Document:

EX-10.2

 Exhibit 10.2 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of February 10, 2020, by and between MEREO
BIOPHARMA GROUP PLC, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (the “Company”), and ASPIRE CAPITAL FUND, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (together with its
permitted assigns, the “Buyer”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement by and between the parties hereto, dated as of the
date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement”). 

WHEREAS: 
 A. Upon the
terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to the Buyer, and the Buyer has agreed to purchase, (i) Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) of the Company’s ordinary shares, nominal value
£0.003 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”); and (ii) thereafter, up to an additional Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) of the Company’s Ordinary Shares, pursuant to Section 1 of the Purchase Agreement. In
each case, such Ordinary Shares may be exchanged for American Depositary Shares (“ADSs” and together with the Ordinary Shares, the “Purchase Securities”), each ADS representing five (5) Ordinary Shares,
as determined in accordance with the Purchase Agreement. 
 B. The Company has agreed to issue to the Buyer such number of Ordinary Shares
underlying the ADSs as is required pursuant to Section 4(e) of the Purchase Agreement (the “Commission Securities” and together with the Purchase Securities, the “Securities”). 

C. To induce the Buyer to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “1933 Act”), and applicable state securities laws. 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration,
the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Buyer hereby agree as follows: 
  

	 	1.	 DEFINITIONS. 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 

a. “Person” means any person or entity including any corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a partnership,
an organization, a business, an individual, a governmental or political subdivision thereof or a governmental agency. 
 b.
“Register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more registration statements of the Company in compliance with the 1933 Act and pursuant
to Rule 415 under the 1933 Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a continuous basis (“Rule 415”), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement(s) by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). 

 c. “Registrable Securities” means (i) all of the Commission ADSs and
Initial Purchase ADSs and (ii) such number of additional Securities as reasonably determined by the Company, which may from time to time be, issued or issuable to the Buyer upon purchases of the Available Amount under the Purchase Agreement,
and any securities issued or issuable with respect to the Securities or the Purchase Agreement as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event, without regard to any limitation on purchases under the
Purchase Agreement. 
 d. “Registration Statement” means a registration statement of the Company covering only the sale of
the Registrable Securities. 
  

	 	2.	 REGISTRATION. 

a. Mandatory Registration. The Company shall within five (5) Business Days from the date hereof file with the SEC the Registration
Statement. The Registration Statement shall register only the Registrable Securities and no other securities of the Company. Except as provided herein, the Buyer and its counsel shall have a reasonable opportunity to review and comment upon such
Registration Statement or any amendment to such Registration Statement and any related prospectus prior to its filing with the SEC. The Buyer shall furnish all information reasonably requested by the Company for inclusion therein. The Company shall
use its reasonable best efforts to have the Registration Statement or any amendment declared effective by the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable. Subject to Permitted Delays (as defined below) and Section 3(e), the Company shall use
reasonable best efforts to keep the Registration Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the 1933 Act and available for sales of all of the Registrable Securities at all times until the earlier of (i) the date as of which the
Buyer may sell all of the Registrable Securities without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act (or successor thereto) or (ii) the date on which the Buyer shall have sold all the Registrable Securities and no Available
Amount remains under the Purchase Agreement (the “Registration Period”). Except as contemplated in Section 3(e), and except with respect to the information furnished in writing to the Company by the Buyer expressly for use in
connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto or prospectus contained therein (as to which the Company makes no representation or warranty), the Registration Statement (including any
amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. 
 b. Rule 424 Prospectus. The Company shall, to the extent required by
applicable securities regulations, from time to time file with the SEC, pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the 1933 Act, a prospectus and prospectus supplements, if any, to be used in connection with sales of the Registrable Securities under the
Registration Statement. The Buyer and its counsel shall have two (2) Business Days to review and comment upon such prospectus prior to its filing with the SEC. The Buyer shall use its reasonable best efforts to comment upon such prospectus
within two (2) Business Days from the date the Buyer receives the final version of such prospectus. 
 c. Sufficient Number of
Securities Registered. In the event the number of securities available under the Registration Statement is insufficient to cover the Registrable Securities, the Company shall, to the extent necessary and permissible, amend the Registration
Statement or file a new registration statement (a “New Registration Statement”), so as to cover all such Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event not later than ten (10) Business Days after the
necessity therefor arises. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment and/or New Registration Statement become effective as soon as reasonably practicable following the filing thereof. 

