Document:

Exhibit 10.1

 

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Principles of Research and License
Agreement

June 1, 2015

 

 

The
principles: Yissum owns certain patent/s, rights, know-how and technical data developed by Prof. Simon Benita (the "Researcher")
regarding nanoparticles for topical delivery of active agents (the “Technology”).
Immune Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (the "Company") wishes to receive a license from
Yissum/it’s new subsidiary for the commercial development and marketing of the Technology and to sponsor research to be conducted
by or under the supervision of the Researcher in connection with the further development of the Technology.

 

A. Negotiations Period

 

	
        License to

        Technology
	Upon the signing of the definitive research & license agreement (the “Definitive Agreement”) with BNS Ltd., a company to be established by the Researcher and Yissum ("BNS"), the Company shall have certain license rights to the Technology, all as set forth therein.
	Negotiations Period	The Definitive Agreement will be signed no later than six (6) months from the date of execution of this MOU (the “Negotiations Period”). This period may be extended by Yissum, in its sole discretion. The Company undertakes to be bound by the confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations set out in Appendix B.
	
        Option/No-Shop Consideration
	
        In consideration for
        BNS not offering the Technology within the Field (as defined below) to any third party during the Negotiations Period, the Company
        shall issue 250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand) shares of the Company, free and clear of any liens or encumbrances (“No-Shop
        Shares”) to BNS upon the execution of the Definitive Agreement between BNS and the Company. This obligation for the issuance
        of shares is irrevocable.

         

        The Company
will use its reasonable commercial efforts to include the No-Shop Shares as part of any other registration of securities
to be filed by the Company in connection with a future resale registration statement on Form S-3 (so called “piggy-back
registration rights”); provided, however, that the other security holders participating in such resale registration agreed
in writing to the inclusion of the shares under the resale registration statement on Form S-3.

	Due Diligence/Evaluation during the

Negotiations Period	During the Negotiations Period, the Company shall conduct whatever due diligence and evaluation of the Technology as it sees fit. Yissum and the Researcher will provide reasonable cooperation to the Company.
	
        Lapse of Negotiation Period
	If the Definitive Agreement shall not be signed by the end of the Negotiations Period (including any extension), Yissum/BNS and the Researcher shall be free of any obligations to the Company, except for the obligations set forth in the paragraphs entitled "Confidentiality". The Company shall have no claim to any intellectual property developed by the Researcher during the Negotiations Period.  

 

    	 

    	-2-

    

 

B. Terms of License

 

	Type of License	Exclusive in the Field (with right to grant sublicenses upon Yissum's prior approval, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld)) to develop and commercialize the Licensed Technology in the Field in the Territory (the "License").
	Field of Use:	Topical delivery of  Cyclosporin A, only by means of biodegradable nanoparticles (the "Field"). For the avoidance of doubt, the Field does not involve any mechanism for delivery except topical of  Cyclosporin A. 
	Territory	Worldwide (the "Territory").
	Term of License 	The License will expire, on a country-by-country basis, upon the later of the date of expiration of the last valid Licensed Patent in such country or the end of a period of 15 years from the date of making the First Commercial Sale of the last Product to enter the market in such country. Should the Licensed Patents expire prior to 15 years from the date of the First Commercial Sale in a particular country or countries, the License in that country or those countries shall be deemed a License to the Know-How.
	License of Licensed Technology to

