mortgage or charge all or any part of the undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital of our company and, subject to the Cayman Companies Law, issue debentures, bonds and other securities of our company, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of our company or of any third party.
Inspection of Books and Records
Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Companies Law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records provided that they are entitled to a copy of the current amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Changes in Capital
Our shareholders may from time to time by ordinary resolution:
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Our shareholders may by special resolution, subject to any confirmation or consent required by the Cayman Companies Law, reduce our share capital or any capital redemption reserve in any manner permitted by law.
Restrictive Provisions
Under our amended articles of association, in connection with any change of control, merger or sale of our company, the holders of our ordinary shares shall receive the same consideration with respect to their ordinary shares in connection with any such transaction.
Claims Against the Company
Our articles provide that, unless otherwise determined by a simple majority of our board of directors in its sole discretion, consistent with the directors' fiduciary duties to act in the best interests of the company, in the event that (1) any shareholder (the claiming party) initiates or asserts any claim or counterclaim or joins, offers substantial assistance to or has a direct financial interest in any claim against our company and (2) the claiming party (or the third party that received substantial assistance from the claiming party or in whose claim the claiming party had a direct financial interest) does not obtain a judgment on the merits in which the claiming party prevails, then each claiming party shall, to the fullest extent permissible by law, be obligated jointly and severally to reimburse us for all fees, costs and expenses (including, but not limited to, all reasonable attorneys' fees and other litigation expenses) that we may incur in connection with such claim.
Exclusive Forum
Our articles provide that, subject to limited exceptions, the courts of Cayman Islands will be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our shareholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands or the articles of association, or (4) any other action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States). Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our share capital shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our articles of association described above. Although we believe these provisions benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Cayman Islands law for the specified types of actions and proceedings, the provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. It is possible that, in connection with one or more actions or proceedings described above, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Exempted Company
We are an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the Cayman Companies Law. The Cayman Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
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"Limited liability" means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company.
We are subject to reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. The NASDAQ Stock Market Rules require that every company listed on the NASDAQ hold an annual general meeting of shareholders. In addition, our articles allow directors to call an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders pursuant to the procedures set forth in our articles.
Register of Members
Under the Cayman Companies Law, we must keep a register of members and there should be entered therein:
Under Cayman Companies Law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out in the register (that is, the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members is deemed as a matter of Cayman Companies Law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon completion of this offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to record and give effect to the issuance of shares by us to the Depositary (or its nominee) as the depositary. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their names.
If the name of any person is incorrectly entered in or omitted from our register of members, or if there is any default or unnecessary delay in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a member of our company, the person or member aggrieved (or any member of our company or our company itself) may apply to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for an order that the register be rectified, and the Court may either refuse such application or it may, if satisfied of the justice of the case, make an order for the rectification of the register.
Differences in Corporate Law
The Cayman Companies Law is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England and Wales but does not follow recent United Kingdom statutory enactments, and accordingly there are significant differences between the Cayman Companies Law and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the Cayman Companies Law differs from laws applicable to United States
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corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain significant differences between the provisions of the Cayman Companies Law applicable to us and the comparable laws applicable to companies incorporated in the State of Delaware in the United States.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements
The Cayman Companies Law permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (1) "merger" means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company, and (2) a "consolidation" means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (1) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (2) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company's articles of association. The plan must be filed with the Registrar of Companies together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.
A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders. For this purpose a subsidiary is a company of which at least 90% of the issued shares entitled to vote are owned by the parent company.
The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a court in the Cayman Islands.
Except in certain limited circumstances, a dissenting shareholder of a Cayman Islands constituent company is entitled to payment of the fair value of his or her shares upon dissenting from a merger or consolidation. The exercise of such dissenter rights will preclude the exercise by the dissenting shareholder of any other rights to which he or she might otherwise be entitled by virtue of holding shares, except for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.
In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies, provided that the arrangement is approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made, and who must, in addition, represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:
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When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares affected within four months the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.
If an arrangement and reconstruction is thus approved, or if a takeover offer is made and accepted, a dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Shareholders' Suits
In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us as a company, and as a general rule, a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English law authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands courts can be expected to follow and apply the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) so that a non-controlling shareholder may be permitted to commence a class action against or derivative actions in the name of the company to challenge:
Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability
The Cayman Companies Law does not limit the extent to which a company's articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our articles provide that we shall indemnify our officers and directors against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such directors or officer, other than by reason of such person's dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company's business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that will provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our articles.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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Anti-Takeover Provisions in Our Articles
Some provisions of our articles may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including limitations on shareholder rights to nominate or remove directors, as well as provisions that authorize our board of directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders.
Under the Cayman Companies Law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our articles, as amended and restated from time to time, for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company and for a proper purpose.
Directors' Fiduciary Duties
Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He or she must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the transaction was procedurally fair and provided fair value to the corporation.
As a matter of Cayman law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore owes the following duties to the companya duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his or her position as director (unless the company permits him or her to do so), a duty not to put himself or herself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal interest or his or her duty to a third party, and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his or her duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his or her knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care, and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.
Shareholder Proposals
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. The Delaware General Corporation Law does not provide shareholders an express right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, but in keeping with common law, Delaware corporations generally afford shareholders an opportunity to make proposals and nominations provided that they comply with the notice provisions in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
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The Cayman Companies Law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company's articles of association. Our articles allow our shareholders holding not less than a simple majority of the voting rights entitled to vote at general meetings to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our board is obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. However, our shareholders may propose only ordinary resolutions to be put to a vote at such meetings and shall have no right to propose resolutions with respect to the election, appointment or removal of directors. Our articles provide no other right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obligated by law to call shareholders' annual general meetings. However, our corporate governance guidelines require us to call such meetings every year to the extent required by NASDAQ Stock Market Rules.
Cumulative Voting
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation's certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder's voting power with respect to electing such director. As permitted under the Cayman Companies Law, our articles do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.
Removal of Directors
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our articles, any director may be removed by a special resolution, with or without cause.
Transactions with Interested Shareholders
The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware public corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws that is approved by its shareholders, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an "interested shareholder" for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target's outstanding voting stock or who or which is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and owned 15% or more of the corporation's outstanding voting stock within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target's board of directors.
The Cayman Companies Law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although the Cayman Companies Law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests
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of the company and for a proper corporate purpose and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.
Dissolution; Winding Up
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation's outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board of directors.
Under the Cayman Companies Law and our articles, our company may be wound up only upon resolution of shareholders holding 100% of the total voting rights entitled to vote or if the winding up is initiated by our board of directors, by either a special resolution of our members or, if our company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of our members. In addition, a company may be wound up by an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.
Variation of Rights of Shares
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Cayman Companies Law and our articles, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may materially and adversely vary the rights attached to any class only with the consent in writing of the holders of two-thirds of the shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Amendment of Governing Documents
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation's certificate of incorporation may be amended only if adopted and declared advisable by the board of directors and approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, and the bylaws may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote and may, if so provided in the certificate of incorporation, also be amended by the board of directors. Under the Cayman Companies Law and our articles, our articles may only be amended by special resolution of our shareholders.
Rights of Non-Resident or Foreign Shareholders
There are no limitations imposed by our articles on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our articles governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.
Directors' Power to Issue Shares
Under our articles, our board of directors is empowered to issue or allot shares or grant options, restricted shares, restricted share units, share appreciation rights, dividend equivalent rights, warrants and analogous equity-based rights with or without preferred, deferred, qualified or other special rights or restrictions. In particular, pursuant to our articles, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the shareholders, to issue all or any part of our capital and to fix the designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions therefrom, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting
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rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of our ordinary shares. Our board of directors, without shareholder approval, may issue preferred shares with voting, conversion or other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of our ordinary shares. Subject to the directors' duty of acting in the best interest of our company, preferred shares can be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of us or make removal of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of preferred shares may have the effect of decreasing the market price of the ordinary shares, and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of ordinary shares.
Inspection of Books and Records
Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under the Cayman Companies Law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records. However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. See "Where You Can Find More Information."
Registration Rights
Pursuant to an investors' rights agreement, as amended and restated, certain holders of our registrable shares are entitled to rights with respect to the registration of these shares under the Securities Act, including demand registration rights, short-form registration rights and piggyback registration rights. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting discounts and selling commissions, will be borne by the holders of the shares being registered. The investors' rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, under which we are obligated to indemnify holders of registrable securities in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions attributable to them. The registration rights granted under the investors' rights agreement will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering.
