Peregrine PRE14A 10-24-05
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)
of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment
No. )
Filed
by
the Registrant ý
Filed
by
a Party other than the Registrant ¨
Check
the
appropriate box:
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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Definitive
Proxy Statement
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Definitive
Additional Materials
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Soliciting
Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-11(c) or §
240.14a-12
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PEREGRINE
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
N/A
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and
0-11.
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(1) |
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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(2) |
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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(3)
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
filing fee
is calculated and state how it was
determined):
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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(4) |
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Fee
previously paid by written preliminary
materials.
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Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was
paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
number,
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
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(1) |
Amount
previously paid:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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(2) |
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
August
[ ], 2005
Dear
Stockholder:
You
are
cordially invited to attend our annual meeting of stockholders on Monday,
October 24, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. PST at the Irvine Marriott Hotel in Irvine,
California.
This
booklet includes the Notice of Annual Meeting and the Proxy Statement. The
Proxy
Statement describes the business to be transacted at the meeting and provides
other information about the company that you should know when you vote your
shares.
Your
vote
is very important. Instructions for voting appear on the proxy card or the
voting instruction form. Please review the instructions on the proxy card or
the
voting instruction form forwarded by your bank, broker or other holder of record
regarding each of these voting options.
In
addition to the formal business to be transacted, management will make a
presentation on developments of the past year and respond to comments and
questions of general interest to stockholders.
We
hope
you will be able to attend the meeting and we look forward to seeing you on
Monday, October 24th.
Sincerely
yours,
STEVEN
W.
KING
President
& Chief Executive Officer
14272
Franklin Avenue● l Tustin,
California 92780 l (714)
508-6000 l Fax
(714) 838-9433
Notice
of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Notice
is
hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held at the Irvine
Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, California 92612 on Monday, October
24, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, for the following purposes as
set
forth in the accompanying Proxy Statement:
· |
To
elect five directors to our Board of Directors,
each for a term of one-year;
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· |
To
ratify the Audit Committee’s appointment
of
Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting
firm for
fiscal year 2006;
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· |
To
approve a proposed amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation
to
increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock by
50,000,000;
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· |
To
approve the adoption of our 2005 Stock Incentive
Plan;
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· |
To
consider two stockholder proposals, if presented at the meeting;
and
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· |
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting
or
any adjournment thereof.
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Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on August 26, 2005 will
be
entitled to vote at the meeting.
This
Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card are being distributed on or about
September 9, 2005.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors,
PAUL
J.
LYTLE
Chief
Financial Officer and
Corporate
Secretary
August
[
], 2005
Tustin,
California
PLEASE
SUBMIT A PROXY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOUR SHARES CAN BE VOTED AT THE
ANNUAL MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE REFER TO THE
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD OR THE INFORMATION FORWARDED BY YOUR BROKER,
BANK
OR OTHER HOLDER OF RECORD FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON VOTING. EVEN IF YOU
HAVE
VOTED YOUR PROXY, YOU MAY STILL VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU ATTEND THE MEETING. PLEASE
NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT IF YOUR SHARES ARE HELD OF RECORD BY A BROKER, BANK OR
OTHER
NOMINEE AND YOU WISH TO VOTE IN PERSON AT THE MEETING, YOU MUST OBTAIN A LEGAL
PROXY ISSUED IN YOUR NAME FROM SUCH BROKER, BANK OR OTHER NOMINEE.
PROXY
STATEMENT
GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND
VOTING
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Your
vote is very important.
For this
reason, the Board of Directors of Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (referred to as “we,”“us,”“our,” “Company,”
or “Peregrine”),
is
soliciting your proxy to vote your shares of Common Stock at the Annual Meeting
of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), or at any continuation, postponement or
adjournment thereof, for the purposes discussed in this Proxy Statement and
in
the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting and any business properly brought
before the Annual Meeting.
Why
am I receiving these materials?