  
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	 	3.	 RELATED OBLIGATIONS. 

With respect to the Registration Statement and whenever any Registrable Securities are to be registered pursuant to Sections 2(a) and (c),
including on any New Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company
shall have the following obligations: 
 a. The Company shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including post-effective
amendments) and supplements to any Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with such Registration Statement, as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement effective at all times
during the Registration Period, subject to Permitted Delays and Section 3(e) hereof and, during such period, comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities of the Company covered by the
Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in such
Registration Statement. Should the Company file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a New Registration Statement, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have such filing declared effective by the SEC within
thirty (30) consecutive Business Days following the date of filing, which such period shall be extended for an additional thirty (30) Business Days if the Company receives a comment letter from the SEC in connection therewith. If
(i) there is material non-public information regarding the Company which the Company’s Board of Directors reasonably determines not to be in the Company’s best interest to disclose and which the
Company is not otherwise required to disclose or (ii) there is a significant business opportunity (including, but not limited to, the acquisition or disposition of assets (other than in the ordinary course of business) or any merger,
consolidation, tender offer or other similar transaction) available to the Company which the Company’s Board of Directors reasonably determines not to be in the Company’s best interest to disclose and which the Company would be required to
disclose under a Registration Statement or a New Registration Statement, then the Company may postpone or suspend filing or effectiveness of such Registration Statement or New Registration Statement or use of the prospectus under the Registration
Statement or New Registration Statement for a period not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive days, provided that the Company may not postpone or suspend its obligation under this Section 3(a) for more than sixty (60) days in the
aggregate during any twelve (12) month period (each, a “Permitted Delay”). 
 b. The Company shall submit to the Buyer
for review and comment any disclosure in the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto (other than prospectus supplements that consist only of a copy of a filed Form 20-F or a Report on Form 6-K or any amendment as a result of the Company’s filing of a document that is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or New
Registration Statement) containing information provided by the Buyer for inclusion in such document and any descriptions or disclosure regarding the Buyer, the Purchase Agreement, including the transaction contemplated thereby, or this Agreement at
least two (2) Business Days prior to their filing with the SEC, and not file any document in a form to which Buyer reasonably and timely objects. Upon request of the Buyer, the Company shall provide to the Buyer all disclosure in the
Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto (other than prospectus supplements that consist only of a copy of a filed Form 20-F

  
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or Report on Form 6-K or any amendment as a result of the Company’s filing of a document that is incorporated by reference into the Registration
Statement or New Registration Statement) at least two (2) Business Days prior to their filing with the SEC, and not file any document in a form to which Buyer reasonably and timely objects. The Buyer shall use its reasonable best efforts to
comment upon the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto within two (2) Business Days from the date the Buyer receives the final version thereof. The Company shall furnish to the Buyer,
without charge, any correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC to the Company or its representatives relating to the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement. 

c. Upon request of the Buyer, the Company shall furnish to the Buyer, (i) promptly after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, at
least one copy of the Registration Statement and any amendment(s) thereto, including all financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits, (ii) upon the effectiveness of a Registration
Statement, a copy of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto (or such other number of copies as the Buyer may reasonably request) and (iii) such other documents, including copies of any
preliminary or final prospectus, as the Buyer may reasonably request from time to time in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by the Buyer. 

d. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to (i) register and qualify, unless an exemption from registration and qualification is
available, the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement under such other securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Buyer reasonably requests, (ii) subject to Permitted Delays,
prepare and file in those jurisdictions, such amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof during the Registration Period,
(iii) take such other actions as may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at all times during the Registration Period, and (iv) take all other actions reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the
Registrable Securities for sale in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (x) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be
required to qualify but for this Section 3(d), (y) subject itself to general taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (z) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction. The Company shall promptly notify the Buyer who
holds Registrable Securities of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of any
jurisdiction in the United States or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose. 
 e.
Subject to Permitted Delays, as promptly as reasonably practicable after becoming aware of such event or facts, the Company shall notify the Buyer in writing if the Company has determined that the prospectus included in any Registration Statement,
as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading,
and as promptly as reasonably practical (taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of premature disclosure of such event or facts) prepare a prospectus supplement or
amendment to such Registration Statement to correct such untrue statement or omission, and, upon the Buyer’s request, deliver a copy of such prospectus supplement or amendment to the Buyer. In providing this notice to the Buyer, the Company
shall not include any other information about the facts underlying the Company’s determination and shall not in any way communicate any material nonpublic information about the Company or the Securities to