In addition, on November 16, 2016, we entered into an additional registration rights agreement, or the Registration Rights Agreement, with 667, L.P., Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. and 14159, L.P., or the Baker Entities, Hillhouse BGN Holdings Limited, Gaoling Fund, L.P. and YHG Investment, L.P., or the Hillhouse Entities, (each an "Investor" and collectively, the "Investors"), all of which are existing shareholders. The Baker Entities are affiliated with two of our directors, Michael Goller and Ranjeev Krishana. The Hillhouse Entities are affiliated with one of our directors, Michael Yi. The Registration Rights Agreement provides that, subject to certain limitations, if at any time and from time to time after April 1, 2017, the Investors demand that we register our ordinary shares and any other securities held by the Investors at the time any such demand is made on a Registration Statement on Form S-3 for resale under the Securities Act, we would be obligated to effect such registration. Our registration obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement will continue in effect for up to four years, and include our obligation to facilitate certain underwritten public offerings of our ordinary shares or ADSs by the Investors in the future. The Registration Rights Agreement also requires us to pay expenses relating to such registrations and indemnify the Investors against certain liabilities.
Preferred Shares
We may issue preferred shares from time to time, in one or more series. We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description of the terms and rights of the preferred shares that may be offered under this prospectus, including the designation of the series, the number of shares of the series, the preferences and relative, participating, option or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such series, and the voting rights, if any, of the holders of
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the series. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of preferred shares being offered.
Debt Securities
This prospectus describes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities 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 securities in a supplement to this prospectus, including any additional covenants or changes to existing covenants relating to such series. The prospectus supplement also will indicate whether the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. You should read the applicable indenture if you do not fully understand a term or the way we use it in this prospectus.
We may offer senior or subordinated debt securities. Each series of debt securities may have different terms. The senior debt securities will be issued under one or more senior indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the "senior indenture." Any subordinated debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the "subordinated indenture" and to the trustee under the senior or subordinated indenture as the "trustee." The senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are sometimes collectively referred to in this prospectus as the "indentures." The indentures will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. We included copies of the forms of the indentures as exhibits to this registration statement and they are incorporated into this prospectus by reference.
If we issue debt securities at a discount from their principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the aggregate initial offering price of the offered securities issued under this prospectus, we will include only the initial offering price of the debt securities and not the principal amount of the debt securities.
We have summarized below the material provisions of the indentures and the debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the debt securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. Because the summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information that you may find useful, you should read the documents relating to the debt securities that are described in this prospectus or in any applicable prospectus supplement. Please read "Where You Can Find More Information" to find out how you can obtain a copy of those documents. Except as otherwise indicated, the terms of the indentures are identical. As used under this caption, the term "debt securities" includes the debt securities being offered by this prospectus and all other debt securities issued by us under the indentures.
General
The indentures:
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Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the senior debt securities will be unsubordinated obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. Payments on the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the prior payment in full of all of our senior indebtedness, as described under "Description of Debt SecuritiesSubordination" and in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each indenture provides that we may, but need not, designate more than one trustee under an indenture. Any trustee under an indenture may resign or be removed and a successor trustee may be appointed to act with respect to the series of debt securities administered by the resigning or removed trustee. If two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of debt securities, each trustee shall be a trustee of a trust under the applicable indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee. Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, any action described in this prospectus to be taken by each trustee may be taken by each trustee with respect to, and only with respect to, the one or more series of debt securities for which it is trustee under the applicable indenture.
The prospectus supplement for each offering will provide the following terms, where applicable:
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We may issue debt securities at a discount below their principal amount and provide for less than the entire principal amount thereof to be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities. We refer to any such debt securities throughout this prospectus as "original issue discount securities." The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the United States federal income tax consequences and other relevant considerations applicable to original issue discount securities.
We also may issue indexed debt securities. Payments of principal, premium and interest on indexed debt securities are determined with reference to the rate of exchange between the currency or currency unit in which the debt security is denominated and any other currency or currency unit specified by us, to the relationship between two or more currencies or currency units or by other similar methods or formulas specified in the prospectus supplement.
Except as described under "Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets" or as may be set forth in any prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that (1) would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or (2) would afford holders of debt securities protection in the event of (a) a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving us, or (b) a change of control or reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction involving us that may adversely affect the holders of the debt securities. In the future, we may enter into transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a merger or consolidation, that may have an adverse effect on our ability to service our indebtedness, including the debt securities, by, among other things, substantially reducing or eliminating our assets.
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We will provide you with more information in the applicable prospectus supplement regarding any deletions, modifications, or additions to the events of default or covenants that are described below, including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection.
Payment
Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, any series of the debt securities will be payable at the corporate trust office of the trustee. We will provide you with the address of the trustee in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may also pay interest by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled to it as it appears in the applicable register for the debt securities or by wire transfer of funds to that person at an account maintained within the United States.
All monies that we pay to a paying agent or a trustee for the payment of the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, or interest on, any debt security will be repaid to us if unclaimed at the end of two years after the obligation underlying payment becomes due and payable. After funds have been returned to us, the holder of the debt security may look only to us for payment, without payment of interest for the period which we hold the funds.
Denomination, Interest, Registration and Transfer
Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of any series will be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
Subject to the limitations imposed upon debt securities that are evidenced by a computerized entry in the records of a depository company rather than by physical delivery of a note, a holder of debt securities of any series may:
Every debt security surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange must be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer satisfactory to the applicable trustee or transfer agent. Payment of a service charge will not be required for any registration of transfer or exchange of any debt securities, but we or the trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith. If in addition to the applicable trustee, the applicable prospectus supplement refers to any transfer agent initially designated by us for any series of debt securities, we may at any time rescind the designation of any such transfer agent or approve a change in the location through which any such transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for such series. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents for any series of debt securities.
Neither we, nor any trustee, will be required to:
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Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets
The indentures provide that we may, without the consent of the holders of any outstanding debt securities, (1) consolidate with, (2) sell, lease or convey all or substantially all of our assets to, or (3) merge with or into, any other entity provided that:
Covenants
Existence. Except as permitted under "Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets," the indentures require us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence, rights and franchises. However, the indentures do not require us to preserve any right or franchise if we determine that any right or franchise is no longer desirable in the conduct of our business.
Payment of taxes and other claims. The indentures require us to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before they become delinquent (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed on us, our subsidiaries or our subsidiaries' income, profits or property, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon our property or the property of our subsidiaries. However, we will not be required to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
Provision of financial information. The indentures require us to (1) within 15 days of each of the respective dates by which we are required to file our annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents with the SEC, file with the trustee copies of the annual report, quarterly report and other documents that we file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, (2) file with the trustee and the SEC any additional information, documents and reports regarding compliance by us with the conditions and covenants of the indentures, as required, (3) within 30 days after the filing with the trustee, mail to all holders of debt securities, as their names and addresses appear in the applicable register for such debt securities, without cost to such holders, summaries of any documents and reports required to be filed by us pursuant to (1) and (2) above, and (4) supply, promptly upon written request and payment of the reasonable cost of duplication and delivery, copies of such documents to any prospective holder.
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Additional covenants. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any additional covenants of BeiGene relating to any series of debt securities.
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, when we refer to "events of default" as defined in the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities, we mean:
When we use the term "significant subsidiary," we refer to the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act.
If an event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to debt securities of any series outstanding, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. If the debt securities of that series are original issue discount securities or indexed securities, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms thereof to be due and payable. However, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the applicable trustee, the holders of at least a majority in principal
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amount of outstanding debt securities of such series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
The indentures require each trustee to give notice to the holders of debt securities within 90 days of a default unless such default has been cured or waived. However, the trustee may withhold notice if specified persons of such trustee consider such withholding to be in the interest of the holders of debt securities. The trustee may not withhold notice of a default in the payment of principal, any premium or interest on any debt security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment in respect of any debt security of such series.
The indentures provide that holders of debt securities of any series may not institute any proceedings, judicial or otherwise, with respect to such indenture or for any remedy under the indenture, unless the trustee fails to act for a period of 60 days after the trustee has received a written request to institute proceedings in respect of an event of default from the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, as well as an offer of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. However, this provision will not prevent any holder of debt securities from instituting suit for the enforcement of payment of the principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt securities at the respective due dates thereof.
The indentures provide that, subject to provisions in each indenture relating to its duties in the case of a default, a trustee has no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any holders of any series of debt securities then outstanding under the indenture, unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable security or indemnity. The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under an indenture shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the applicable trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon such trustee. However, a trustee may refuse to follow any direction which:
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Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, we will be required to deliver to each trustee a certificate, signed by one of our several specified officers, stating whether or not that officer has knowledge of any default under the applicable indenture. If the officer has knowledge of any default, the notice must specify the nature and status of the default.
Modification of the Indentures
The indentures provide that modifications and amendments may be made only with the consent of the affected holders of at least a majority in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities issued under that indenture. However, no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holders of the debt securities affected by the modification or amendment:
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series may, on behalf of all holders of debt securities of that series, waive, insofar as that series is concerned, our compliance with material restrictive covenants of the applicable indenture.
