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Exhibit 19
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
(dated June 5, 2024)
Federal and state laws prohibit buying, selling or making other transfers of securities by persons who have material information that is not generally known or available to the public. These laws also prohibit persons with such material nonpublic information (“MNPI”) from disclosing this information to others who trade. Trading while in possession of MNPI is often referred to as “insider trading.”
Who Is Subject to this Policy. Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted the following policy (this “Policy”) regarding trading in securities by all of its directors, officers, employees, contractors and consultants (together, “Company Personnel”) as well as their family members who reside with them, anyone else who lives in their household and any family members who do not live in their household but whose transactions in Company securities (as defined below) are directed by them or are subject to their influence or control (collectively, “Family Members”), and corporations or other business entities controlled, influenced or managed by them or their Family Members, and trusts for which such persons are a trustee or in which they have a beneficial or pecuniary interest (collectively, “Controlled Entities,” and together with “Company Personnel” and “Family Members,” “Insiders”). Unless otherwise indicated, all references to “you” in this Policy should be read to include all of your Family Members and Controlled Entities.
Which Securities Are Subject to this Policy. This Policy applies to transactions, whether direct or indirect, in the Company’s securities, including its common stock, options to purchase common stock, restricted stock or restricted stock units or any other type of securities that Company may issue from time to time, including but not limited to preferred stock and convertible debentures, as well as derivative securities relating to the Company but that are not issued by the Company, such as exchange-traded put or call options or swaps relating to the Company’s securities (collectively, “Company securities”). Similarly, this Policy applies to all securities, including common stock, options to purchase common stock or any other type of securities, that are issued by a Company Counterparty (as defined below), as well as any derivative securities that are relating to the Company Counterparty but that are not issued by such Company Counterparty, such as puts, calls or swaps.
Application of this Policy to Company Counterparties. The principles discussed in this Policy also apply to nonpublic information that you obtain in the course of your employment or other involvement with the Company about another public company with which the Company has a preexisting or prospective relationship, such as the Company’s customers, suppliers, contract research, manufacturing, licensing or other collaboration partners, companies in which the Company has an investment, or a firm with which the Company is negotiating a major transaction, such as a joint venture, licensing transaction, collaboration arrangement, or material acquisition or disposition (a “Company Counterparty” or “Company Counterparties”).
No Exceptions. The prohibition against trading while in possession of MNPI is absolute and unconditional. The securities laws do not recognize any mitigating circumstances, and, in any event, even the appearance of an improper transaction must be avoided to preserve the Company’s reputation for adhering to high standards of conduct. There is no exception for small transactions or transactions that may seem necessary or justifiable for independent reasons, such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure.
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Exhibit 19
Individual Responsibility. You are responsible for ensuring that you (as well as your Family Members and Controlled Entities) do not violate federal or state securities laws or this Policy. The Company has designed this Policy to promote compliance with the federal securities laws and to protect the Company and you from the serious liabilities and penalties that can result from violations of these laws.
Consequences for Violating Insider Trading Laws. If you violate insider trading laws, you may have to pay civil fines for up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided by such trading, as well as criminal fines of up to $5 million. You also may be subject to criminal charges and may have to serve a jail sentence of up to 20 years. In addition, the Company may face civil penalties up to the greater of $1 million, or three times the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of your insider trading violations, as well as criminal fines of up to $25 million. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) are very effective at detecting and pursuing insider trading cases. The SEC has successfully prosecuted cases against employees trading through foreign accounts, trading by family members and friends and trading involving only a small number of shares. Therefore, it is important that you understand the breadth of activities that constitute illegal insider trading. This Policy sets out the Company’s policy in the area of insider trading and should be read carefully and complied with fully.
Administrative Provisions. All Company Personnel will be required to certify their understanding of and intent to comply with this Policy by signing the Receipt and Acknowledgment attached hereto periodically. This Policy will be reviewed, evaluated and revised by the Company from time to time in light of regulatory changes, developments in the Company’s business and other factors.