  
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the Buyer. The Company shall also promptly notify the Buyer in writing (i) when a prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, and when a Registration
Statement or any post-effective amendment has become effective (notification of such effectiveness shall be delivered to the Buyer by facsimile or e-mail on the same day of such effectiveness), (ii) of any
request by the SEC for amendments or supplements to any Registration Statement or related prospectus or related information, and (iii) of the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement
would be appropriate. In no event shall the delivery of a notice under this Section 3(e), or the resulting unavailability of a Registration Statement, without regard to its duration, for disposition of securities by Buyer be considered a breach
by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement. The preceding sentence in this Section 3(e) does not limit whether an event of default has occurred as set forth in Section 9(a) of the Purchase Agreement. 

f. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of any
Registration Statement, or the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction and, if such an order or suspension is issued, to obtain the withdrawal of such order or suspension at the earliest practical
time and to notify the Buyer of the issuance of such order and the resolution thereof or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose. 

g. The Company shall (i) cause all the Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange on which securities of the same
class or series issued by the Company are then listed, if any, if the listing of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such exchange, or (ii) secure designation and quotation of all the Registrable Securities if the
Principal Market (as such term is defined in the Purchase Agreement) is an automated quotation system. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligation under this Section. 

h. The Company shall cooperate with the Buyer to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any restrictive
legend) representing the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to any Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such denominations or amounts as the Buyer may reasonably request and registered in such names as the Buyer
may request. 
 i. The Company shall at all times provide a transfer agent and registrar with respect to its Securities. 

j. If reasonably requested by the Buyer, the Company shall (i) promptly incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment
to the Registration Statement such information as the Buyer believes should be included therein relating to the sale and distribution of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, information with respect to the number of Registrable
Securities being sold, the purchase price being paid therefor and any other terms of the offering of the Registrable Securities; (ii) make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment as promptly as practicable
once notified of the matters to be incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment; and (iii) supplement or make amendments to any Registration Statement (including by means of any document incorporated therein by
reference). 

  
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 k. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities
covered by any Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities in the United States as may be necessary to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. 

l. Within two (2) Business Days after any Registration Statement is ordered effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver to the
Transfer Agent for such Registrable Securities (with copies to the Buyer) confirmation that such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Thereafter, if reasonably requested by
the Buyer at any time, the Company shall deliver to the Buyer a written confirmation of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop
order) and whether or not the Registration Statement is currently effective and available to the Buyer for sale of all of the Registrable Securities. 

m. The Company agrees to take all other reasonable actions as necessary and reasonably requested by the Buyer to expedite and facilitate
disposition by the Buyer of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement. 
  

	 	4.	 OBLIGATIONS OF THE BUYER. 

a. The Buyer has furnished to the Company in Exhibit B hereto such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it
and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it as required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably
request. The Company shall notify the Buyer in writing of any other information the Company reasonably requires from the Buyer in connection with any Registration Statement hereunder. The Buyer will as promptly as practicable notify the Company of
any material change in the information set forth in Exhibit B, other than changes in its ownership of the Registrable Securities. 

b. The Buyer agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any
amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement hereunder. 
 c. The Buyer agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company
of the happening of any event or existence of facts of the kind described in Section 3(f) or any notice of the kind described in the first sentence of Section 3(e), the Buyer will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable
Securities pursuant to any registration statement(s) covering such Registrable Securities until the Buyer’s receipt (which may be accomplished through electronic delivery) of the copies of the filed supplemented or amended registration
statement and/or prospectus contemplated by Section 3(f) or the first sentence of Section 3(e). In addition, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the kind described in the first sentence of Section 3(e), the Buyer will
immediately discontinue purchases or sales of any securities of the Company unless such purchases or sales are in compliance with applicable U.S. securities laws. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Company shall cause its Transfer Agent
to deliver as promptly as practicable Securities without any restrictive legend in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which the Buyer has received a Purchase
Notice or VWAP Purchase Notice (both as defined in the Purchase Agreement) prior to the Buyer’s receipt of a notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f) or the first sentence of
Section 3(e) and for which the Buyer has not yet settled. 