We and our respective trustee may make modifications and amendments of an indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities for any of the following purposes:
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Voting
The indentures provide that in determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding debt securities of a series have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver under the indentures or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of holders of debt securities:
The indentures contain provisions for convening meetings of the holders of debt securities of a series. A meeting will be permitted to be called at any time by the applicable trustee, and also, upon request, by us or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, in any such case upon notice given as provided in such indenture. Except for any consent that must be given by the holder of each debt security affected by the modifications and amendments of an indenture described above, any resolution presented at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series represented at such meeting.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, except as referred to above, any resolution relating to a request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority of the aggregate
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principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, may be adopted at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present by the affirmative vote of such specified percentage.
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any properly held meeting of holders of debt securities of any series will be binding on all holders of such series. The quorum at any meeting called to adopt a resolution, and at any reconvened meeting, will be persons holding or representing a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series. However, if any action is to be taken relating to a consent or waiver which may be given by the holders of at least a specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, the persons holding such percentage will constitute a quorum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the indentures provide that if any action is to be taken at a meeting with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that such indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities affected by such action, or of the holders of such series and one or more additional series:
Subordination
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement and indenture, subordinated securities will be subject to the following subordination provisions.
Upon any distribution to our creditors in a liquidation, dissolution or reorganization, the payment of the principal of and interest on any subordinated securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the applicable indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all senior debt. However, our obligation to make payments of the principal of and interest on such subordinated securities otherwise will not be affected. No payment of principal or interest will be permitted to be made on subordinated securities at any time if a default on senior debt exists that permits the holders of such senior debt to accelerate its maturity and the default is the subject of judicial proceedings or we receive notice of the default. After all senior debt is paid in full and until the subordinated securities are paid in full, holders of subordinated securities will be subrogated to the rights of holders of senior debt to the extent that distributions otherwise payable to holders of subordinated securities have been applied to the payment of senior debt. The subordinated indenture will not restrict the amount of senior debt or other indebtedness of BeiGene and its subsidiaries. As a result of these subordination provisions, in the event of a distribution of assets upon insolvency, holders of subordinated securities may recover less, ratably, than our general creditors.
The term "senior debt" will be defined in the applicable indenture as the principal of and interest on, or substantially similar payments to be made by us in respect of, other outstanding indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the applicable indenture or subsequently incurred, created or assumed. The prospectus supplement may include a description of additional terms implementing the subordination feature.
No restrictions will be included in any indenture relating to subordinated securities upon the creation of additional senior debt.
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If this prospectus is being delivered in connection with the offering of a series of subordinated securities, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the information incorporated in this prospectus by reference will set forth the approximate amount of senior debt outstanding as of the end of our most recent fiscal quarter.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures allow us to discharge our obligations to holders of any series of debt securities issued under any indenture when:
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures provide that, upon our irrevocable deposit with the applicable trustee, in trust, of an amount, in such currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such debt securities are payable at stated maturity, or government obligations, or both, applicable to such debt securities, which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt securities, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments thereon, on the scheduled due dates therefor, the issuing company may elect either:
Notwithstanding the above, we may not elect to defease and be discharged from the obligation to pay any additional amounts upon the occurrence of particular events of tax, assessment or governmental charge with respect to payments on such debt securities and the obligations to register the transfer or exchange of such debt securities, to replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, to maintain an office or agency in respect of such debt securities, or to hold monies for payment in trust.
The indentures only permit us to establish the trust described in the paragraph above if, among other things, it has delivered to the applicable trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in
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the case of defeasance, will be required to refer to and be based upon a ruling received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable United States federal income tax law occurring after the date of the indenture. In the event of such defeasance, the holders of such debt securities would be able to look only to such trust fund for payment of principal, any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest.
When we use the term "government obligations," we mean securities that are:
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, if after we have deposited funds and/or government obligations to effect defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to debt securities of any series, (1) the holder of a debt security of such series is entitled to, and does, elect under the terms of the applicable indenture or the terms of such debt security to receive payment in a currency, currency unit or composite currency other than that in which such deposit has been made in respect of such debt security, or (2) a conversion event occurs in respect of the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such deposit has been made, the indebtedness represented by such debt security will be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied through the payment of the principal of, and premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt security as they become due out of the proceeds yielded by converting the amount so deposited in respect of such debt security into the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt security becomes payable as a result of such election or such cessation of usage based on the applicable market exchange rate.
When we use the term "conversion event," we mean the cessation of use of:
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, all payments of principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, any debt security that is payable in a
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foreign currency that ceases to be used by its government of issuance shall be made in United States dollars.
In the event that (1) we effect covenant defeasance with respect to any debt securities and (2) those debt securities are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount in the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt securities are payable, and government obligations on deposit with the applicable trustee, will be sufficient to pay amounts due on such debt securities at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on such debt securities at the time of the acceleration resulting from such event of default. However, the issuing company would remain liable to make payments of any amounts due at the time of acceleration.
The applicable prospectus supplement may further describe the provisions, if any, permitting such defeasance or covenant defeasance, including any modifications to the provisions described above, with respect to the debt securities of or within a particular series.
Conversion Rights
The terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities are convertible into ordinary shares or preferred shares will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms will include whether the debt securities are convertible into ordinary shares or preferred shares, the conversion price, or manner of calculation thereof, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at the issuing company's option or the option of the holders, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption of the debt securities and any restrictions on conversion.
Global Securities
The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depository identified in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such series. Global securities, if any, issued in the United States are expected to be deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, as depository. We may issue global securities in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. We will describe the specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such series. We expect that unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.
Once a global security is issued, the depository for such global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by such global security to the accounts of participants that have accounts with such depository. Such accounts shall be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to such debt securities or by us if we offer such debt securities directly. Ownership of beneficial interests in such global security will be limited to participants with the depository or persons that may hold interests through those participants.
We expect that, under procedures established by DTC, ownership of beneficial interests in any global security for which DTC is the depository will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its nominee, with respect to beneficial interests of participants with the depository, and records of participants, with respect to beneficial interests of persons who hold through participants with the depository. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records of DTC or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of DTC or any of its participants relating to beneficial ownership interests in the debt securities. The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical
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delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.
So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as described below or in the applicable prospectus supplement, owners of beneficial interest in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual debt securities represented by such global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such debt securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture. Beneficial owners of debt securities evidenced by a global security will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture for any purpose, including with respect to the giving of any direction, instructions or approvals to the trustee under the indenture. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a global security with respect to which DTC is the depository must rely on the procedures of DTC and, if such person is not a participant with the depository, on the procedures of the participant through which such person owns its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture. We understand that, under existing industry practice, if DTC requests any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security desires to give or take any action which a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, DTC would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interest to give or take such action, and such participants would authorize beneficial owners through such participants to give or take such actions or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Payments of principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to or at the direction of the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security under the applicable indenture. Under the terms of the applicable indenture, we and the trustee may treat the persons in whose name debt securities, including a global security, are registered as the owners thereof for the purpose of receiving such payments. Consequently, neither we nor the trustee have or will have any responsibility or liability for the payment of such amounts to beneficial owners of debt securities including principal, any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest. We believe, however, that it is currently the policy of DTC to immediately credit the accounts of relevant participants with such payments, in amounts proportionate to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the relevant global security as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in street name, and will be the responsibility of such participants. Redemption notices with respect to any debt securities represented by a global security will be sent to the depository or its nominee. If less than all of the debt securities of any series are to be redeemed, we expect the depository to determine the amount of the interest of each participant in such debt securities to be redeemed to be determined by lot. Neither we, the trustee, any paying agent nor the security registrar for such debt securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such debt securities or for maintaining any records with respect thereto.
Neither we nor the trustee will be liable for any delay by the holders of a global security or the depository in identifying the beneficial owners of debt securities, and we and the trustee may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from the holder of a global security or the depository for all purposes. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
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If a depository for any debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and we do not appoint a successor depository within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security representing such debt securities. In addition, we may at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, determine not to have any of such debt securities represented by one or more global securities and in such event will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security or securities representing such debt securities. Individual debt securities so issued will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
The debt securities of a series may also be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more bearer global securities that will be deposited with a depository, or with a nominee for such depository, identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any such bearer global securities may be issued in temporary or permanent form. The specific terms and procedures, including the specific terms of the depositary arrangement, with respect to any portion of a series of debt securities to be represented by one or more bearer global securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Recourse
There is no recourse under any obligation, covenant or agreement in the applicable indenture or with respect to any security against any of our or our successor's past, present or future shareholders, employees, officers or directors.