These practices, known as “tipping,” also violate U.S. securities laws and can result in the same civil and criminal penalties that apply if you engage in insider trading directly, even if you do not receive any money or derive any benefit from trades made by persons to whom you passed MNPI. This policy against “tipping” applies to information about the Company and its securities, as well as to information about Company Counterparties. Persons with whom you have a history, pattern or practice of sharing confidences—such as family members, close friends and financial and personal counselors—may be presumed to act on the basis of information known to you; therefore, special care should be taken so that MNPI is not disclosed to such persons. This policy does not restrict legitimate business communications on a “need to know” basis. MNPI, however, should not be disclosed to persons outside the Company unless you are specifically authorized to disclose such information and such disclosure is made in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of information regarding the Company.
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Transactions in mutual funds that are invested in Company or Company Counterparty securities are not transactions subject to this Policy as long as (a) the Insider does not control the investment decisions on individual stocks within the fund and (b) Company or Company Counterparty securities do not represent a substantial portion of the assets of the fund.
In addition, transactions pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan (as defined below) are subject to certain exceptions and requirements set forth below.
Insiders should consult the General Counsel (“GC”)1 if they have any questions.
Information is generally considered “material” if there is a likelihood a reasonable investor would consider such information important in making an investment decision to buy, hold or sell securities. Either positive or negative information may be material. There is no bright‐line standard for assessing materiality; rather, materiality is based on an assessment of all of the facts and circumstances. The GC or attorneys designated by the GC should be consulted and shall determine whether information is material, but in general, any information that could reasonably be expected to affect the Company’s or a Company Counterparty’s stock price should be considered material. Depending on the circumstances, common examples of information that may be material include:
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1 At any time when the Company does not have an active GC, the duties and responsibilities assigned to the GC under this Policy shall be fulfilled by the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”). At any time when the Company does not have an active CFO, the duties and responsibilities assigned to the CFO under this Policy shall be fulfilled by the principal financial officer.
Federal and Nasdaq investigators will scrutinize a questionable trade after the fact with the benefit of hindsight, so you should always err on the side of deciding that the information is material and not trade. The mere fact that a person is aware of MNPI is a bar to trading. It is no excuse that such person’s reasons for trading were not based on the MNPI. If you have questions regarding specific transactions, please contact the GC.
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Nonpublic information is information that is not generally known by or available to the public. We consider information to be available to the public only when:
The fact that rumors, speculation or statements attributed to unidentified sources are public is insufficient to be considered “generally available to the public” even when the information is accurate.
All Company Personnel must maintain the confidentiality of Company information for competitive, security and other business reasons, as well as to comply with securities laws. All information you learn about the Company or its business plans is potentially nonpublic information until it is publicly disclosed. You should treat this information as confidential and proprietary to the Company. You may not disclose it to others, such as Family Members, other relatives or business or social acquaintances.
In addition, you are prohibited from participating as an “expert,” consultant, advisor and/or in any capacity for an “expert network” and/or any other outside firm which compensates individuals for speaking with investors and other investment professionals. This prohibition is designed to protect the Company, its stockholders and you. Indeed, United States criminal authorities and the SEC have prosecuted numerous public company employees who received monetary compensation by expert networks to speak with investors and disclose confidential company information which investors then used for trading purposes.
Legal rules govern the timing and nature of our disclosure of material information to outsiders or the public. Violation of these rules could result in substantial liability for you, the Company and its management. For this reason, we permit only specifically designated representatives of the Company to discuss the Company with the news media, securities analysts and investors and only in accordance with the Company’s Guidelines For Public Disclosures And Communications With The Investment Community. If you receive inquiries of this nature, refer them to the CFO.
