Item
14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we shall indemnify, to the fullest extent authorized by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, each person who is involved in any litigation or other proceeding because such person is or was a director
or officer of Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or is or was serving as an officer or director of another entity at our request, against
all expense, loss or liability reasonably incurred or suffered in connection therewith. Our amended and restated certificate of
incorporation provides that the right to indemnification includes the right to be paid expenses incurred in defending any proceeding
in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that such advance payment will only be made upon delivery to us of an
undertaking, by or on behalf of the director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that
such director is not entitled to indemnification. If we do not pay a proper claim for indemnification in full within 30 days after
we receive a written claim for such indemnification, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws authorize the claimant to
bring an action against us and prescribe what constitutes a defense to such action.
Section
145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to indemnify any director or officer of the corporation against
expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in
connection with any action, suit or proceeding brought by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer
of the corporation, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to,
the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if he or she had no reason to believe
his or her conduct was unlawful. In a derivative action, (
i.e
., one brought by or on behalf of the corporation), indemnification
may be provided only for expenses actually and reasonably incurred by any director or officer in connection with the defense or
settlement of such an action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed to
be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be provided if such person
shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action or
suit was brought shall determine that the defendant is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses despite such
adjudication of liability.
Pursuant
to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation eliminates the liability of a director
to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for such a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liabilities arising:
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from
any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
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from
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
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under
Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law; or
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from
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
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We
carry insurance policies insuring our directors and officers against certain liabilities that they may incur in their capacity
as directors and officers.
In
addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and executive officers. These agreements
require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise
by reason of their service to us and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they
could be indemnified. We also intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our future directors and executive officers.
Item
15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
In
the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement, we have issued the following securities that were not registered
under the Securities Act. The following issuances have been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-7.15 reverse stock split of our common
stock. Preferred share issuances referred to below are as of their date of issuance. The preferred stock described below converted
into shares of our common stock on a 7.15-for-1 basis prior to the closing of our initial public offering.
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(a)
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Issuances
of Capital Stock
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On
December 4, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 1,149,397 shares of our Series C Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate
of 160,754 shares of our common stock to certain investors, including Javelin and Javelin SPV, in the Initial Series C Closing
pursuant to the Series C Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement. The aggregate purchase price paid by the investors was approximately
$1.31 million (consisting of cash and cancellation of certain promissory notes issued in 2014, as described below).
On
December 8, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 1,833,927 shares of our Series C Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate
of 256,493 shares of our common stock to Javelin SPV in our Second Series C Closing pursuant to the Series C Preferred Stock Purchase
Agreement. The aggregate purchase price paid by Javelin was approximately $2.39 million.
On
December 19, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 7,692 shares of our Series C Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate
of 1,075 shares of our common stock to one investor in our Third Series C Closing pursuant to the Series C Preferred Stock Purchase
Agreement. The aggregate purchase price paid by the investor was $10,007.
As
consideration for Ricerche Sperimentali Montale SpA, or RSM, entering into Amendment No. 2 to the Clinical Supply and Cooperation
Agreement, on November 30, 2015, we issued 100,000 shares of common stock to RSM pursuant to a stock purchase agreement, dated
as of November 30, 2015.
On
December 18, 2015, we entered into the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the 2015 Purchase Agreement, with Aspire Capital
Fund, LLC, or Aspire Capital, which provided that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth
in the agreement, Aspire Capital was committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $10.0 million shares of our common stock
over the 30-month term of the agreement. Pursuant to the terms of this agreement, Aspire Capital purchased 500,000 shares of our
common stock at $2.00 per share and we issued 188,864 shares of our common stock to Aspire Capital in consideration for entering
into the agreement. Through December 9, 2016, we issued 1,577,699 shares of our common stock to Aspire Capital under the 2015
Purchase Agreement for proceeds of approximately $3.0 million.
On
May 4, 2017, we terminated the 2015 Purchase Agreement and entered into a new Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the 2017 Purchase
Agreement, with Aspire Capital. As a condition to the 2017 Purchase Agreement, we issued 137,324 shares of our common stock to
Aspire Capital as a commitment fee.
