Exhibit








               Exhibit 4.5
 
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 


As of April 3, 2020, Bellerophon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Bellerophon,” “we,” “us” or the “Company”) had one class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”):  Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”). Each of the Company’s securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market.


General


The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the restated certificate of incorporation and the amended and restated bylaws that are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 


Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 5,000,000 shares of our preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, all of which preferred stock is undesignated.


As of April 3, 2020, we had issued and outstanding:


		
	•
	6,132,393 shares of our common stock held by 194 stockholders of record; and




		
	•
	options to purchase 666,444 shares of our common stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $24.64 per share.




		
	•
	warrant to purchase 2,028,636 shares of our common stock, at a weighted average exercise of $16.61 per shares. 




On February 5, 2020, we effected a one-for-fifteen (1:15) reverse stock split of our outstanding common stock. As a result of the reverse stock split, every fifteen (15) shares of our pre-reverse split common stock were be combined and reclassified into one (1) share of common stock without any change in the par value per share. The reverse stock split did not modify the rights or preferences of the common stock. No fractional shares were issued as a result of the reverse stock split. In lieu thereof, our transfer agent will aggregate all fractional shares and sell them as soon as practicable after the effective time at the then-prevailing prices on the open market. After the transfer agent’s completion of such sale, stockholders who would have been entitled to a fractional share as a result of the reverse stock split will instead receive a cash payment from the transfer agent in an amount equal to their respective pro rata share of the total proceeds of that sale, net of any brokerage costs incurred by the transfer agent to sell such fractional shares.


Common Stock


Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. Each election of directors by our stockholders will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding preferred stock.


In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive proportionately all assets available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any of our outstanding preferred stock. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.


Preferred Stock


Under the terms of our restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.













The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. There are no shares of preferred stock currently outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock. 


Stockholders Agreements


New Mountain Stockholders Agreement
 
In February 2015, in connection with our IPO, we entered into a stockholders agreement with the investment funds affiliated with New Mountain Capital, or the New Mountain Entities, which provides that the New Mountain Entities are entitled to designate one director for nomination to our board of directors, to designate one director to the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries and to appoint the lead director of our board of directors, in each case, for so long as the New Mountain Entities or certain of their respective assignees beneficially own (i) 50% or more of the sum of (a) the number of shares of our common stock that they owned immediately prior to the closing of our IPO and (b) the number of shares of common stock, if any, acquired following the closing of our IPO (subject to in each case adjustment in the event of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, reclassification or other similar change in our capitalization) and (ii) 15% or more of our common stock outstanding (as set forth on the cover of our then most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q). Subject to the same ownership thresholds, the director nominated by the New Mountain Entities is entitled to serve on each committee of our board of directors and of the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries and the consent of the New Mountain Entities is required to establish any new committee of our board of directors or the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of any of our subsidiaries, in each case except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or applicable listing exchange rules.


The New Mountain Entities may assign their rights to designate one director for nomination to our board of directors, to designate a director to the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries and to appoint the lead director of our board of directors to a person who acquires, in a transaction other than a registered public offering or a sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, at least 50% of the aggregate number of shares of our common stock owned, directly or indirectly, by the New Mountain Entities as of immediately prior to such transaction.


In addition, the stockholders agreement provides that, we are required to obtain the prior written approval of the New Mountain Entities to take certain actions, including, among other things, actions to:


		
	•
	consolidate or merge into or with any other person, sell, lease or transfer all or a significant portion of our assets or capital stock to another person or enter into any other similar business combination transaction, or effect a liquidation;




		
	•
	authorize, issue, sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy any shares of our common stock or any convertible securities or any other equity or debt securities or rights to acquire any of our or our subsidiaries’ equity or debt securities, subject to certain exceptions, including among other things, the issuance under our stock incentive plan of grants that have been approved by our board of directors (or a board committee) and at least one director appointed by the New Mountain Entities;




		
	•
	incur indebtedness or refinance any indebtedness, in each case in an amount in excess of a specified threshold;




		
	•
	hire or replace our chief executive officer; or




		
	•
	agree or otherwise commit to do any of the foregoing (unless the commitment is conditioned on obtaining the approval of the New Mountain Entities).