Warrants
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our ordinary shares and/or preferred shares and/or ordinary shares or preferred shares in the form of ADSs and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the particular series of warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements and/or warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants. Forms of the warrant agreements and/or forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
We may evidence series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue. Warrants may be issued under an applicable warrant agreement that we enter into with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of warrants being offered.
Units
We may issue, in one or more series, units consisting of ordinary shares, preferred shares, ordinary shares or preferred shares in the form of ADSs, debt securities and/or warrants for the purchase of ordinary shares and/or preferred shares and/or debt securities in any combination. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreement that contains the terms of the units. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units.
We will evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue. Units may be issued under a unit agreement that we enter into with a unit agent. We will indicate the name and address of
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the unit agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of units being offered.
Description of American Depositary Shares
Citibank, N.A. acts as the depositary bank for the American Depositary Shares. Citibank's depositary offices are located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. American Depositary Shares are frequently referred to as "ADSs" and represent ownership interests in securities that are on deposit with the depositary bank. ADSs may be represented by certificates that are commonly known as "American Depositary Receipts" or "ADRs." The depositary bank typically appoints a custodian to safekeep the securities on deposit. In this case, the custodian is Citibank Hong Kong, located at 9/F, Citi Tower, One Bay East, 83 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
We have appointed Citibank as depositary bank pursuant to a deposit agreement. A copy of the deposit agreement, as amended, is on file with the SEC under cover of a Registration Statement on Form F-6. You may obtain a copy of the deposit agreement from the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 and from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Please refer to Registration Number 333-209044 when retrieving such copy.
We are providing you with a summary description of the material terms of the ADSs and of your material rights as an owner of ADSs. Please remember that summaries by their nature lack the precision of the information summarized and that the rights and obligations of an owner of ADSs will be determined by reference to the terms of the deposit agreement and not by this summary. We urge you to review the deposit agreement in its entirety. The portions of this summary description that are italicized describe matters that may be relevant to the ownership of ADSs but that may not be contained in the deposit agreement.
Each ADS represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, 13 ordinary shares that are on deposit with the depositary bank and/or custodian. An ADS also represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial interests in, any other property received by the depositary bank or the custodian on behalf of the owner of the ADS but that has not been distributed to the owners of ADSs because of legal restrictions or practical considerations. The custodian, the depositary bank and their respective nominees will hold all deposited property for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs. The deposited property does not constitute the proprietary assets of the depositary bank, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the deposited property will under the terms of the deposit agreement be vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs. The depositary bank, the custodian and their respective nominees will be the record holders of the deposited property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of the corresponding ADSs. A beneficial owner of ADSs may or may not be the holder of ADSs. Beneficial owners of ADSs will be able to receive, and to exercise beneficial ownership interests in, the deposited property only through the registered holders of the ADSs, the registered holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable ADS owners) only through the depositary bank, and the depositary bank (on behalf of the owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly, through the custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the deposit agreement.
If you become an owner of ADSs, you will become a party to the deposit agreement and therefore will be bound to its terms and to the terms of any ADR that represents your ADSs. The deposit agreement and the ADR specify our rights and obligations as well as your rights and obligations as owner of ADSs and those of the depositary bank. As an ADS holder you appoint the depositary bank to act on your behalf in certain circumstances. The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by New York law. However, our obligations to the holders of the ordinary shares will continue to be governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands, which may be different from the laws in the United States.
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In addition, applicable laws and regulations may require you to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. You are solely responsible for complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Neither the depositary bank, the custodian, us or any of their or our respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on your behalf to satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.
As an owner of ADSs, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have direct shareholder rights. The depositary bank will hold on your behalf the shareholder rights attached to the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As an owner of ADSs you will be able to exercise the shareholders rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs through the depositary bank only to the extent contemplated in the deposit agreement. To exercise any shareholder rights not contemplated in the deposit agreement you will, as an ADS owner, need to arrange for the cancellation of your ADSs and become a direct shareholder.
As an owner of ADSs, you may hold your ADSs either by means of an ADR registered in your name, through a brokerage or safekeeping account, or through an account established by the depositary bank in your name reflecting the registration of uncertificated ADSs directly on the books of the depositary bank (commonly referred to as the "direct registration system" or "DRS"). The direct registration system reflects the uncertificated (book-entry) registration of ownership of ADSs by the depositary bank. Under the direct registration system, ownership of ADSs is evidenced by periodic statements issued by the depositary bank to the holders of the ADSs. The direct registration system includes automated transfers between the depositary bank and The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), the central book-entry clearing and settlement system for equity securities in the United States. If you decide to hold your ADSs through your brokerage or safekeeping account, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or bank to assert your rights as ADS owner. Banks and brokers typically hold securities such as the ADSs through clearing and settlement systems such as DTC. The procedures of such clearing and settlement systems may limit your ability to exercise your rights as an owner of ADSs. Please consult with your broker or bank if you have any questions concerning these limitations and procedures. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of a nominee of DTC. This summary description assumes you have opted to own the ADSs directly by means of an ADS registered in your name and, as such, we will refer to you as the "holder." When we refer to "you," we assume the reader owns ADSs and will own ADSs at the relevant time.
The registration of the ordinary shares in the name of the depositary bank or the custodian shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the depositary bank or the custodian the record ownership in the applicable ordinary shares with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such ordinary shares being at all times vested with the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the ordinary shares. The depositary bank or the custodian shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all deposited property, in each case only on behalf of the holders and beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the deposited property.
Dividends and Distributions
As a holder of ADSs, you generally have the right to receive the distributions we make on the securities deposited with the custodian. Your receipt of these distributions may be limited, however, by practical considerations and legal limitations. Holders of ADSs will receive such distributions under the terms of the deposit agreement in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the specified record date, after deduction of the applicable fees, taxes and expenses.
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Distributions of Cash
Whenever we make a cash distribution for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the funds with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of the deposit of the requisite funds, the depositary bank will arrange for the funds to be converted into U.S. dollars and for the distribution of the U.S. dollars to the holders, subject to the Cayman Islands laws and regulations.
The conversion into U.S. dollars will take place only if practicable and if the U.S. dollars are transferable to the United States. The depositary bank will apply the same method for distributing the proceeds of the sale of any property (such as undistributed rights) held by the custodian in respect of securities on deposit.
The distribution of cash will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. The depositary bank will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the depositary bank holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States.
Distributions of Shares
Whenever we make a free distribution of the ordinary shares for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the applicable number of the ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary bank will either distribute to holders new ADSs representing the ordinary shares deposited or modify the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio, in which case each ADS you hold will represent rights and interests in the additional ordinary shares so deposited. Only whole new ADSs will be distributed. Fractional entitlements will be sold and the proceeds of such sale will be distributed as in the case of a cash distribution.
The distribution of new ADSs or the modification of the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio upon a distribution of the ordinary shares will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes or governmental charges, the depositary bank may sell all or a portion of the new ordinary shares so distributed.
No such distribution of new ADSs will be made if it would violate a law (i.e., the U.S. securities laws) or if it is not operationally practicable. If the depositary bank does not distribute new ADSs as described above, it may sell the ordinary shares received upon the terms described in the deposit agreement and will distribute the proceeds of the sale as in the case of a distribution of cash.
Distributions of Rights
Whenever we intend to distribute rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice to the depositary bank and we will assist the depositary bank in determining whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders.
The depositary bank will establish procedures to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders and to enable such holders to exercise such rights if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make the rights available to holders of ADSs, and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement (such as opinions to address the lawfulness of the transaction). You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges to subscribe for the new ADSs upon the exercise of your rights. The depositary bank is not obligated to establish procedures to facilitate the distribution and exercise by holders of rights to purchase new ordinary shares other than in the form of ADSs.
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The depositary bank will not distribute the rights to you if:
The depositary bank will sell the rights that are not exercised or not distributed if such sale is lawful and reasonably practicable. The proceeds of such sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution. If the depositary bank is unable to sell the rights, it will allow the rights to lapse.
Elective Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute a dividend payable at the election of shareholders either in cash or in additional shares, we will give prior notice thereof to the depositary bank and will indicate whether we wish the elective distribution to be made available to you. In such case, we will assist the depositary bank in determining whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable.
The depositary bank will make the election available to you only if it is reasonably practicable and if we have provided all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement. In such case, the depositary bank will establish procedures to enable you to elect to receive either cash or additional ADSs, in each case as described in the deposit agreement.
If the election is not made available to you, you will receive either cash or additional ADSs, depending on what a shareholder in the Cayman Islands would receive upon failing to make an election, as more fully described in the deposit agreement.
Other Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute property other than cash, ordinary shares or rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will notify the depositary bank in advance and will indicate whether we wish such distribution to be made to you. If so, we will assist the depositary bank in determining whether such distribution to holders is lawful and reasonably practicable.
If it is reasonably practicable to distribute such property to you and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will distribute the property to the holders in a manner it deems practicable.