Except
with respect to the Aspire Capital transaction, no underwriters were used in the foregoing transactions. The securities described
above were issued and sold in reliance on the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or
Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. Each of the purchasers in these transactions represented to us
in connection with its purchase that it was acquiring the securities for investment and not for distribution and that it could
bear the risks of the investment. Each purchaser received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under
the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from registration.
All of the foregoing securities were deemed restricted securities for the purposes of the Securities Act, except for the securities
that have been issued to or will be issued to Aspire Capital, which are being registered for sale by Aspire Capital in this prospectus.
We
issued two subordinated convertible notes with principal amounts of $25,000 and $350,000 on May 23, 2014, an $80,000 principal
amount subordinated convertible note on September 8, 2014, and an $80,000 principal amount subordinated convertible note on October
20, 2014, which notes bore interest at a rate of 8% per annum until paid in full. Each of these notes was converted into shares
of Series C preferred stock in the Series C Financing.
In
addition, we issued a $70,000 principal amount unsecured promissory note on October 9, 2014. This note bore interest at a rate
of 5% per annum until paid in full. This note was converted into shares of Series C preferred stock in the Series C Financing.
No
underwriters were used in the foregoing transactions. The securities described above were issued and sold in reliance on the exemptions
from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities
Act. Each of the purchasers in these transactions represented to us in connection with its purchase that it was acquiring the
securities for investment and not for distribution and that it could bear the risks of the investment. Each purchaser received
written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant
to a registration statement or an available exemption from registration. All of the foregoing securities were deemed restricted
securities for the purposes of the Securities Act.
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(c)
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Grants and Exercises of Stock Options
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From
January 1, 2014 to October 30, 2015, we granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 1,824,541 shares of our common stock
to employees and non-employees pursuant to our stock plans, with 1,230,365 of such stock options having an exercise price of
$5.86 per share, 280,088 of such stock options having an exercise price of $9.30 per share, 280,088 of such stock options
having an exercise price of $13.23 per share, and 34,000 of such stock options having an exercise price of $2.25
per share.
As
described in the section entitled ‘Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End,’ we also granted an option to Michael
Step on December 2, 2014 for a number of shares of common stock as would, together with the 646,537 shares subject to the option
granted to Mr. Step on December 2, 2014, represent in the aggregate 7.5% of the shares of common stock deemed to be outstanding
on a fully-diluted basis as of the date that we raised in the aggregate a minimum of $15,000,000 in one or more private
and/or public offerings, or a Qualified Financing, after giving effect to (i) the issuance of the shares issued in the Qualified
Financing, (ii) the issuance of this option, and (iii) any adjustments. This option became exercisable upon the closing of our
initial public offering on June 29, 2015. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the option is exercisable for a total of 163,799
shares of our common stock, which, together with the shares subject to an option granted to Mr. Step on December 2, 2014 to purchase
646,537 shares, represents 7.5% of the shares of common stock deemed to be outstanding at June 29, 2015 on a fully-diluted basis,
after giving effect to the number of shares subject to this option.
No
underwriters were used in the foregoing transactions. The securities were issued in reliance on the exemptions from registration
provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act as a transaction
pursuant to a compensatory benefit plan or contract relating to compensation. Each purchaser received written disclosures that
the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant to a registration statement
or an available exemption from registration. All of the foregoing securities were deemed restricted securities for the purposes
of the Securities Act.
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(d)
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Prepaid
Forward Sale of Preferred Stock
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On
November 30, 2010, we concurrently entered into a Research and Development Agreement & License, or the R&D Agreement,
and a Put and Call Option Agreement, or the KPM Option Agreement, with two commonly controlled entities, Kolu Pohaku Technologies,
LLC, or KPT, and Kolu Pohaku Management, LLC, or KPM. The agreement was subsequently amended on, July 6, 2011, September 30, 2011,
February 6, 2012 and November 4, 2013 to increase the funding received by us.
Pursuant
to the terms of the KPM Option Agreement, we had the right to put to KPM and KPM had the right to call from us 1,469,994 shares
of our Series B preferred stock at any time after December 31, 2014. The number of shares was determined by dividing the $1,750,000
of payments made by KPT to us under the R&D Agreement by the Series B preferred stock original issue price of $1.19
per share. On March 26, 2015, we exercised our right to put the KPM Option and issued 1,469,994 shares of Series B preferred stock
to KPM.