 
These approval rights of the New Mountain Entities will terminate when the New Mountain Entities or certain of their respective assignees beneficially own either (i) less than 50% of the sum of (a) the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that they collectively owned immediately prior to the closing of our IPO and (b) the number of shares of our common stock, if any, acquired following the closing of our IPO (subject to in each case adjustment in the event of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, reclassification or similar changes in our capitalization) or (ii) less than 15% of our common stock outstanding (as set forth on the cover of our then most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K or 











quarterly report on Form 10-Q). As of April 3, 2020, the New Mountain Entities held approximately 16.5% of our outstanding common stock.
 
Linde Stockholders Agreement
 
In February 2015, in connection with our IPO, we also entered into a stockholders agreement with Linde North America, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Linde AG, or Linde,  which provides that Linde is entitled to designate one director for nomination to our board of directors and to designate one director to the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries, in each case, for so long as Linde or certain of its assignees beneficially own (i) 50% or more of the sum of (a) the number of shares of our common stock that they owned immediately prior to the closing of our IPO and (b) the number of shares of common stock, if any, acquired following the closing of our IPO (subject to in each case adjustment in the event of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, reclassification or other similar change in our capitalization) and (ii) 10% or more of our common stock outstanding (as set forth on the cover of our then most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q). Subject to the same ownership thresholds, the director designated by Linde is entitled to serve on each committee of our board of directors and of the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries and the consent of Linde is required to establish any new committee of our board of directors or the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of any of our subsidiaries, in each case except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or applicable listing exchange rules.
 
Linde may assign its rights to designate one director for nomination to our board of directors and to designate a director for nomination to the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of each of our subsidiaries to a person who acquires, in a transaction other than a registered public offering or a sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, at least 50% of the aggregate number of shares of our common stock owned, directly or indirectly, by Linde as of immediately prior to such transaction. As of April 3, 2020, Linde held approximately 5.7% of our outstanding common stock.


Delaware Anti-Takeover Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions


Delaware Law


We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person which together with its affiliates owns, or within the last three years has owned, 15% of our voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless either the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and stockholders in a prescribed manner or the interested stockholder acquired at least 85% of our outstanding voting stock in the transaction in which it became an interested stockholder. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the “interested stockholder” and the sale of more than 10% of our assets. In general, an “interested stockholder” is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person. The restrictions contained in Section 203 are not applicable to any of our existing stockholders that owned 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock upon the closing of our IPO.


Staggered Board; Removal of Directors


Our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws divide our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, a director may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. In addition, the authorized number of our directors may be changed only by resolution of our directors, and any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.


The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to change the authorized number of directors, remove directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.


Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders; Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations













Our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought before such meeting and may not be taken by written action in lieu of a meeting. Our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by the chairman of our board of directors, our chief executive officer or our board of directors. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder's intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. These provisions also could discourage a third party from making a tender offer for our common stock, because even if it acquired a majority of our outstanding voting stock, it would be able to take action as a stockholder, such as electing new directors or approving a merger, only at a duly called stockholder meeting and not by written consent.


Super-Majority Voting


The Delaware General Corporation Law provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation's certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporation's certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our amended and restated bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors is required to amend, repeal or adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation described above.


Exclusive Forum


Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors or officers to the company or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against our company arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against our company or any of our directors or officers governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Although our restated certificate of incorporation contains the provision described above, it is possible that a court could rule that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.


Registration Rights


We have entered into a registration rights agreement with certain holders of our common stock, including our 5% stockholders and their affiliates and entities affiliated with our directors. The registration rights agreement provides these holders the right to demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be covered by a registration statement that we are otherwise filing.