The distribution will be made net of fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes and governmental charges, the depositary bank may sell all or a portion of the property received.
The depositary bank will not distribute the property to you and will sell the property if:
The proceeds of such a sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution.
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Redemption
Whenever we decide to redeem any of the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will notify the depositary bank in advance. If it is practicable and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will provide notice of the redemption to the holders.
The custodian will be instructed to surrender the shares being redeemed against payment of the applicable redemption price. The depositary bank will convert the redemption funds received into U.S. dollars upon the terms of the deposit agreement and will establish procedures to enable holders to receive the net proceeds from the redemption upon surrender of their ADSs to the depositary bank. You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges upon the redemption of your ADSs. If less than all ADSs are being redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as the depositary bank may determine.
Changes Affecting Ordinary Shares
The ordinary shares held on deposit for your ADSs may change from time to time. For example, there may be a change in nominal or par value, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or any other reclassification of such ordinary shares or a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets of BeiGene.
If any such change were to occur, your ADSs would, to the extent permitted by law, represent the right to receive the property received or exchanged in respect of the ordinary shares held on deposit. The depositary bank may in such circumstances deliver new ADSs to you, amend the deposit agreement, the ADRs and the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6, call for the exchange of your existing ADSs for new ADSs and take any other actions that are appropriate to reflect as to the ADSs the change affecting the ordinary shares. If the depositary bank may not lawfully distribute such property to you, the depositary bank may sell such property and distribute the net proceeds to you as in the case of a cash distribution.
Issuance of ADSs Upon Deposit of Ordinary Shares
Upon completion of this offering, the ordinary shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus will be deposited by us with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary bank will issue ADSs to the underwriters named in this prospectus. After the completion of this offering, the ordinary shares that are being offered for sale pursuant to this prospectus will be deposited by us with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary bank will issue ADSs to the underwriters named in this prospectus.
After the closing of this offering, the depositary bank may create ADSs on your behalf if you or your broker deposit ordinary shares with the custodian. The depositary bank will deliver these ADSs to the person you indicate only after you pay any applicable issuance fees and any charges and taxes payable for the transfer of the ordinary shares to the custodian. Your ability to deposit ordinary shares and receive ADSs may be limited by U.S. and Cayman Islands legal considerations applicable at the time of deposit.
The issuance of ADSs may be delayed until the depositary bank or the custodian receives confirmation that all required approvals have been given and that the ordinary shares have been duly transferred to the custodian. The depositary bank will only issue ADSs in whole numbers.
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When you make a deposit of the ordinary shares, you will be responsible for transferring good and valid title to the depositary bank. As such, you will be deemed to represent and warrant that:
If any of the representations or warranties are incorrect in any way, we and the depositary bank may, at your cost and expense, take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences of the misrepresentations.
Transfer, Combination and Split Up of ADRs
As an ADR holder, you will be entitled to transfer, combine or split up your ADRs and the ADSs evidenced thereby. For transfers of ADRs, you will have to surrender the ADRs to be transferred to the depositary bank and also must:
To have your ADRs either combined or split up, you must surrender the ADRs in question to the depositary bank with your request to have them combined or split up, and you must pay all applicable fees, charges and expenses payable by ADR holders, pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon a combination or split up of ADRs.
Withdrawal of Ordinary Shares Upon Cancellation of ADSs
As a holder, you will be entitled to present your ADSs to the depositary bank for cancellation and then receive the corresponding number of underlying ordinary shares at the custodian's offices. Your ability to withdraw the ordinary shares held in respect of the ADSs may be limited by U.S. and Cayman Islands considerations applicable at the time of withdrawal. In order to withdraw the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs, you will be required to pay to the depositary bank the fees for cancellation of ADSs and any charges and taxes payable upon the transfer of the ordinary shares. You assume the risk for delivery of all funds and securities upon withdrawal. Once canceled, the ADSs will not have any rights under the deposit agreement.
If you hold ADSs registered in your name, the depositary bank may ask you to provide proof of identity and genuineness of any signature and such other documents as the depositary bank may deem appropriate before it will cancel your ADSs. The withdrawal of the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs may be delayed until the depositary bank receives satisfactory evidence of compliance with all
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applicable laws and regulations. Please keep in mind that the depositary bank will only accept ADSs for cancellation that represent a whole number of securities on deposit.
You will have the right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs at any time except for:
The deposit agreement may not be modified to impair your right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs except to comply with mandatory provisions of law.
Voting Rights
As a holder, you generally have the right under the deposit agreement to instruct the depositary bank to exercise the voting rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. The voting rights of holders of ordinary shares are described in "Description of SecuritiesOrdinary Shares"
At our request, the depositary bank will distribute to you any notice of shareholders' meeting received from us together with information explaining how to instruct the depositary bank to exercise the voting rights of the securities represented by ADSs.
If the depositary bank timely receives voting instructions from a holder of ADSs, it will endeavor to vote the securities (in person or by proxy) represented by the holder's ADSs in accordance with the voting instructions received from the holders of ADSs.
Our articles of association provide that voting of shareholders at any meeting is by poll. Holders of ADSs in respect of which no timely voting instructions have been received, or timely voting instructions have been received however such instructions fail to specify the manner in which the depositary is to vote, shall be deemed to have instructed the depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us to vote the ordinary shares represented by such holders' ADSs; provided, that no such instruction shall be deemed given and no such discretionary proxy shall be given with respect to any matter as to which we inform the depositary that we do not wish such proxy to be given; provided, further, that no such discretionary proxy shall be given with respect to any matter as to which we inform the depositary that (i) there exists substantial opposition, or (ii) the rights of holders of ADSs or the shareholders of our company may be materially adversely affected.
Please note that the ability of the depositary bank to carry out voting instructions may be limited by practical and legal limitations and the terms of the securities on deposit. We cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to enable you to return voting instructions to the depositary bank in a timely manner.
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Fees and Charges
As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following fees under the terms of the deposit agreement:
Service | Fees | |
---|---|---|
Issuance of ADSs upon deposit of shares (excluding issuances as a result of distributions of shares) |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS issued |
|
Cancellation of ADSs |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS canceled |
|
Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (i.e., sale of rights and other entitlements) |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held |
|
Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held |
|
Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (i.e., spin-off shares) |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held |
|
ADS Services |
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary bank |
As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain charges such as:
ADS fees and charges payable upon (i) deposit of the ordinary shares against issuance of ADSs and (ii) surrender of ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of the ordinary shares are charged to the person to whom the ADSs are delivered (in the case of ADS issuances) and to the person who delivers the ADSs for cancellation (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the depositary bank into DTC or presented to the depositary bank via DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs or the DTC participant(s) surrendering the ADSs for cancellation, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account(s) of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participant(s) as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are charged to the holders as of the applicable ADS record date. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is
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deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, holders as of the ADS record date will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made to holders of ADSs. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs.
In the event of refusal to pay the depositary bank fees, the depositary bank may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary bank fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder. Certain of the depositary fees and charges (such as the ADS services fee) may become payable shortly after the closing of the ADS offering. Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary bank. You will receive prior notice of such changes. The depositary bank may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary bank agree from time to time.
Amendments and Termination
We may agree with the depositary bank to modify the deposit agreement at any time without your consent. We undertake to give holders 30 days' prior notice of any modifications that would materially prejudice any of their substantial rights under the deposit agreement. We will not consider to be materially prejudicial to your substantial rights any modifications or supplements that are reasonably necessary for the ADSs to be registered under the Securities Act or to be eligible for book-entry settlement, in each case without imposing or increasing the fees and charges you are required to pay. In addition, we may not be able to provide you with prior notice of any modifications or supplements that are required to accommodate compliance with applicable provisions of law.
You will be bound by the modifications to the deposit agreement if you continue to hold your ADSs after the modifications to the deposit agreement become effective. The deposit agreement cannot be amended to prevent you from withdrawing the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs (except as permitted by law).
We have the right to direct the depositary bank to terminate the deposit agreement. Similarly, the depositary bank may in certain circumstances on its own initiative terminate the deposit agreement. In either case, the depositary bank must give notice to the holders at least 30 days before termination. Until termination, your rights under the deposit agreement will be unaffected.
After termination, the depositary bank will continue to collect distributions received (but will not distribute any such property until you request the cancellation of your ADSs) and sell the securities held on deposit. After the sale, the depositary bank will hold the proceeds from such sale and any other funds then held for the holders of ADSs in a non-interest bearing account. At that point, the depositary bank will have no further obligations to holders other than to account for the funds then held for the holders of ADSs still outstanding (after deduction of applicable fees, taxes and expenses).
Books of Depositary
The depositary bank will maintain ADS holder records at its depositary office. You may inspect such records at such office during regular business hours but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of business matters relating to the ADSs and the deposit agreement.
