CALITHERA BIOSCIENCES, INC.
343 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 200
South San Francisco, California 94080
FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held On June , 2023
The following is a summary of the most material terms of the Plan of Dissolution of Calithera Biosciences, Inc. detailed in this proxy statement and attached as Appendix A. This summary does not contain all of the information that is important to you. We urge you to read this entire document (including the appendices) before you decide whether to vote to approve the Plan of Dissolution. As used in this proxy statement, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” and “Calithera” refer to Calithera Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
About Calithera Biosciences, Inc.
Until recently, we were a fully-integrated, clinical stage precision oncology biopharmaceutical company. On January 9, 2023, we announced, after extensive consideration of potential strategic alternatives, that our Board of Directors had unanimously approved the dissolution and liquidation of Calithera pursuant to a plan of complete liquidation and dissolution, or the Plan of Dissolution, subject to stockholder approval. In connection with the Plan of Dissolution, we have discontinued all clinical programs and commenced reducing our workforce, which included the termination of most employees by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
In light of our planned dissolution, on January 24, 2023, we received written notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq, advising us that based upon Nasdaq’s review and pursuant to Listing Rule 5101, Nasdaq believed that we were a “public shell,” and that the continued listing of our securities was no longer warranted. As a result, the trading of our common stock was suspended as of the opening of business on February 2, 2023, and on March 3, 2023, Nasdaq filed a Form 25-NSE with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, which removed our common stock from listing on Nasdaq. Our common stock is currently quoted “over the counter”, or OTC.
On March 14, 2023, we filed a Form 15 with the SEC to terminate our registration under section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Deregistration under section 12(g) will become effective 90 days after the filing of the Form 15.
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on March 9, 2010. Our website address is www.calithera.com. Information found on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this proxy statement.
We have historically filed electronically with the SEC our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Securities Repurchase and CVR Agreement with Takeda Ventures
On April 18, 2023, we entered into a Securities Repurchase and CVR Agreement with Takeda Ventures, Inc., or the Takeda Agreement, pursuant to which we repurchased 1,000,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or the Series A Preferred Stock (as defined in the our Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, dated October 18, 2021, or the Series A Certificate of Designation), that were originally issued, pursuant to that certain Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated October 18, 2021, by and between us and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Millennium Pharmaceuticals subsequently transferred the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to Takeda Ventures. The Series A Preferred Stock was convertible into shares of common stock (subject to certain limitations) and had an aggregate deemed issue price of $35.0 million. Pursuant to the Series A Certificate of Designation, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Calithera or a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined therein), Takeda Ventures as the sole holder of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock was entitled to be paid out of our assets available for distribution to our stockholders in preference to the holders of common stock, an aggregate amount equal to $35.0 million.