  
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	 	5.	 EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION. 

All reasonable expenses of the Company, other than sales or brokerage commissions and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Buyer, incurred
in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Sections 2 and 3, including, without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, and fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Company, shall be paid by the Company. 
  

	 	6.	 INDEMNIFICATION. 

a. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Buyer, each Person, if
any, who controls the Buyer, the members, the directors, officers, partners, employees, agents, representatives of the Buyer and each Person, if any, who controls the Buyer within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the “1934 Act”) (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any third party losses, claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, amounts paid
in settlement (with the prior consent of the Company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) or reasonable expenses, (collectively, “Claims”) reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim,
suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency or body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is
or may be a party thereto (“Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon:
(i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact in the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or in any filing made in connection with the qualification of the
offering under the securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered (“Blue Sky Filing”), or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment
thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not
misleading, or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other law, including, without limitation, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder relating to the offer or sale of
the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being, collectively, “Violations”). The Company shall reimburse each
Indemnified Person promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any reasonable legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (A) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by the Buyer or such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any such amendment thereof or supplement
thereto, if such prospectus was timely made available by the Company; (B) with respect to any superseded prospectus, shall not inure to the benefit of any such person from whom the person asserting any such Claim purchased the Registrable
Securities that are the subject thereof (or to the benefit of any other Indemnified Person) if the untrue statement or omission of material fact contained in the superseded 

  
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prospectus was corrected in the revised prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, if such revised prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c) or
Section 3(e), and the Indemnified Person was promptly advised in writing not to use the incorrect prospectus prior to the use giving rise to a violation; (C) shall not be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the
Buyer to deliver, or to cause to be delivered, the prospectus made available by the Company, if such prospectus was theretofore made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 3(e); and (D) shall not apply to amounts
paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Buyer pursuant to Section 9. 

b. In connection with the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement or prospectus, the Buyer agrees to indemnify, hold harmless
and defend, to the same extent and in the same manner as is set forth in Section 6(a), the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement, each Person, if any,
who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act (collectively and together with an Indemnified Person, an “Indemnified Party”), against any Claim or Indemnified Damages to which any of them may become
subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim or Indemnified Damages arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information about the Buyer set forth on Exhibit B attached hereto or updated from time to time in writing by the Buyer and furnished to the Company by the Buyer expressly for use in the Registration Statement
or any New Registration Statement or from the failure of the Buyer to deliver or to cause to be delivered the prospectus made available by the Company, if such prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c) or
Section 3(e); and, subject to Section 6(d), the Buyer will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement
contained in this Section 6(b) and the agreement with respect to contribution contained in Section 7 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Buyer,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, further, however, that the Buyer shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim or Indemnified Damages as does not exceed the net proceeds to the Buyer as a
result of the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration statement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer
of the Registrable Securities by the Buyer pursuant to Section 9. 
 c. Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be
made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying
party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the case may
be, and upon such notice, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party in connection with the defense
thereof; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (together with all other Indemnified Persons and Indemnified Parties that may be represented without 

  
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conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the
indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person shall cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the
indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or
Indemnified Person fully apprised as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its written consent,
provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person, consent to entry of any judgment or
enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or
litigation. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter
for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified
Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action. 

d. The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the
investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred. Any person receiving a payment pursuant to this Section 6 which person is later determined to not be entitled to such payment shall return such
payment (including reimbursement of expenses) to the person making it. 
 e. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition
to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law. 

 

	 	7.	 CONTRIBUTION. 

To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum
contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in
amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities. 

  
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	 	8.	 REPORTS AND DISCLOSURE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACTS. 