Approved Affiliate	It is hereby agreed that Yissum shall be free to license the Licensed Technology to a 3rd party affiliated with Yissum and the Researcher (“Approved Affiliate”); provided however, that in such event, Yissum shall assign and the Approved Affiliate shall assume all of the rights and obligations of Yissum hereunder to the Company with regard to the License. Upon such event, the Approved Affiliate and the Company shall sign a written MOU similar to this MOU or a written license agreement similar to the Definitive Agreement, the terms of which shall be adjusted to recognize Yissum’s remaining ownership interest in and to the Licensed Technology (to the extent it holds such ownership retains hereunder), and the Company hereby agrees to sign such agreement.
	Licensed Technology	The Licensed Technology shall consist of the Licensed Patents, the Know-How and the Research Results (the "Licensed Technology").
	Licensed Patents	The patent application currently entitled: NANOPARTICLES FOR DERMAL AND SYSTEMIC DELIVERY OF DRUGS  (Yissum’s Ref: 3451) detailed in Appendix A and all patent applications or registered patents, any patent application that claims priority therefrom; all divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, re-examinations, reissues, substitutions, or extensions, including European Supplementary Protection Certificates (“SPCs”), and any and all patents issuing from, and inventions, methods, processes, and other patentable subject matter disclosed or claimed in, any and all of the foregoing, all to be listed on an appendix to the Definitive Agreement.
	Know-How	Any information, ancillary materials, results, devices and/or know-how in the Field, developed by the Researcher at the Hebrew University (“University”), solely and directly related to the Licensed Patents , but not appearing in the Licensed Patents, prior to the execution of the Definitive Agreement, belonging to Yissum (the "Know-How"). 
	Research Results	The results of any research funded by the Company and conducted by or under the supervision of the Researcher in connection with the Licensed Technology, pursuant and subsequent to the execution of the Definitive Agreement (“Sponsored Research”), including any patent applications and patents, information, material, results, devices and/or other know-how arising from the research (the "Research Results").
	Product(s)	Any product, process or service that comprises, contains or incorporates the Licensed Technology and/or the Development Results or any part thereof, or that uses the Licensed Technology and/or the Development Results as a basis for subsequent modifications that are standard in drug development or in drug delivery.
	Reserved Rights	Notwithstanding the grant of the License, Yissum, on behalf of the University, shall retain the right (i) to make, use and practice the Licensed Technology for the University's own internal research, educational and clinical purposes; (ii) to license and/or otherwise convey to other academic and not-for-profit research organizations for no charge other than shipping fees the Licensed Technology for use in non-commercial research; and (iii) to license and/or otherwise convey to any organization the Licensed Technology for research and development relating to commercial applications outside the Field.

 

    	 

    	-3-

    

 

 

 

	Sublicenses	The Company may sublicense its rights under the License, provided that the Company requests and receives Yissum's prior approval of the sublicense agreement, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Company shall ensure that any sublicense shall include terms that make the sublicense dependent on the continued existence of the Definitive Agreement and that bind the sublicensee to observe the relevant material terms of the Definitive Agreement, including the obligation to maintain appropriate insurance.
	Consideration 	
        ·    Annual
        License Maintenance Fee of US$30,000 beginning 5 years after the execution of the Definitive Agreement. The Annual License Maintenance
        Fee shall increase by 30% each year, up to a maximum of US$100,000 per year. An Annual License Maintenance Fee, once paid, may
        be credited by the Company against Royalties and/or Milestone Payments due within the same calendar year in which the Annual Maintenance
        Fee was paid.

         

        ·    Royalties
        on net sales of products by the Company, an Affiliate or a Sublicensee in the amounts of:

         

        o    5%
        on all Products except that: (a) if there is generic competition in a particular country, then the Royalties for that particular
        country will be reduced to 2.5%; and (b) if there is no patent application or patent in force anywhere in the world, then the Royalties
        will be reduced to 2.5% world-wide.

         

        ·    Sublicense
        Fees:

        o    18%
        of any non-sales related consideration, except any direct equity financing at market value or reimbursement of R&D costs actually
        expended by the Company, received by the Company from a sublicense or an option to receive a sublicense for Products and/or Licensed
        Technology.

         

        ·    License
        Fees:

        US$500,000 in four quarterly
        payments starting the signature of the Definitive Agreement

         

        ·    Milestone
        Payments:

        For any Product reaching a milestone
        as follows, the Company shall pay milestone payments (“Milestone Payments”) as follows:

        ·    US$60,000
        upon IND/IMPD (EU equivalent to IND) submission

        *  US$90,000 upon first patient enrolled in Phase I.

        *  US$250,000 upon first patient enrolled in Phase II

        *  US$500,000 upon first patient enrolled in Phase III

        * US$400,000 upon FDA acceptance of an NDA

        * US$200,000 upon EMA acceptance
        of an MAA

        * US$2,000,000 upon first commercial sale in the US.