Proxies
are solicited to give all stockholders of record an opportunity to vote on
matters properly presented at the Annual Meeting. This Proxy Statement is being
sent to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 26,
2005 in connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Board
of
Directors for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on October 24, 2005.
We
intend to mail this Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card on or about
September 9, 2005 to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Our
Financial Information
The
Annual Report to Stockholders of the Company for the fiscal year ended
April 30, 2005, including audited consolidated financial statements,
has
been mailed to the stockholders concurrently herewith, but such report is not
incorporated in this Proxy Statement and is not deemed to be a part of the
proxy
solicitation material.
Who
is eligible to vote?
Stockholders
of Peregrine, as recorded in our stock register at the close of business on
August 26, 2005, can vote at the Annual Meeting. Each share of Peregrine's
Common Stock is entitled to one vote. As of August 26, 2005, there were [______]
shares of our Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote.
How
do I vote?
There
are
four ways to vote by proxy:
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(1)
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by
mail;
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(2)
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by
telephone;
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(3)
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via
the Internet; or
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(4)
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in
person at the Annual
Meeting.
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If
you
choose to vote by mail, mark your proxy card enclosed with the Proxy Statement,
date and sign it, and mail it in the postage-paid envelope. If you vote by
telephone or via the Internet, please do not return a signed proxy card. We
recommend you vote by proxy even if you plan to attend the meeting. You can
always change your vote at the Annual Meeting. Please note, however, that if
your shares are held of record by a broker, bank, or other nominee and you
wish
to vote in person at the meeting, you must obtain a legal proxy issued in your
name from such broker, bank or other nominee.
Who
pays the cost of proxy solicitation?
Our
Board of Directors is soliciting the enclosed proxy. We will make proxy
solicitations by electronic or regular mail and we will bear the costs of this
solicitation. We will request banks, brokerage houses, nominees and other
fiduciaries nominally holding shares of our Common Stock to forward the proxy
soliciting materials to the beneficial owners of such Common Stock and to obtain
authorization for the execution of proxies. We will, upon request, reimburse
such parties for their reasonable expenses in forwarding proxy materials to
the
beneficial owners. In the event we decide to hire a service to solicit proxies,
we would expect such service to cost less than $10,000 plus reasonable and
approved out-of-pocket expenses.
What
is a proxy?
Giving
us
your proxy means you authorize us to vote your shares at the meeting in the
manner you direct. You may vote for all, some or none of our director
candidates. You may also vote for or against the other proposals or abstain
from
voting.
How
do I specify how I want my shares voted?
If
you
are a registered stockholder, you can specify how you want your shares voted
on
each proposal by marking the appropriate boxes on the proxy card. Please review
the voting instructions on the proxy card and read the entire text of the
proposals and the positions of the Board of Directors in the Proxy Statement
prior to marking your vote.
If
your
proxy card is signed and returned without specifying a vote or an abstention
on
a proposal, it will be voted according to the recommendation of the Board of
Directors on that proposal. That recommendation is shown for each proposal
on
the proxy card.
How
do I vote if I am a beneficial stockholder?
If
you
are a beneficial stockholder, you have the right to direct your broker or
nominee on how to vote the shares. You should complete a Voting Instruction
Card
which your broker or nominee is obligated to provide you. If you wish to vote
in
person at the meeting, you must first obtain from the record holder a proxy
issued in your name.
What
are the Board of Directors’ voting recommendations?
For
the
reasons set forth in more detail later in the Proxy Statement, our Board of
Directors recommends that you vote:
FOR
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·
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the
election of our five directors;
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·
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the
ratification of the Audit Committee’s appointment of Ernst & Young LLP
as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal
year
2006;
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·
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the
approval of the amendment to our Certificate of
Incorporation;
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·
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the
adoption of our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan;
and
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AGAINST
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·
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the
two stockholder proposals
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Can
I revoke a proxy?