Demand Registration Rights


At any time or from time to time, subject to specified limitations set forth in the registration rights agreement and to any lock-up period, the New Mountain Entities or the holders of 10% of our then outstanding shares of common stock, may at any time demand in writing that we register all or a portion of the shares having rights under the registration rights agreement, which we refer to as the registrable shares, under the Securities Act if the total amount of registrable shares registered have an aggregate offering price of at least $10.0 million, unless the registration is of the balance of the registrable shares held by all the parties to the registration rights agreement. We are not obligated to effect a registration pursuant to this provision on more than six occasions in the case of demands made by the New Mountain Entities, or on more than two occasions in the aggregate in the case of demands made by the other parties to the agreement, and we are not obligated to effect a registration pursuant to this provision within 90 days of the effective date of any other registration statement that we may file pursuant to a demand registration.


Form S-3 Registration Rights













In addition, at any time after we become eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, subject to specified limitations set forth in the registration rights agreement, either the New Mountain Entities or the holders in the aggregate of 10% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock may demand in writing that we register on Form S-3 all or a portion of the registrable shares so long as the total amount of registrable shares being registered have an aggregate offering price of at least $10.0 million, unless the registration is of the balance of the registrable shares held by all the parties to the registration rights agreement.


Incidental Registration Rights


If we propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the registration rights agreement, the holders of registrable shares will be entitled to notice of the registration and, subject to specified exceptions in the case of an underwritten offering, including market conditions, have the right to require us to register all or a portion of the registrable shares then held by them.


Underwritten Public Offering


In the event that any registration in which the holders of registrable shares participate pursuant to the registration rights agreement is an underwritten public offering, we agree to enter into an underwriting agreement containing customary representation and warranties and covenants, including without limitation customary provisions with respect to indemnification of the underwriters of such offering. Holders of registrable securities must agree to any such underwriting agreement as a condition to participation in the offering. If the total number of shares, including registrable shares, requested by holders to be included in such offering exceeds the largest number of shares to be sold (other than by us) that the underwriters believe can be sold in an orderly manner in such underwritten public offering, then we shall include shares in the offering in accordance with the priority guidelines set forth in the registration rights agreement.


Expenses and Indemnification


Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, we are required to pay all registration expenses, including registration and filing fees, exchange listing fees, printing expenses and accounting fees and the fees and expenses of one counsel to represent the selling stockholders, other than any underwriting discounts and commissions, that are related to any demand or incidental registration described above. The registration rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, pursuant to which we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and the selling stockholders are obligated to provide an undertaking pursuant to which they will indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to them.


Corporate Opportunity


Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” does not apply to any of our stockholders or directors, other than in the case of a corporate opportunity that is offered to such person in writing solely in his or her capacity as our director, officer or employee. Accordingly, our stockholders and directors and their respective representatives have no duty to communicate or present corporate opportunities to us and have the right to either hold any corporate opportunity for its (and its representatives') own account and benefit or to recommend, assign or otherwise transfer such corporate opportunity to persons other than us, other than in the case of a corporate opportunity that is offered to such person in writing solely in his or her capacity as our director, officer or employee. As a result, our stockholders, directors and their respective affiliates will not be prohibited from investing in competing businesses or doing business with our customers.


Transfer Agent and Registrar


The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.


Nasdaq Capital Market Listing


Our common stock is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BLPH.”  


Provisions of Delaware Law Governing Business Combinations
 
We are subject to the “business combination” provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL. In general, such provisions prohibit a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in any “business combination” transactions with any “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date on which the person became an “interested stockholder,” unless:
 











		
	•
	prior to such date, the board of directors approved either the “business combination” or the transaction which resulted in the “interested stockholder” obtaining such status; or




		
	•
	upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an “interested stockholder,” the “interested stockholder” owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the “interested stockholder”) those shares owned by (a) persons who are directors and also officers and (b) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or




		
	•
	at or subsequent to such time the “business combination” is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the “interested stockholder.”


 
A “business combination” is defined to include mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in financial benefit to a stockholder. In general, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock or within three years did own 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. The statute could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts with respect to us and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us.
 
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
 
Section 145 of the DGCL authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by such law.
 
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has 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.