        * US$1,000,000 upon first commercial sale in EU

        ·    In
        the event that for any of the above milestones the Company receives consideration from a sublicensee for the particular milestone
        achievement, then the Company shall pay Yissum the higher (not both) of: (a) the amount of the particular Milestone Payment; or
        (b) the amount of the Sublicense Fees that are due for such sublicensee consideration paid to the Company.

 

    	 

    	-4-

    

 

	 	Quarterly reporting, beginning after the earlier of a First Commercial Sale of a Product or the execution of a sublicensing agreement, on all Product sales of the Company, its Affiliates or Sublicensees. Yissum shall have access to Company’s records at reasonable times and upon reasonable prior notice and the right to audit these records once annually and shall have the right to require the Company to cause the audit of its Sublicensees.
	Sponsored Research	
        ·    Company
        to fund Sponsored Research by or under the direction of the Researcher in connection with the development of the Licensed Technology.
        In the event of transfer of the License to an Approved Affiliate, as set forth hereinabove, such Research shall be carried on by
        the Researcher through the Approved Affiliate.

        ·    Sponsored
        Research to be conducted pursuant to a written research plan agreed upon between the Researcher and the Company (the "Research
        Plan").

        ·    The
        budget for the Sponsored Research shall be a minimum of US$300,000 (inclusive of overhead) for the first year plus VAT and any
        other applicable taxes, (the "Budget"). Sponsored Research fees will be paid quarterly after signature of the
        Definitive Agreement at the beginning of each quarter (October 1, January 1, April 1, and July 1) during the duration of the Sponsored
        Research. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company understands that no Research will begin until the receipt by Yissum of the first
        payment of such Sponsored Research fees.

        ·    The
        Research Plan and Budget shall be reviewed and approved by the parties on an annual basis, and any change shall be subject to the
        agreement of the parties.

        ·    Yissum
        and/or HUJI shall be entitled to obtain additional finance for the Sponsored Research from third parties (including by way of grants)
        provided that such additional finance does not impair the Company’s rights under the License.

        ·    The
        Research Results shall automatically be included in the Licensed Technology.

        ·    Any
        consulting-like agreement with or grant of benefits of any kind to the Researcher by the Company in the past shall be disclosed
        to Yissum and any such new consulting-like agreement shall be accomplished only through a written agreement with Yissum.

        ·    During
        the conduct of the Sponsored Research, Yissum shall submit to the Company reports twice yearly of the progress, results, significant
        findings and/or major issues of the Sponsored Research, as shall be further defined in the Definitive Agreement.

 

    	 

    	-5-

    

 

 

	Development Due Diligence	
        ·    The
        Company shall be responsible for the diligent development of the Licensed Technology.

        ·    A
        steering committee made up of 2 representatives of the Company and 2 representatives of Yissum shall be established to monitor
        the Company's development efforts and shall meet at least once every 6 months.

        ·    Within
        60 days from the start of the Negotiation Period, the Company shall prepare and present to Yissum a written development plan setting
        forth the development and commercialization efforts it will undertake for the commercial exploitation of the Technology (“Development
        Plan”), which will be subject to Yissum’s approval and will be an annex to any Definitive Agreement.

        ·    The
        Company shall prepare and present to Yissum a written development report every 6 months from the execution of the Definitive Agreement
        setting forth the activities and achievements of the Company in the development and commercialization of the Licensed Technology.
        Such report shall include any changes made to the Development Plan.

        ·    The
        results of activities carried out by the Company or by third parties at the direction of the Company (other than Sponsored Research
        or other activities conducted by the Researcher or any University employee) pursuant to the Development Plan, including any invention,
        patent or patent application, product, material, method, process, technique, know-how, data, information or other result which
        do not form part of the Licensed Technology, discovered in the course of or arising from the performance of the Company’s
        development work, including any regulatory filing filed, or approval obtained, by the Company, an Affiliate or Sublicensee in respect
        of the Products, as well as any information, material, results, devices and know-how arising therefrom (the "Development
        Results").