Directors, officers, as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (such officers, “Section 16 Officers”, and together with directors, “Section 16 Persons”), all other employees, and certain contractors and consultants who are so designated by the GC from time to time (such designated contractors and consultants, together with Section 16 Persons and all other employees, and each of their respective Family Members and Controlled Entities, “Restricted Persons”), are for purposes of this Policy required to comply with the restrictions covered below. Even if you are not a Restricted Person, however, following the procedures listed below may assist you in complying with this Policy.
The Company imposes a blackout period in connection with its quarterly release of financial information, during which time Insiders are not permitted to transact with respect to the Company’s securities (subject to the exceptions set forth in Section II.D.4 or pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan pursuant to Section II.E). Unless otherwise determined and communicated by the Company for a particular quarter, the quarterly blackout period will typically begin upon completion of the trading day on the final day of each calendar quarter and end two full business days after the public release of the Company’s quarterly or annual earnings results. For example, if the Company publicly releases earnings results at the open of market on a Friday, then trading in the
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Company’s securities may commence at the open of market on the following Tuesday.
As a result, Insiders may trade in Company securities only from the date that is two full trading days after an earnings release to the completion of the trading day on the final day of each calendar quarter (such period, the “Trading Window”). However, even if a Trading Window is open, you may not trade in Company securities if you are aware of MNPI about the Company. In addition, if you are subject to the Company’s pre-clearance policy (described below), you must pre-clear transactions even if you initiate them when the Trading Window is open. Generally, all pending purchase and sale orders regarding Company securities must be executed or cancelled before the Trading Window closes.
From time to time, due to certain developments (such as a significant event or transaction) during which there may exist MNPI about the Company or a Company Counterparty, the Company may implement special blackout periods during which the Company may notify particular individuals that they should not transact in Company securities or the securities of a Company Counterparty, as applicable (subject to the exceptions set forth in Section II.D.4 or pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan pursuant to Section II.E). If you are subject to a special blackout period, you should not trade in the applicable company’s securities during such time and you should not disclose to others the fact that you are prohibited from trading, as the existence of a special blackout period may, itself, be deemed MNPI. These special blackout periods, which may vary in length, will be determined by the GC and be communicated to the appropriate personnel via e-mail. Termination of a blackout period will also be communicated to the appropriate personnel via e-mail.
However, it is not the Company’s policy to impose special blackout periods every time that MNPI exists or every time that an Insider may be in the possession of MNPI. In addition, if you are subject to the Company’s pre-clearance policy (described below), you must pre-clear transactions even if you initiate them while a blackout period is not in place. Generally, all pending purchase and sale orders regarding Company securities must be executed or cancelled before a special blackout period is implemented so as to avoid any transactions during such period.
In light of these restrictions, if you expect a need to sell Company stock at a specific time in the future, including executing sales to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the exercise of stock options, vesting of restricted stock or settlement of restricted stock units in the future, you may wish to consider entering into a prearranged Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan (as discussed below).
The Company requires all Restricted Persons to contact the GC in advance of effecting any purchase, sale, gift or other trading of Company securities and to obtain prior approval of the transaction, other than transactions made under an approved Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan pursuant to Section II.E below. All requests must be submitted to the GC at least two business days in advance of the proposed transaction.2 This pre-clearance policy applies to Restricted Persons even if they are initiating a transaction while a blackout period is not in place.
If a transaction is approved under the pre-clearance policy, the transaction must be executed by the end of the second full trading day after the approval is obtained, but regardless may not be executed if you acquire MNPI concerning the Company during that time. If a transaction is not completed within the period described above, the transaction must be approved again before it may be executed.
If a proposed transaction is not approved under the pre-clearance policy, you may not transact in Company securities, and you should not inform anyone within or outside of the Company of the restriction. For the avoidance of doubt, there should be no presumption that the GC will grant any or all pre-clearance requests and there shall be no obligation to inform a Restricted Person of the reasons for any request approval or denial. Any transaction under a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan will not require pre-clearance at the time of the transaction, but the adoption, amendment, modification or termination of any such Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan is subject to the pre-clearance and other restrictions set forth in Section II.E and Appendix A, “Guidelines for Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans” below.