To
revoke
your proxy if you are a stockholder of record, you must advise our Secretary
in
writing before the meeting, deliver a validly executed proxy with a later date
that we receive prior to the meeting, or attend the meeting and vote your shares
in person. You may revoke your proxy at any time before your shares are voted.
Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not, by itself, revoke a
proxy.
What
is a quorum?
In
order
to carry on the business of the meeting, we must have a quorum. This means
that
at least a majority of the outstanding shares eligible to vote must be present
at the meeting, either by proxy or in person. Abstentions and broker non-votes
are counted as present at the meeting for determining whether we have a quorum.
A broker non-vote occurs when a broker returns a proxy but does not vote on
a
particular proposal because the broker does not have discretionary voting power
for that particular item and has not received voting instructions from the
beneficial owner.
How
many votes are needed to have the proposals pass?
Directors
will be elected by a favorable vote of a plurality of the shares of Common
Stock
present and entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting.
Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes as to the election of directors
will not be counted in determining which nominees received the largest number
of
votes cast.
In
order
for the remaining management proposals and stockholder proposals to pass, the
affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy
and
entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required. Only proxies and ballots
indicating votes “FOR,”“AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” on the proposals or providing the
designated proxies with the right to vote in their judgment and discretion
on
the proposals are counted to determine the number of shares present and entitled
to vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the result of the vote although
they will count toward the presence of a quorum. Abstentions as to the proposal
will have the same effect as votes against a proposal.
How
are the votes counted?
All votes will be tabulated by the inspector of election appointed for the
Annual Meeting who will separately tabulate affirmative and negative votes
and
abstentions. Any information that identifies a stockholder or the particular
vote of a stockholder is kept confidential.
What
is “Householding” of annual meeting materials?
Some
banks, brokers and other nominee record holders may be "householding" our proxy
statements and annual reports. This means that only one copy of our proxy
statement and annual report to stockholders may have been sent to multiple
stockholders in your household. We will promptly deliver a separate copy of
either document to you if you call or write us at our principal executive
offices, 14272 Franklin Avenue, Tustin, California, 92780, Attn: Investor
Relations, telephone: (714) 508-6000. If you want to receive separate
copies of the proxy statement or annual report to stockholders in the future,
or
if you are receiving multiple copies and would like to receive only one copy
per
household, you should contact your bank, broker, or other nominee record holder,
or you may contact us at the above address and telephone
number.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS
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Share
Ownership
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of our Common Stock as of August 15, 2005, by: (i) each
entity or person whom we know to own beneficially more than five percent (5%)
of
our Common Stock; (ii) each director and director nominee; (iii) our
Chief
Executive Officer and our other Named Executive Officer for the year ended
April
30, 2005; and (iv) all directors, director nominees, and Named Executive
Officers of the Company as a group. Unless otherwise noted below, the persons
named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all
shares of Common Stock shown as beneficially owned by them, subject to community
property laws where applicable.
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Beneficial
Ownership of
Common
Stock
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Name
of Beneficial Owner
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Number
of Shares
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Percent
(A)
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Carlton
M. Johnson
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833,334
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(B)
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*
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Steven
W. King
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1,026,167
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(B)
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*
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David
H. Pohl
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100,000
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(B)
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*
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Eric
S. Swartz
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3,059,839
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(B)(C)
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1.84%
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Thomas
A. Waltz, M.D.
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100,000
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(B)
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*
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Paul
J. Lytle
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650,833
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(B)
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*
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Barclays
Global Investors
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8,026,453
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4.84%
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All
directors, director nominees and executive officers as a group
(6 persons)
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5,770,173
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(B)(C
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)
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3.41%
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__________________
* Less
than
1% of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock.
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(A)
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Percent
of Common Stock computed on the basis of 165,718,177 shares outstanding
at
August 15, 2005, plus shares that could be acquired through the exercise
of stock options that will become exercisable within 60 days of August
15,
2005, except for Barclays Global Investors, which information was
reported
as of June 30, 2005.