With a view to making available to the Buyer the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act or any other similar rule or regulation of
the SEC that may at any time permit the Buyer to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration (“Rule 144”), the Company agrees, at the Company’s sole expense, to: 

a. use its reasonable best efforts to make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144; 

b. use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the
1933 Act and the 1934 Act so long as the Company remains subject to such requirements and the filing of such reports and other documents is required to satisfy the current public information requirements of Rule 144; 

c. furnish to the Buyer so long as the Buyer owns Registrable Securities, as promptly as practicable at Buyer’s request, (i) a
written statement by the Company that it has complied in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 144(c)(1)(i) and (ii), and (ii) such other information, if any, as may be reasonably requested to permit the Buyer to sell such
securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration; and 
 d. take such additional action as is reasonably requested by the Buyer to enable
the Buyer to sell the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144, including, without limitation, delivering all such legal opinions, consents, certificates, resolutions and instructions to the Company’s Transfer Agent as may be reasonably
requested from time to time by the Buyer and otherwise provide reasonable cooperation to the Buyer and the Buyer’s broker to effect such sale of securities pursuant to Rule 144. 

The Company agrees that damages may be an inadequate remedy for any breach of the terms and provisions of this Section 8 and that Buyer
shall, whether or not it is pursuing any remedies at law, be entitled to seek equitable relief in the form of a preliminary or permanent injunctions, without having to post any bond or other security, upon any breach or threatened breach of any such
terms or provisions. 
  

	 	9.	 ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. 

The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Buyer; provided,
however, that any transaction, whether by merger, reorganization, restructuring, consolidation, financing or otherwise, whereby the Company remains the surviving entity immediately after such transaction shall not be deemed an assignment. The Buyer
may not assign its rights under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company. 
  

	 	10.	 AMENDMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. 

Provisions of this Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either
retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Company and the Buyer. 

  
 10 

 11. MISCELLANEOUS. 

a. Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in
writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file
by the sending party); (iii) upon receipt, when sent by electronic message (provided the recipient responds to the message and confirmation of both electronic messages are kept on file by the sending party); or (iv) one (1) Business Day after
timely deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall be: 

 

					
	 If to the Company:

		
		 	Mereo Biopharma Group plc
		 	4th Floor
		 	One Cavendish Place
		 	London W1G 0QF
		 	United Kingdom
		 	Telephone:	  	+44 33 3023 7300
		 	Facsimile:
		 	Attention:	  	General Counsel
		 	Email:	  	legal@mereobiopharma.com
	
	 With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

		
		 	Mayer Brown LLP
		 	1221 Avenue of the Americas
		 	New York, NY 10020
		 	Telephone:	  	1 212-506-2500
		 	Facsimile:	  	1 212-262-1910
		 	Attention:	  	David Bakst
		 	Email:	  	DBakst@mayerbrown.com
		
		 	and
		
		 	Mayer Brown International LLP
		 	201 Bishopsgate
		 	London EC2M 2AF
		 	United Kingdom
		 	Telephone:	  	+44 20 3130 3000
		 	Facsimile:	  	+44 20 3130 3001
		 	Attention:	  	Richard Smith
		 	Email:	  	RSmith@mayerbrown.com
	
	 If to the Buyer:

		
		 	Aspire Capital Fund, LLC
		 	155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1600
		 	Chicago, IL 60606    

  
 11 

					
		 	Telephone: 1 312-658-0400
	                	 	Facsimile: 1 312-658-4005
		 	Attention: Steven G. Martin
		 	Email: smartin@aspirecapital.com
	
	 With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

		
		 	 Morrison & Foerster LLP

2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 6000

		 	Washington, DC 20006
		 	Telephone: 1 202-778-1611
		 	Facsimile: 1 202-887-0763
		 	Attention: Martin P. Dunn, Esq.
		 	Email: mdunn@mofo.com

 or at such other address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has
specified by written notice given to each other party at least one (1) Business Day prior to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other
communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s facsimile machine containing the time, date, and recipient facsimile number, (C) electronically generated by the sender’s electronic mail containing the
time, date and recipient email address or (D) provided by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, shall be rebuttable evidence of receipt in accordance with clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, respectively. Any party to this
Agreement may give any notice or other communication hereunder using any other means (including messenger service, ordinary mail or electronic mail), but no such notice or other communication shall be deemed to have been duly given unless it
actually is received by the party for whom it is intended. 
 b. No failure or delay in the exercise of any power, right or privilege
hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privilege. 

c. The corporate laws of England and Wales shall govern all issues concerning the relative rights of the Company and its stockholders. All
other questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule
(whether of the State of Illinois or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of Illinois. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and
federal courts sitting in the City of Chicago for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any
suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper.
Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and
agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If any provision of this
Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of

  
 12 

 
any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY
DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. 
 d. This
Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the other Transaction Documents constitute the entire understanding among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or
undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein and therein. This Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the other Transaction Documents supersede all other prior oral or written agreements between the Buyer, the Company,
their affiliates and persons acting on their behalf with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. 
 e. Subject to the requirements
of Section 9, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the permitted successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto. 

f. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.

 g. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and
shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon
the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature. 

h. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such
other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. 

i. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rules of
strict construction will be applied against any party. 
 j. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person. 