        ·    The
        Company's failure to meet the milestones of the Development Plan and to demonstrate commercially reasonable diligence in developing
        the Licensed Technology shall be a material breach of the Definitive Agreement, which, if not cured, shall result in the termination
        of the Definitive Agreement.

	Ownership/Title	
        ·    All
        rights in the Licensed Technology shall be solely owned by Yissum, and the Company shall hold and make use of the rights granted
        pursuant to the License solely in accordance with the terms of the Definitive Agreement.

        ·    All
        rights in the Development Results shall be solely owned by the Company, except to the extent that an employee of the University
        and/or the Researcher, is properly considered an inventor of a patentable invention arising from the Development Results, in which
        case such ownership shall be held jointly and exclusively by the Company and Yissum, as appropriate. Yissum will have the exclusive
        right to sublicense such jointly owned Development Results outside the Field upon the prior written approval of the Company only,
        which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided that Yissum shall pay the Company 18% of any consideration received
        by Yissum from any third party in connection with such jointly owned Development Results outside the Field. For the avoidance of
        doubt it is stated that should such third party consideration be paid for the jointly owned Development Results together with other
        information, materials, know-how or technology, the Company’s 18% share shall be from the amount of consideration apportioned
        only to the jointly owned Development Results.

 

    	 

    	-6-

    

 

 

	Patents	
        ·    Yissum will be responsible for prosecuting and maintaining all patents and patent applications at the Company's cost, in consultation
        with the Company, including a consideration of costs of such actions. The Company agrees to have the responsible patent counsel
        bill it directly for such costs.

        ·    All
        Licensed Patents will be registered in the name of Yissum. Where patents arise from the Development Results, patents shall be registered
        in the name of the Company, unless an employee of the University is properly to be considered an inventor, in which case the patents
        shall be registered jointly in the names of the Company and Yissum.

        ·    Upon
        the execution of the Definitive Agreement, the Company shall execute a letter of conditional assignment according to which in the
        event the Company shall cease operations and/or shall be liquidated or shall fail to pay the expenses of the prosecution or maintenance
        of any joint patents or otherwise be in material breach of the Definitive Agreement, its interest in such joint patents shall be
        assigned automatically to Yissum; provided that in any such events Yissum shall pay the Company 18% of any consideration received
        by Yissum from any third party in connection with such joint patents.

        ·    The
        Company shall have primary responsibility for enforcing and defending infringement actions concerning the Licensed Patents.

	Confidentiality	Standard confidentiality provisions in connection with the Licensed Technology, the Company’s IP and business, including Yissum/HUJI employees’ and consultants’ undertakings.
	Publications	Standard terms of freedom of Yissum/University to publish details of the Research and the Licensed Technology subject to the Company’s prior written consent which the Company may reasonably withhold solely to delete Company confidential information and to allow for the filing of patent applications or other IP protection, but in no event for a period longer than 90 days from the day that the Researcher sent the said publication to the Company, after which publication will be automatically permitted.  
	Liability and Indemnity 	No warranties given by Yissum. The Company to hold harmless and indemnify Yissum, the University and their employees in connection with any liability arising from the use of the Licensed Technology.
	Insurance	The Company shall maintain appropriate levels of insurance commensurate with the nature of its business. 
	Termination	Standard termination terms.
	Binding	
        The terms of this MOU represent
a binding agreement between the Parties. However, it is not a complete agreement and additional matters not addressed or decided
upon here will be negotiated and included in the Definitive License Agreement by the Parties. It is understood that in no case
additional matters included in the Definitive License Agreement will materially change in form or in substance the terms of the
MOU.

  

    	 

    	-7-

    

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF THE PARTIES BELOW HAVE
SIGNED THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGS AS OF THE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE:

  

	
         

        YISSUM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF
        THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM LTD.