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The depositary bank will maintain in New York facilities to record and process the issuance, cancellation, combination, split-up and transfer of ADSs. These facilities may be closed from time to time, to the extent not prohibited by law.
Limitations on Obligations and Liabilities
The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the depositary bank's obligations to you. Please note the following:
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Pre-Release Transactions
Subject to the terms and conditions of the deposit agreement, the depositary bank may issue to broker/dealers ADSs before receiving a deposit of the ordinary shares. These transactions are commonly referred to as "pre-release transactions," and are entered into between the depositary bank and the applicable broker/dealer. The deposit agreement limits the aggregate size of pre-release transactions (generally not to exceed 30% of the ordinary shares on deposit in the aggregate) and imposes a number of conditions on such transactions (i.e., the need to receive collateral, the type of collateral required, the representations required from brokers, etc.). The depositary bank may retain the compensation received from the pre-release transactions.
Taxes
You will be responsible for the taxes and other governmental charges payable on the ADSs and the securities represented by the ADSs. We, the depositary bank and the custodian may deduct from any distribution the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders and may sell any and all property on deposit to pay the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders. You will be liable for any deficiency if the sale proceeds do not cover the taxes that are due.
The depositary bank may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver, transfer, split and combine ADRs or to release securities on deposit until all taxes and charges are paid by the applicable holder. The depositary bank and the custodian may take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds and reduced tax withholding for any distributions on your behalf. However, you may be required to provide to the depositary bank and to the custodian proof of taxpayer status and residence and such other information as the depositary bank and the custodian may require to fulfill legal obligations. You are required to indemnify us, the depositary bank and the custodian for any claims with respect to taxes based on any tax benefit obtained for you.
Foreign Currency Conversion
The depositary bank will arrange for the conversion of all foreign currency received into U.S. dollars if such conversion is practical, and it will distribute the U.S. dollars in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. You may have to pay fees and expenses incurred in converting foreign currency, such as fees and expenses incurred in complying with currency exchange controls and other governmental requirements.
If the conversion of foreign currency is not practical or lawful, or if any required approvals are denied or not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the depositary bank may take the following actions in its discretion:
Governing Law/Waiver of Jury Trial
The deposit agreement and the ADRs will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The rights of holders of the ordinary shares (including the ordinary shares represented by ADSs) is governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
AS A PARTY TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR THE ADRs AGAINST US AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY BANK.
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The following is a summary of the material Cayman Islands, PRC and United States federal income tax consequences relevant to an investment in the ADSs and ordinary shares. Tax considerations applicable to other securities will be described in the related prospectus supplement. The discussion is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal or tax advice to any particular prospective purchaser. The discussion is based on laws and relevant interpretations thereof as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change or different interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. The discussion does not address U.S. state or local tax laws, or tax laws of jurisdictions other than the Cayman Islands, the People's Republic of China and the United States. You should consult your own tax advisors with respect to the consequences of acquisition, ownership and disposition of the ADSs and ordinary shares. To the extent that this discussion relates to matters of Cayman Islands tax law, it is the opinion of Mourant Ozannes, our special Cayman Islands counsel. To the extent that the discussion relates to PRC tax laws and regulations, it is the opinion of Fangda Partners, our special PRC counsel.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty or withholding tax applicable to us or to any holder of the ADSs and ordinary shares. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or after execution brought within, the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. No stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on the issue of shares by, or any transfers of shares of, Cayman Islands companies (except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands). The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are applicable to any payments made to or by us. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of the ADSs and ordinary shares will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the ADSs or ordinary shares, as the case may be, nor will gains derived from the disposal of the ADSs or ordinary shares be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax.
People's Republic of China Taxation
We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and we may gain income by way of dividends from our PRC subsidiaries in the future. The Enterprise Income Tax Law, or EIT Law, and its implementation rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008 and the EIT Law being most recently amended on February 24, 2017, provide that China sourced income of foreign enterprises, such as dividends paid by a PRC subsidiary to its equity holders that are non-PRC enterprises, will normally be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of 10%, unless any such foreign investor's jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a lower withholding tax rate for which the foreign investor is eligible.
Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with a "de facto management body" within China is considered a "resident enterprise," which means that it is treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. Although the implementation rules of the EIT Law define "de facto management body" as a managing body that exercises substantive and overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting books and assets of an enterprise, the only official guidance for this definition currently available is set forth in the Notice Regarding the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Offshore Incorporated Enterprise as PRC Tax Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or Circular 82, issued by the State Administration of Taxation, which provides guidance on the determination of the tax residence
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status of a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, defined as an enterprise that is incorporated under the laws of a foreign country or territory and that has a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as its primary controlling shareholder. Although BeiGene, Ltd. does not have a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as our primary controlling shareholder and is therefore not a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise within the meaning of Circular 82, in the absence of guidance specifically applicable to us, we have applied the guidance set forth in Circular 82 to evaluate the tax residence status of BeiGene, Ltd. and its subsidiaries organized outside the PRC.
According to Circular 82, a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having a "de facto management body" in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its worldwide income only if all of the following criteria are met:
Currently, some of the members of our management team are located in China. However, we do not believe that we meet all of the conditions outlined in the immediately preceding paragraph. BeiGene, Ltd. and its offshore subsidiaries are incorporated outside the PRC. As a holding company, our key assets and records, including the resolutions and meeting minutes of our board of directors and the resolutions and meeting minutes of our shareholders, are located and maintained outside the PRC. However, we are not aware of any offshore holding companies with a corporate structure similar to ours that has been deemed a PRC "resident enterprise" by the PRC tax authorities. Accordingly, we believe that BeiGene, Ltd. and its offshore subsidiaries should not be treated as a "resident enterprise" for PRC tax purposes if the criteria for "de facto management body" as set forth in Circular 82 were deemed applicable to us. However, as the tax residency status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term "de facto management body" as applicable to our offshore entities, we will continue to monitor our tax status.
The implementation rules of the EIT Law provide that, (1) if the enterprise that distributes dividends is domiciled in the PRC or (2) if gains are realized from transferring equity interests of enterprises domiciled in the PRC, then such dividends or capital gains are treated as China-sourced income. It is not clear how "domicile" may be interpreted under the EIT Law, and it may be interpreted as the jurisdiction where the enterprise is a tax resident. Therefore, if we are considered as a PRC tax resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders, as well as gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, may be regarded as China-sourced income. As a result dividends paid to non-PRC resident enterprise ADS holders or shareholders may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10% (or 20% in the case of non-PRC individual ADS holders or shareholders) and gains realized by non-PRC resident enterprise ADS holders or shareholders from the transfer of our ordinary shares or ADSs may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% (or 20% in the case of non-PRC individual ADS holders or shareholders). It is also unclear whether, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise, holders of our shares or ADSs would be able to claim the benefit of income tax treaties or agreements entered into between China and other countries or areas.
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Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following summary describes the material United States federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares and ADSs as of the date of this prospectus. The discussion set forth below is applicable only to United States Holders (described below). Except where noted, this summary deals only with United States Holders that are initial purchasers of the ordinary shares and ADSs and that will hold such ordinary shares and ADSs as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This summary does not address all U.S. federal income tax matters that may be relevant to a particular United States Holder. As used herein, the term "United States Holder" means a beneficial owner of an ordinary share or ADS that is for United States federal income tax purposes:
This summary does not describe all of the United States federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws, including if you are:
The discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, current (and, to the extent noted below, proposed) Treasury regulations, rulings and judicial decisions thereunder, and the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC, or the Treaty, as of the date of this prospectus, and such authorities may be replaced, revoked or modified, perhaps retroactively, and may be subject to differing interpretations which could result in United States federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. In addition, this summary is based, in part, upon representations made by the depositary to us and assumes that the deposit agreement, and all other related agreements, will be performed in accordance with their terms.
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If a partnership (or any other entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our ordinary shares or ADSs, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partnership holding our ordinary shares or ADSs or a partner in such a partnership, you should consult your tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our ordinary shares or ADSs.
This summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income tax, does not deal with all tax considerations that may be relevant to stockholders in light of their personal circumstances and does not address the Medicare tax imposed on certain net investment income or any state, local, foreign, gift, estate or alternative minimum tax considerations. If you are considering the purchase of our ordinary shares or ADSs, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the United States federal income tax consequences to you in light of your particular situation, as well as any consequences arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
ADSs
If you own ADSs, for United States federal income tax purposes, you generally will be treated as the owner of the underlying ordinary shares that are represented by such ADSs. Accordingly, deposits or withdrawals of ordinary shares for ADSs will not be subject to United States federal income tax.