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(B)
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Includes
shares which the individuals shown above have the right to acquire
as of
August 15, 2005, or within 60 days thereafter, pursuant to
outstanding stock options as follows: Mr. Johnson - 833,334 shares;
Mr.
King - 1,024,167 shares; Mr. Pohl - 100,000 shares; Mr. Swartz -
583,334
shares; Dr. Waltz -
100,000 shares; and Mr. Lytle - 650,833 shares. Such shares are deemed
to
be outstanding in calculating the percentage ownership of such individual
(and the group), but are not deemed to be outstanding as to any other
person.
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(C)
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Includes
538,693 shares of Common Stock owned by Swartz Ventures, Inc. and
22,500
shares held in an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”) for the benefit of
Mr. Swartz. Mr. Swartz has sole control over Swartz Ventures, Inc.
and his
IRA.
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Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a)
of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers and directors, and persons
who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities (“Reporting
Persons”), to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC
and with The Nasdaq Stock Market. Reporting Persons are required by SEC
regulations to furnish us with copies of all forms they file pursuant to
Section 16(a). Based solely on our review of the copies of such reports
we
received, and written representations from certain Reporting Persons that no
other reports were required for those persons, to the best of our knowledge,
we
believe that during the year ended April 30, 2005, each of the Reporting Persons
met all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements.
PROPOSAL
NO. 1:
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ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
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The
first
proposal on the agenda for the Annual Meeting will be electing five incumbent
directors to serve until the next annual meeting or until their successors
are
elected. Unless authority to vote for directors has been withheld in the proxy,
the persons named in the enclosed proxy intend to vote at the Annual Meeting
FOR
the
election of the nominees presented below.
Under
Delaware law, the five nominees receiving the highest number of votes will
be
elected as directors at the Annual Meeting. As a result, proxies voted to
"Withhold Authority" and broker non-votes will have no practical
effect.
Each
of
the nominees is an incumbent director. Each of the nominees has consented to
serve as a director for the ensuing year. If any nominee becomes unavailable
to
serve for any reason before the election, then the enclosed proxy will be voted
for the election of such substitute nominee, if any, as shall be designated
by
the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has no reason to believe that
any
of the nominees will become unavailable to serve. The following is biographical
information for each nominee to serve until the 2006 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders.
Carlton
M. Johnson,
age 45,
has served as a director since November 3, 1999. Mr. Johnson currently serves
as
in-house legal counsel for Roswell Capital Partners, LLC and has served as
in-house legal counsel for Equiplace Securities, LLC and Swartz Investments,
LLC
since 1996. Mr. Johnson has been an active member of the Alabama State Bar
since
1986, the Florida Bar since 1988, and the State Bar of Georgia since 1997.
He
has been a shareholder in the Florida AV rated, Bar registered firm of Smith,
Sauer, DeMaria & Johnson and Vice President and President-Elect of the 600
member Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association. He also served on the Florida Bar
Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors. Mr. Johnson earned his degree in
History/Political Science at Auburn University and his Juris Doctor at Samford
University - Cumberland School of Law. Mr. Johnson also serves on the board
of
Patriot Scientific Corporation, a publicly traded company.
Steven
W. King,
age 41,
was elected a director on October 14, 2003. Since March 19, 2003, Mr. King
has
served as our President and Chief Executive Officer after performing in
positions of increased responsibility at the Company. From August 2002 to such
date, Mr. King served as Chief Operating Officer of Peregrine. >From February
2000 to August 2002, Mr. King served as our Vice President of Technology and
Product Development. Mr. King joined Peregrine in 1997 in the capacity of
Director of Research and Development. Mr. King was responsible for planning
and
launching our wholly-owned contract manufacturing subsidiary, Avid Bioservices,
Inc., in 2002. Mr. King has served as the President of Avid since its inception.