* * * * * 

  
 13 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be
duly executed as of day and year first above written. 
  

			
	THE COMPANY:
	
	MEREO BIOPHARMA GROUP PLC
		
	By:	 	 /s/ Denise Scots-Knight, Ph.D.

	Name: Denise Scots-Knight, Ph.D.
	Title:   Chief Executive Officer
	
	BUYER:
	
	ASPIRE CAPITAL FUND, LLC
	BY: ASPIRE CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
	BY:	 	SGM HOLDINGS CORP.
		
	By:	 	 /s/ Steven G. Martin

	Name: Steven G. Martin
	Title:   PresidentExhibit

Exhibit 4.9

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
General Dynamics Corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended:  our common stock, par value $1.00 per share.
The general terms and provisions of our common stock are summarized below.  This summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by express reference to, the provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation (our “Charter”) and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (our “Bylaws”), each of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit is a part, and each of which may be amended from time to time.  We encourage you to read our Charter and Bylaws and the applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”) for additional information.
Authorized Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share.
Our board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) has authority at any time and from time to time to issue preferred stock of any series and, in connection with the creation of each such series, to fix the voting powers (if any), the designation, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of such series to the full extent permitted by our Charter and the laws of the State of Delaware.
Dividends
Subject to any preferential rights of the holders of any then-outstanding shares of any series of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive such dividends, if any, as from time to time may be declared by our Board of Directors.  The declaration of dividends on our common stock is a business decision to be made by our Board of Directors in its discretion from time to time based upon our results of operations and financial condition, the provisions of the DGCL affecting the payment of dividends and distributions to stockholders and any other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Voting Rights
Subject to the provisions of any applicable law or the resolution or resolutions of our Board of Directors providing for the issue of any series of preferred stock, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock shall exclusively possess voting power for the election of directors and for all other purposes, with each holder of record of shares of our common stock being entitled to one vote for each share of common stock standing in its name.  Our Charter 

does not provide for cumulative voting for the election of directors.  Under our Bylaws, all matters other than the election of directors shall be decided by the affirmative vote of a majority in voting power of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on such matters at a meeting at which a quorum is present, except as otherwise required by applicable law, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Company or any regulation applicable to the Company or its securities. 
Subject to any rights of the holders of any then-outstanding shares of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, each director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present.  However, if as of the 10th day preceding the date the Company first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders of the Company the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast, whether or not such election becomes an uncontested election after such date.  A “majority of the votes cast” shall mean that the number of shares cast “for” a director’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that director’s election.
Liquidation
In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, after payment in full of the preferential amounts, if any, to be distributed to the holders of any then-outstanding shares of preferred stock having a preference over our common stock, the holders of our common stock shall be entitled to share, ratably according to the number of shares of common stock held by them, in all remaining assets of the Company available for distribution to our stockholders.
Preemptive or Other Rights
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive rights to purchase or subscribe for any shares of our common stock, and there are no conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.
Fully Paid and Nonassessable
All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and not liable to any further call or assessments by us.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions
Our Charter, our Bylaws and the DGCL contain certain provisions that could delay or make more difficult an acquisition of control of us that is not approved by our Board of Directors, whether by means of a tender offer, open-market purchases, a proxy contest or otherwise.  These provisions could have the effect of discouraging third parties from making proposals involving an acquisition or change of control of us, even though such a proposal, if made, might be considered desirable by a majority of our stockholders.  These provisions also may have the effect of making it more difficult for third parties to cause the replacement of our 

current management without the concurrence of our Board of Directors.  Set forth below is a description of various provisions contained in our Charter, our Bylaws and the DGCL that could impede or delay an acquisition of control of us that our Board of Directors has not approved.  This description is intended as a summary only and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Charter and our Bylaws, as well as the DGCL.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL.  In general, Section 203 provides that a Delaware corporation with a class of voting stock listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders may not engage in various business combination transactions with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder unless:
		