Taxation of Dividends
Subject to the discussion under "Passive Foreign Investment Company" below, the gross amount of distributions on the ADSs or ordinary shares (including any amounts withheld in respect of PRC withholding taxes) generally will be taxable as dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under United States federal income tax principles. Such income (including withheld taxes) will be includable in your gross income as ordinary income on the day actually or constructively received by you, in the case of the ordinary shares, or by the depositary, in the case of ADSs. Such dividends will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction generally allowed to U.S. corporations under the Code. The following discussion assumes that any dividends will be paid in U.S. dollars.
With respect to certain non-corporate United States investors, certain dividends received from a qualified foreign corporation may be subject to reduced rates of taxation. A foreign corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation with respect to dividends received from that corporation on ordinary shares (or American depositary shares backed by such shares) that are "readily tradable" on an "established securities market" in the United States. The ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ. Internal Revenue Service guidance indicates that ADSs listed on the NASDAQ will be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. There can be no assurance that the ADSs will be considered readily tradable on an established securities market in subsequent years. Non-corporate United States Holders that do not meet a minimum holding period requirement during which they are not protected from the risk of loss or that elect to treat the dividend income as "investment income" pursuant to Section 163(d)(4) of the Code will not be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation. In addition, the rate reduction will not apply to dividends if the recipient of a dividend is obligated to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, even if the minimum holding period has been met. The rate reduction will also not apply if we are a PFIC in the taxable year in which such dividends are paid or in the preceding taxable year. In light of the discussion in "Passive Foreign Investment Company" below, if you are a non-corporate United States Holder, you should assume that dividends may not constitute "qualified dividend income" eligible for reduced rates of taxation.
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In the event that we are deemed to be a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, you may be subject to PRC withholding taxes on distributions paid to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares. See "People's Republic of China Taxation" above. In that case, subject to certain conditions and limitations, PRC withholding taxes on dividends generally will be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against your United States federal income tax liability. For purposes of calculating the foreign tax credit, dividends paid on the ADSs or ordinary shares will be treated as foreign-source income and will generally constitute passive category income. However, in certain circumstances, if you have held the ADSs or ordinary shares for less than a specified minimum period during which you are not protected from risk of loss, or are obligated to make payments related to the dividends, you will not be allowed a foreign tax credit for any PRC withholding taxes imposed on dividends paid on the ADSs or ordinary shares. If you are eligible for Treaty benefits, any PRC taxes on dividends will not be creditable against your United States federal income tax liability to the extent withheld at a rate exceeding the applicable Treaty rate. The rules governing the foreign tax credit are complex. You are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the availability of the foreign tax credit under your particular circumstances. In lieu of claiming a credit, you may elect to deduct such PRC taxes in computing your taxable income, subject to applicable limitations. An election to deduct foreign taxes instead of claiming foreign tax credits must apply to all foreign taxes paid or accrued in the taxable year.
To the extent that the amount of any distribution on the ADSs or ordinary shares exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits for a taxable year, as determined under United States federal income tax principles, the distribution will first be treated as a tax-free return of capital, causing a reduction in your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares (thereby increasing the amount of gain, or decreasing the amount of loss, to be recognized by you on a subsequent disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares), and the balance in excess of adjusted tax basis will be taxed as capital gain recognized on a sale or exchange, as described below under "Taxation of Capital Gains." However, we may not calculate earnings and profits in accordance with United States federal income tax principles. Therefore, a distribution to you may be treated as a dividend (as discussed above).
Passive Foreign Investment Company
The determination of whether any corporation is a "passive foreign investment company" within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code, or PFIC, for a taxable year depends, in part, on the application of complex U.S. federal income tax rules, which are subject to differing interpretations. In addition, whether any corporation will be a PFIC for any taxable year depends on the composition and character of assets and income and value of the assets of such corporation (which may be determined, in part, based on the market value of the corporation's ADSs or ordinary shares, which may be volatile) over the course of each such taxable year and, as a result, cannot be predicted with certainty as of the date hereof. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisors regarding our PFIC status and the PFIC status of our subsidiaries.
In general, we will be a PFIC for any taxable year in which:
For this purpose, passive income generally includes dividends, interest, royalties and rents (other than royalties and rents derived in the active conduct of a trade or business and not derived from a related person). Cash and cash equivalents, even if held as working capital, are considered to be assets that produce passive income. If we directly or indirectly own at least 25% (by value) of the stock of another corporation, we will be treated, for purposes of the PFIC tests, as owning our proportionate share of the other corporation's assets and receiving our proportionate share of the other corporation's income.
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Based on current business plans and financial expectations (including that a substantial percentage of our assets are held in cash and cash equivalents), we expect that we may be a PFIC for the current taxable year and in future taxable years.
If we are a PFIC, for any taxable year during a U.S. Holder's holding period, then certain adverse rules may affect the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a U.S. Holder as a result of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you own our ADSs or ordinary shares, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to your ADSs or ordinary shares for all succeeding years during which you own such ADSs or ordinary shares, even if we cease to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status unless you elect to recognize gain as if you had sold your ADSs or ordinary shares as of the last day of the last taxable year for which we were a PFIC. You will generally be required to file Internal Revenue Service Form 8621 if you own the ADSs or ordinary shares in any taxable year in which we are a PFIC.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you own the ADSs or ordinary shares and you do not make a mark-to-market election or a "QEF election," each as discussed below, you will generally be subject to special tax rules with respect to any "excess distribution" received and any gain realized from a sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of ADSs or ordinary shares. Any distributions received in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares will be treated as excess distributions. Under these special tax rules:
In addition, non-corporate United States Holders will not be eligible for reduced rates of taxation on any dividends received from us if we are a PFIC in the taxable year in which such dividends are paid or in the preceding taxable year. See "Taxation of Dividends."
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you own the ADSs or ordinary shares and any of our non-United States subsidiaries or other entities in which we directly or indirectly own equity interests is also a PFIC or a lower-tier PFIC, you would be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC for purposes of the application of these rules and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax according to the PFIC rules described above on (i) certain distributions by a lower-tier PFIC and (ii) a disposition of shares of a lower-tier PFIC, in each case as if you owned such shares directly, even though you have not received the proceeds of those distributions or dispositions. You are urged to consult your tax advisors about the application of the PFIC rules to any of our subsidiaries.
In certain circumstances, in lieu of being subject to the general tax treatment for PFICs discussed above, you may make an election to include gain on the stock of a PFIC as ordinary income under a mark-to-market method, provided that such stock is "regularly traded" on a "qualified exchange." Under current law, the mark-to-market election may be available to United States Holders of ADSs if the ADSs are listed on the NASDAQ, which constitutes a qualified exchange, and are "regularly traded" for purposes of the mark-to-market election (for which no assurance can be given). The ADSs will be treated as "regularly traded" in any calendar year in which more than a de minimis quantity of the ADSs are traded on a qualified exchange on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter.
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If you make an effective mark-to-market election, you will include in ordinary income any gain you recognize in a taxable year that we are a PFIC, in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of your ADSs at the end of the taxable year over your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs. You will be entitled to deduct as an ordinary loss in each such taxable year the excess of your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs over their fair market value at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. If you make an effective mark-to-market election, in each year that we are a PFIC any gain you recognize upon the sale or other disposition of your ADSs will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as ordinary loss, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. Your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs will be increased by the amount of any income inclusion and decreased by the amount of any deductions under the mark-to-market rules. If you make an effective mark-to-market election, distributions paid on ADSs will be treated as discussed under "Taxation of Dividends" above. If you make a mark-to-market election, it will be effective for the taxable year for which the election is made and all subsequent taxable years unless the ADSs are no longer regularly traded on a qualified exchange or the Internal Revenue Service consents to the revocation of the election. You are urged to consult your tax advisor about the availability of the mark-to-market election, and whether making the election would be advisable in your particular circumstances. In particular, you should consider carefully the impact of a mark-to-market election with respect to your ADSs given that we may own interests in lower-tier PFICs for which a mark-to-market election may not be available.
Alternatively, you may avoid the general tax treatment for PFICs described above by electing to treat us (and each lower-tier PFIC) as a "qualified electing fund" under Section 1295 of the Code, or QEF, for each of the taxable years during your holding period that we are a PFIC. If a QEF election is not in effect for the first taxable year in your holding period in which we are a PFIC, a QEF election can only be made if you elect to recognize gain as if you had sold the ADSs or ordinary shares for their fair market value on the first day of your taxable year in which the PFIC becomes a QEF pursuant to the QEF election. The gain recognized on this deemed sale would be subject to the general tax treatment of PFICs discussed above. We intend to determine our PFIC status at the end of each taxable year and to satisfy any applicable record keeping and reporting requirements that apply to a QEF, and will endeavor to provide to you, for each taxable year that we determine we are or may be a PFIC, a PFIC Annual Information Statement containing the information necessary for you to make a QEF election with respect to us (and any of our subsidiaries which are lower-tier PFICs). We may elect to provide such information on our website. However, there can be no assurances that we will make the necessary information available to you.