Mr. King was previously employed at Vascular Targeting Technologies, Inc.,
(formerly known as Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) a company we acquired in
1997, which held the rights to the Vascular Targeting Agent technology. Mr.
King
previously worked with Dr. Philip Thorpe, inventor of the Company’s VTA
technology, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
and
is a co-inventor on over 40 U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications
in
the Vascular Targeting Agent field. Mr. King received his Bachelors and Masters
degrees from Texas Tech. University in Cell and Molecular Biology.
David
H. Pohl,
age 68,
was elected a director on October 25, 2004. Mr. Pohl currently serves as the
President and CEO of Patriot Scientific Corporation, a position he has held
since June 2005, and has been a member of their board of directors since April
2001. Mr. Pohl also served as an officer of Patriot from January 2001 to March
2002. Mr. Pohl has been in the private practice of law counseling business
clients since 1997, and from 1995 to 1996 was Special Counsel to the Ohio
Attorney General. Previously, he was a senior attorney with a large U.S. law
firm, and held positions as a senior officer and general counsel in large
financial services corporations. Mr. Pohl earned a J.D. degree in 1962 from
the
Ohio State University College of Law, and also holds a B.S. in Administrative
Sciences from Ohio State.
Eric
S. Swartz,
age 49,
has served as a director since November 3, 1999. Mr. Swartz is the founder
and
President of Roswell Capital Partners, LLC and previous founder and President
of
Equiplace Securities, LLC. and Swartz Investments, LLC., a company he started
in
1993. Prior to 1993, Mr. Swartz was a Vice President at Bear Stearns & Co.
specializing in foreign institutional equity investments in U.S. securities.
Prior to that, Mr. Swartz was a Vice President with Oppenheimer & Co., where
he was involved in overseas placements of equity and debt for institutions
in
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Mr. Swartz
has approximately 20 years of experience in the securities business.
Thomas
A. Waltz, M.D.,
age 72,
was elected a director on October 25, 2004. Dr. Waltz is a neurosurgeon and
is
head of the Division of Neurosurgery of the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla,
California. Dr. Waltz was Chairman and CEO of the Scripps Clinic from 1991
to
2000 and President of the Scripps Clinic Medical Group from 1990 to 2000. During
his tenure as CEO of the Scripps Clinic, he was responsible for an organization
with 400 physicians, 1,200 employees and an operating budget of $350 million.
In
addition to his current clinical practice, he is on the Board of The Doctors
Company and the Premera Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska. The Doctors Company
is a mutual insurance company with $1 billion in assets providing medical
malpractice insurance to physicians. Premera is a not-for-profit Blue Cross
medical insurance provider insuring more than 1 million enrollees in Washington,
Alaska and Oregon. Dr. Waltz received his undergraduate degree from the
University of Cincinnati, his M.D. from Vanderbilt University, and his
neurosurgical training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He also had
training in Neurology at The National Hospital for Neurological Diseases in
London, England and Neuropathology at Oxford University.
Relationships
Among Directors or Executive Officers
There
are
no family relationships among any of the directors or executive officers of
the
Company.
Board
and Board Committee Matters
Our
business is managed under the direction of our Board of Directors pursuant
to
the Delaware General Corporation Law and our Bylaws. Our Board has
responsibility for establishing broad corporate policies and for the overall
performance of our Company. Our Board is kept advised of the Company’s business
through regular interaction with the Chief Executive Officer and other officers
of the Company and through reviewing materials provided to them and by
participating in Board and Board Committee meetings.
Independence. Our
Board of Directors has determined that each of the current directors, as well
as
those standing for re-election, are independent directors as defined by
applicable NASDAQ Stock Market standards governing the independence of
directors, except for Steven W. King, our President and Chief Executive Officer.
Committees
of the Board.