	•
	the Board of Directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder prior to the time that stockholder became an interested stockholder;

		
	•
	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, shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) by certain employee stock plans); 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 by the affirmative vote of at least 662⁄3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

In general, a “business combination” is broadly defined to include (i) any merger or consolidation of the corporation or any of its direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiaries with the interested stockholder; (ii) any sale, lease or other disposition (except proportionally as a stockholder of the corporation) to or with the interested stockholder of assets of the corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the corporation, which assets have a market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market of all of the assets of the corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the corporation; (iii) subject to certain exceptions, any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation or by any of its direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiaries of any stock of the corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder; (iv) subject to certain exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation or any of its direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiaries which has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder; and (v) subject to certain exceptions, any receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a 

stockholder of such corporation), of any loans, advances or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.  In general, an “interested stockholder” is any person (other than the corporation and any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at any time within the 3-year period immediately prior to the date of determination, and the affiliates and associates of such person.
The DGCL permits a corporation to “opt out” of, or choose not to be governed by, the restrictions in Section 203 of the DGCL by expressly stating so in its original certificate of incorporation (or in a subsequent amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its stockholders).  However, neither our Charter nor our Bylaws contains a provision electing to opt out of Section 203.
Advance Notice Requirements
Stockholders wishing to nominate persons for election to our Board of Directors at an annual meeting or to propose any business to be considered by our stockholders at an annual meeting must comply with certain advance notice and other procedures and requirements set forth in our Bylaws.  Likewise, if our Board of Directors has (or if stockholders, in compliance with certain provisions of our Bylaws, have) determined that one or more directors shall be elected at a special meeting of stockholders, stockholders wishing to nominate persons for election to our Board of Directors at such special meeting must comply with certain advance notice and other procedures and requirements set forth in our Bylaws.
Proxy Access
Our Bylaws contain “proxy access” provisions which give a qualified stockholder or group of stockholders the right to include up to a specified number of director nominees in our proxy materials for an annual meeting of stockholders, subject to various requirements and restrictions specified in our Bylaws.  To qualify, the stockholder (or group of up to twenty stockholders) must have owned 3% or more of the Company’s outstanding capital stock continuously for at least three years as of the date the written notice of a nomination is delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary of the Company and as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and must continue to own such required shares through the annual meeting date.  The maximum number of stockholder nominees permitted under the proxy access provisions of our Bylaws with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders is generally the largest whole number that does not exceed 20% of the number of our directors in office as of the last day on which notice of a nomination may be delivered under our Bylaws.
To be timely, notice of a nomination under our proxy access provisions, together with other required information, representations and agreements specified in our Bylaws, must be submitted to the Secretary of the Company at our principal executive offices within certain timeframes specified in our Bylaws.

Special Meetings
Pursuant to the DGCL, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the Board of Directors or by any other person authorized to do so in our Charter or Bylaws.  Our Bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may only be called by our Board of Directors or the Chairman of our Board of Directors.  However, our Bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders shall be called by our Board of Directors upon the receipt by the Secretary of the Company of a written request for the Board of Directors to call a special meeting by one stockholder of record owning at least 10% or one or more stockholders of record of shares representing in the aggregate at least 25% in each case of the combined voting power of the then outstanding shares of all classes and series of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote on the matter or matters to be brought before the proposed special meeting, voting as a single class.  A special meeting request must contain certain information specified in our Bylaws.
Number of Directors; Board Vacancies
Our Bylaws provide that the number of directors shall be not less than 5 nor more than 15, as shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors pursuant to a vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office.  Vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by a vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.  Each director so appointed shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders, until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s earlier death, removal or resignation.
Additional Authorized Shares of Capital Stock
The additional shares of authorized common stock and preferred stock available for issuance under our Charter could be issued at such times, under such circumstances and with such terms and conditions as to impede a change in control.
Amendments to Bylaws
Under our Charter and Bylaws, our Board of Directors has the authority to adopt, alter, amend or repeal our Bylaws.  Our stockholders may also adopt, alter, amend or repeal our Bylaws at any meeting by the requisite vote of our stockholders.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “GD.”
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare.

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