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2 Transactions by the GC (or the GC’s Family Members and Controlled Entities) are required to be approved in advance by the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) or CFO.
The restrictions contained in this Policy shall not apply to:
To the extent applicable and such elections are permitted, your elections regarding (1) participation in “net exercise” or “sell to cover” transactions or (2) participation in or an increase in contributions to the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan, in each case including changes from any defaults established by the Company, may only be made when you are not subject to a blackout period and are not in possession of MNPI.
Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act provides an affirmative defense from insider trading liability if trades occur pursuant to a pre-arranged trading plan that meets specified conditions (a “Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan”). A Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan is a written trading plan between you and your broker and must either specify the number of securities to be bought or sold, along with the price and the date, or provide a written formula for determining this information. Alternatively, such Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan can delegate investment discretion to a third party, such as a broker, who then makes trading decisions without further input from the person implementing the plan. A Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan must be established at a time when you are not aware of any MNPI and must not permit you to exercise any subsequent control or influence over how, when or whether the purchases or sales are made. Under this Policy, the adoption, amendment, modification or termination of a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan must meet the requirements set forth in Appendix A, “Guidelines for Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans,” including applicable pre-clearance procedures.
Because the SEC rules on trading plans are complex, you should consult with your broker and be sure you fully understand the limitations and conditions of the rules before you establish a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan (or a transaction that is intended to constitute a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” within the meaning of SEC
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rules).
Anyone subject to this Policy who fails to comply with this Policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
This Policy, other than the pre-clearance provisions, will continue to apply to your transactions in Company securities after your employment or service with the Company has terminated until such time as you are no longer aware of MNPI or until that information has been publicly disclosed or is no longer material.
Questions about this Policy should be directed to the GC.
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Exhibit 19
RECEIPT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I, , hereby acknowledge that I have received and read a copy of the Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. Insider Trading Policy (this “Policy”). I agree to comply with this Policy and certify that I will communicate with all members of my household to inform them of the obligations in this Policy that apply to them. I understand that violation of SEC regulations may subject me to severe civil and/or criminal penalties, and that violation of this Policy may subject me to discipline by Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. up to and including termination for cause.
Signature |
Date |
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Exhibit 19
APPENDIX A
Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. Guidelines for Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
As discussed in the Policy, Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act provides an affirmative defense from insider trading liability. In order to be eligible to rely on this affirmative defense, you must enter into a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan for transactions in Company securities that meets certain conditions specified in Rule 10b5-1, including the guidelines set forth below. These guidelines generally do not apply to any transactions that are intended to constitute “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements” within the meaning of SEC rules. Capitalized terms used in these guidelines without definition have the meaning set forth in the Policy.
These guidelines are in addition to, and not in lieu of, the requirements and conditions of Rule 10b5-1. The GC will interpret and administer these guidelines for compliance with Rule 10b5-1 and the Policy. No personal legal or financial advice is being provided by the GC or other members of the Company regarding any Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan or proposed trades. You remain ultimately responsible for ensuring that your Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans and contemplated transactions fully comply with applicable securities laws. It is recommended that you consult with your own attorney or other advisor about any contemplated Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan. Note that for any Section 16 Persons, the Company is required to disclose the material terms of his or her (and any Family Members’ and Controlled Entities’) Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan, other than with respect to price, in its periodic report for the quarter in which the Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan is adopted or terminated or modified (as described below).
For the avoidance of doubt, you may not subsequently influence how, when or whether to effect purchases or sales with respect to the securities subject to an approved and adopted Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan.
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Material Modification will be subject to all the other requirements set forth in these guidelines regarding the adoption of a new Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan.
The termination (other than through an amendment or modification) of an existing Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan must be reviewed and approved in advance by the GC in accordance with the pre-clearance procedures set forth in the Policy and these guidelines. Except in limited circumstances, the GC will not approve the termination of a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan unless:
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