The
Board of Directors has three standing committees: The Audit Committee, the
Compensation Committee and the Nominating Committee. Each committee maintains
a
written charter approved by the Board of Directors. In addition, the Board
has
adopted a written Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Copies of the following
corporate governance documents are posted on our website at www.peregrineinc.com
(this
website address is not intended to function as a hyperlink, and the information
contained on the Company’s website is not intended to be a part of this Proxy
Statement): (1) Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics, (2) Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Charter of the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors, (3) Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Charter
of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and (4) Peregrine
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Charter of the Nominating Committee of the Board of
Directors. If you would like a printed copy of any of these corporate governance
documents, please send your request to Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
Attention: Corporate Secretary, 14272 Franklin Avenue, Tustin, California 92780.
Compensation
Committee.
The
primary purposes of the Compensation Committee (the "Committee") of the Board
of
Directors is to: (i) establish the compensation policy of Peregrine
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"); (ii) ensure that the compensation of
the
Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and other corporate officers of
the
Company enables it to attract and retain high-quality leadership and is
consistent with such policy; (iii) review the performance and development of
the
Company’s Chief Executive Officer and other corporate officers in achieving
Company goals and objectives and to assure that senior executives of the Company
are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with the strategy of the
Company; and (iv) produce an annual report on executive compensation for
inclusion in the Company's proxy statements, in accordance with applicable
rules
and regulations. The Compensation Committee held eight (8) meetings during
the
fiscal year ended April 30, 2005. The Committee’s members currently are Mr.
Carlton Johnson, Mr. David H. Pohl, and Dr. Thomas A. Waltz. Each of these
members is independent under NASDAQ listing standards currently in
effect.
Audit
Committee.
The
Audit Committee has the sole authority for the appointment, compensation and
oversight of the work of the independent auditors, and responsibility for
reviewing and discussing, prior to filing or issuance, with management and
the
independent auditors (when appropriate) the Company’s audited consolidated
financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The
Audit
Committee carries out its responsibilities in accordance with the terms of
its
charter. The Audit Committee met eight (8) times during the year ended April
30,
2005. The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors has determined that Mr.
Carlton M. Johnson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and is independent under the current
listing standards of NASDAQ. The Audit Committee meets the NASDAQ composition
requirements, including the requirements regarding financial literacy and
financial sophistication. The current Audit Committee members are Mr. Carlton
M.
Johnson, Mr. David H. Pohl, and Dr. Thomas A. Waltz. Each of these members
is
independent under NASDAQ listing standards currently in effect.
Nominating
Committee.
The
primary purpose of the Nominating Committee of the Board is to (i) make
recommendations to the Board regarding the size of the Board, (ii) make
recommendations to the Board regarding criteria for the selection of Director
nominees, (iii) identify and recommend to the Board for selection as Director
nominees individuals qualified to become members of the Board, including
stockholder recommendations, and (iv) recommend committee assignments to the
Board. The Nominating Committee met five (5) times during the year ended April
30, 2005. The Committee’s members are Mr. Carlton M. Johnson, Mr. David H. Pohl,
and Dr. Thomas A. Waltz. Each of these members is independent under NASDAQ
listing standards currently in effect.
Director
Compensation. Directors
who are also our employees receive no additional compensation for serving as
directors. Our directors who are not employees of Peregrine receive compensation
for their services as directors in the form of an annual retainer of $60,000,
payable in monthly installments of $5,000, a fee of $2,000 for each Board
meeting attended, whether in-person or telephonically, plus reimbursement for
travel expenses. In addition, effective March 1, 2005, each non-employee
director was also paid $2,000 for each additional company meeting attended
in
excess of four hours in length. Effective June 1, 2005, Mr. Johnson’s annual
retainer was increased to $120,000, payable in monthly installments of $10,000,
for his increased responsibilities as chairman of the audit committee and
increased time committed to the Company as required under the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act
of 2002. In addition, Mr. Johnson received consulting fees in the aggregate
amount of $24,583 for services provided from May 2004 through September 2004
beyond his duties as a non-employee director. We also paid Equiplace Securities,
LLC. aggregate consulting fees of $12,000 for business development services
provided by employees of Equiplace. Mr. Eric Swartz owns 50% of Equiplace
Securities LLC.