We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide the required information. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
You are urged to consult your own tax advisors regarding the procedure for making a QEF election.
If you make a QEF election, you will be currently taxable on your pro rata share of the QEF's ordinary earnings and net capital gain (at ordinary income and capital gain rates, respectively) for each taxable year that the entity is a PFIC, even if no dividend distributions were received. Any distributions we make out of our earnings and profits that were previously included in your income under the QEF election would not be taxable to you. Your tax basis in your ADSs or ordinary shares would be increased by an amount equal to any income included under the QEF election and decreased by any amount distributed on the ADSs or ordinary shares that is not included in your income. In addition,
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you will recognize capital gain or loss on the disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares, each as determined in U.S. dollars. You will not be currently taxed on the ordinary income and net capital gain of a QEF for any year that the QEF is not a PFIC.
Based on the nature of our and our subsidiaries' expected income, the expected composition of our and our subsidiaries' assets and our and our subsidiaries' business plans and financial expectations, we do not currently expect to have significant ordinary earnings or net capital gain in any taxable year in which we or our subsidiaries may be a PFIC. Accordingly, it may be advisable to make a QEF election if we or our subsidiaries are a PFIC for any taxable year. Accurate predictions of the nature of our and our subsidiaries' income and the composition of our and our subsidiaries' assets, however, are particularly difficult in view of the volatile nature of the earnings patterns in technological industries such as emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that our expectations described above will be fulfilled. You should consult your tax adviser concerning the merits of making a QEF election if we are a PFIC for any taxable year. In order to make a QEF Election, you must attach a completed IRS Form 8621, including a PFIC Annual Information Statement, to your timely filed United States federal income tax return.
Controlled Foreign Corporation Considerations
Each "Ten Percent Shareholder" (as defined below) in a non-U.S. corporation that is classified as a "controlled foreign corporation," or a CFC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally is required to include in income for U.S. federal tax purposes such Ten Percent Shareholder's pro rata share of the CFC's "Subpart F income" and investment of earnings in U.S. property, even if the CFC has made no distributions to its shareholders. A non-U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a CFC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if Ten Percent Shareholders own in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of either the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation entitled to vote or of the total value of the stock of such corporation. A "Ten Percent Shareholder" is a U.S. person (as defined by the Code), who owns or is considered to own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of such corporation. The determination of CFC status is complex and includes attribution rules, the application of which is not entirely certain. We may currently be a CFC and/or we may become one in the future. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to our potential CFC status and the consequences thereof.
Taxation of Capital Gains
For United States federal income tax purposes, you will recognize taxable gain or loss on any sale or exchange of ADSs or ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized for the ADSs or ordinary shares and your tax basis in the disposed-of ADSs or ordinary shares. Subject to the discussion under "Passive Foreign Investment Company" above, such gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss. Capital gains of individuals derived with respect to capital assets held for more than one year are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any gain or loss recognized by you will generally be treated as United States source gain or loss. However, if we were treated as a PRC resident enterprise for EIT Law purposes and PRC tax were imposed on any gain, and if you are eligible for the benefits of the Treaty, you may elect to treat such gain as PRC source gain. If you are not eligible for the benefits of the Treaty or you fail to make the election to treat any gain as PRC source, then you may not be able to use the foreign tax credit arising from any PRC tax imposed on the disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares unless such credit can be applied (subject to applicable limitations) against tax due on other income derived from foreign sources. You are also urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences in case any PRC tax is imposed on gain on a disposition of the ADSs or ordinary
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shares, including the availability of the foreign tax credit and the election to treat any gain as PRC source, under your particular circumstances.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, information reporting will apply to dividends in respect of the ADSs or ordinary shares and the proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of the ADSs or ordinary shares that are paid to you within the United States (and in certain cases, outside the United States), unless you are an exempt recipient. A backup withholding tax may apply to such payments if you fail to provide a taxpayer identification number or certification of other exempt status or, in the case of dividend payments, if you fail to report in full your dividend and interest income.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against your United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service in a timely manner.
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010, if you are an individual (or a certain type of entity controlled by individuals), you are required to report information relating to your ownership of ADSs or ordinary shares, subject to certain exceptions (including an exception for ADSs or ordinary shares held in accounts maintained by certain financial institutions (in which case the accounts may be reportable if maintained by non-U.S. financial institutions)), by attaching a complete Internal Revenue Service Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, with your tax return for each year in which you own ADSs or ordinary shares. You are urged to consult your own tax advisors regarding information reporting requirements relating to your ownership of the ADSs or ordinary shares.
We and/or our selling shareholders may sell our securities from time to time in one or more transactions. We and/or our selling shareholders may sell our securities to or through agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on our behalf or with our selling shareholders or on their behalf may also purchase our securities and reoffer them to the public. We and/or our selling shareholders may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.
Agents whom we and/or our selling shareholders designate may solicit offers to purchase our securities.
We and/or our selling shareholders may use an underwriter or underwriters in the offer or sale of our securities.
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We and/or our selling shareholders may use a dealer to sell our securities.
One or more firms, referred to as "remarketing firms," may also offer or sell the securities, if a prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as our agents. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities in accordance with the terms of the securities. Each prospectus supplement will identify and describe any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm's compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they remarket. Remarketing firms may be entitled under agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
We and/or our selling shareholders may solicit directly offers to purchase our securities, and we and/or our selling shareholders may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling shareholders may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.
We and/or our selling shareholders may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We and/or our selling shareholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
Agents, underwriters and dealers participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We and/or our selling shareholders may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.
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We and/or our selling shareholders may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.
Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.
Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the securities may qualify as "underwriters" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the underwriters' commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters' compensation under the Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more
We and/or our selling shareholders may solicit directly offers to purchase our securities, and we and/or our selling shareholders may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling shareholders may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.
We and/or our selling shareholders may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We and/or our selling shareholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
Agents, underwriters and dealers participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We and/or our selling shareholders may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents,
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underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.
We and/or our selling shareholders may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.
Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.
Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the securities may qualify as "underwriters" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the underwriters' commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters' compensation under the Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more
ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. We incorporated in the Cayman Islands because of certain benefits associated with being a Cayman Islands corporation, such as political and economic stability, an effective judicial system, a favorable tax system, the absence of foreign exchange control or currency restrictions and the availability of professional and support services. However, the Cayman Islands have a less developed body of securities laws that provide significantly less protection to investors as compared to the securities laws of the United States. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.
A large portion of our assets are located in China. In addition, some of our directors and officers are residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or our directors and officers, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
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We have appointed C T Corporation System, located at 111 8th Avenue, New York, New York 10011 as our agent to receive service of process in the United States.
Mourant Ozannes, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, and Fangda Partners, our counsel as to PRC law, have respectively advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC would, respectively, (1) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, or (2) entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands or the PRC against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. Furthermore, Mourant Ozannes and Fangda Partners have advised us that, as of the date of this prospectus, no treaty or other form of reciprocity exists between the Cayman Islands and China governing the recognition and enforcement of judgments.
Mourant Ozannes has informed us that the uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law relates to whether a judgment obtained from the United States or PRC courts under civil liability provisions of the securities laws will be determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands as penal or punitive in nature. If such a determination is made, the courts of the Cayman Islands will not recognize or enforce the judgment against a Cayman company. As the courts of the Cayman Islands have yet to rule on whether such judgments are penal or punitive in nature, it is uncertain whether they would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands.
Mourant Ozannes has further advised us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States or China, a judgment obtained in such jurisdiction will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any reexamination of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment (1) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (2) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (3) is final, (4) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty and (5) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands.
Fangda Partners has advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedure Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. Fangda Partners has advised us further that under PRC law, courts in the PRC will not recognize or enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or social public interest. As there exists no treaty or other form of reciprocity between China and the United States governing the recognition and enforcement of judgments as of the date of this prospectus, including those predicated upon the liability provisions of the United States federal securities laws, there is uncertainty whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce judgments rendered by United States courts. In addition, because there is no treaty or other form of reciprocity between the Cayman Islands and China governing the recognition and enforcement of judgments as of the date of this prospectus, there is further uncertainty as to whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce judgments rendered by a Cayman Islands court.
Certain legal matters with respect to United States and New York law with respect to the validity of certain of the offered securities will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP. Certain legal matters with respect to Cayman Islands law with respect to the validity of certain of the offered securities will be passed upon for us by Mourant Ozannes. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be
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passed upon for us by Fangda Partners. Any underwriters will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.
The consolidated financial statements of BeiGene, Ltd. appearing in BeiGene, Ltd.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, have been audited by Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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$650,000,000 of American Depositary Shares
Representing Ordinary Shares
BeiGene, Ltd.
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
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