         

        /s/ Yaacov Michlin

        By: Yaacov Michlin

        Title: Chief Executive Officer

         

        /s/ Ariela Markel

        By: Ariela Markel

        Title: VP Licensing
	
         

        Immune Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

         

        /s/ Daniel G. Teper

        By: Daniel G. Teper

        Title: Chief Executive Officer

         

 

The undersigned, Professor Simon Benita,
has reviewed, is familiar with and agree to all of the above terms and conditions. I hereby undertake to cooperate fully with Yissum
in order to ensure its ability to fulfill its obligations hereunder, as set forth herein.

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	/s/ Prof. Simon Benita	 	June 11, 2015	 
	 	Prof. Simon Benita	 	Date signedEX-10.1

 Exhibit 10.1 

AMENDMENT TO 
 IDERA
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. 
 2013 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED 

WHEREAS, Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) desires to amend the Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan, as
amended (the “2013 Plan”), in the manner set forth below (the “Amendment”); and 
 WHEREAS, on April 13, 2015,
subject to stockholder approval, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the Amendment. 
 NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with
Section 11(d) of the 2013 Plan, the 2013 Plan is hereby amended as follows: 
  

	 	1.	Section 4(a) of the 2013 Plan is hereby amended by deleting subsection (1) thereof in its entirety and substituting the following in lieu thereof: 

“(1) Authorized Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Section 9, Awards may be made under the Plan, any or all of
which Awards may be in the form of Incentive Stock Options (as defined in Section 5(b)), for up to such number of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) as is equal to the
sum of: 
 (A) 15,224,460 shares of Common Stock; plus 

(B) such additional number of shares of Common Stock (up to 6,946,978 shares) as is equal to the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock
subject to awards granted under the Company’s 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”) or the Company’s 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan” and, together with the 2005 Plan, the
“Existing Plans”) which awards expire, terminate or are otherwise surrendered, canceled, forfeited or repurchased by the Company at their original issuance price pursuant to a contractual repurchase right (subject, however,
in the case of Incentive Stock Options to any limitations of the Code). 
 Shares issued under the Plan may consist in whole or in part of
authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares.” 
  

	 	2.	Section 10(f) of the 2013 Plan is hereby amended by deleting the first sentence thereof in its entirety and substituting the following in lieu thereof: 

“Except as otherwise provided in Section 5(g) with respect to repricings, Section 10(i) with respect to Performance Awards or
Section 11(d) with respect to actions requiring stockholder approval, the Board may, subject to Section 10(h), amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same
or a different type, changing the date of exercise or realization, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Nonstatutory Stock Option.” 
  

	 	3.	Section 10(h) of the 2013 Plan is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: 

“(h) Acceleration. The Board may, at any time, provide that (i) any Award granted on or prior to April 13, 2015 shall
become immediately exercisable in whole or in part, free of some or all of the restrictions or conditions applicable to such Award or otherwise realizable in whole or in part, as the case may be, and (ii) any Award granted after April 13,
2015 (a “New Award”) shall become immediately exercisable in whole or in part, free of some or all of the restrictions or conditions applicable to such New Award or otherwise realizable in whole or in part, as the case may
be, solely (A) upon the death or disability of the Participant or (B) in connection with a change in control of the 

  
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Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may provide, at any time and for any reason, that any New Award shall become immediately exercisable in full or in part, free from some or all of
the restrictions or conditions applicable to such New Award or otherwise realizable in full or in part, as the case may be, if required under any contractual obligation of the Company or other policy of the Company, in each case to the extent such
obligation or policy is in effect on April 13, 2015.” 
  

	 	4.	A new Section 10(j) shall be added to the 2013 Plan, as follows: 

 “(j) Limitations
on Vesting. Subject to Section 10(h) and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, no New Award shall vest earlier than the first anniversary of its date of grant. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to an aggregate of up to
5% of the maximum number of authorized shares set forth in Section 4(a)(1).” 
 The Amendment shall be effective upon approval of
the stockholders of the Company at the Company’s 2015 annual meeting of stockholders and shall only be applicable with respect to Awards granted after such approval. If the Amendment is not so approved at such meeting, then the amendment to the
2013 Plan set forth herein shall be void ab initio. 
 Except as herein above provided, the 2013 Plan is hereby ratified, confirmed and
approved in all respects. 

  
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