In
addition to the above, during fiscal year 2005, Mr. Pohl and Dr. Waltz received
the following option grants as newly elected directors in fiscal year 2005
with
an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our Common Stock on the
date
of grant:
|
Named
Director
|
Grant
Date
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Options Granted
|
Per
Share Exercise Price
|
|
Mr.
David H. Pohl |
10/26/2004
|
300,000
|
(1) |
$
1.15
|
|
|
3/8/2005
|
50,000
|
(2) |
$
1.44
|
|
Dr.
Thomas A. Waltz |
10/26/2004
|
300,000
|
(1) |
$
1.15
|
|
|
3/8/2005
|
50,000
|
(2) |
$
1.44
|
____________________________
(1)
Option vests one-third on the date of grant, one-third on October 26, 2005,
and
one-third on October 26, 2006.
(2)
Option vests one-half on October 26, 2005 and one-half on October 26, 2006.
Attendance
at the Annual Meeting
We
have
no policy requiring directors to attend annual meetings of stockholders, but
directors are encouraged to attend our annual meetings at which they stand
for
re-election.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR”
EACH NAMED NOMINEE.
PROPOSAL
NO. 2:
|
RATIFY
APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
|
The
next
proposal on the agenda for the Annual Meeting will be ratifying the Board's
appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's independent registered
public accounting firm for fiscal year 2006. Our Board of Directors, upon the
recommendation of its Audit Committee, has ratified the selection of Ernst
&
Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year
2006, subject to ratification by our stockholders. Ernst & Young LLP has
served in this capacity for each of the five (5) years ended April 30, 2005,
and
has reported on the Company's fiscal year 2005 consolidated financial
statements. During the five (5) fiscal years ended April 30, 2005, there were
no
disagreements between the Company and Ernst & Young LLP on any matter of
accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing
scope or procedure. The Audit Committee recommended to the Board that Ernst
& Young LLP be re-appointed for fiscal year 2006.
Representatives
of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be present at the meeting with the
opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are expected to
be
available to respond to appropriate questions.
Stockholder
ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s
independent auditors is not required by the Bylaws or otherwise. However, the
Board is submitting the selection of Ernst & Young LLP to the
stockholders for ratification as a matter of corporate practice. If the
stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider
whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the
Audit
Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different
independent accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee
determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company
and
its stockholders.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR”
THE RATIFICATION OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP.
Audit
and Non-Audit Fees
The
following summarizes aggregate fees for professional audit services rendered
by
Ernst & Young LLP during fiscal years ended April 30, 2005 and 2004:
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
$
|
388,000
|
|
$
|
131,000
|
|
|
Audit
Related
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
Tax
Fees
|
|
|
17,000
|
|
|
25,000
|
|
|
All
Other Fees
|
|
|
1,000
|
|
|
1,000
|
|
|
Total
Fees
|
|
$
|
406,000
|
|
$
|
157,000
|
|
Audit
Fees pertain to the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements for
fiscal year 2005 and 2004 and timely reviews of our quarterly consolidated
financial statements, consents, and review of documents filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including registration statements on
Form S-3 and Form S-8. In addition, fiscal year 2005 audit related fees included
attestation services relating to the report on our internal controls in
accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Tax
Fees
relate to tax compliance services rendered in the preparation of our tax
returns.
All
Other
Fees are attributable to the Company’s subscription to an Ernst & Young LLP
online service used for accounting research purposes for fiscal year 2005 and
2004.
Pre-Approval
Policy for Services Provided by our Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
The
Audit
Committee has established a policy to pre-approve all audit and permissible
non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting
firm
consistent with applicable SEC rules. From and after the effective date of
the
SEC rule requiring Audit Committee pre-approval of all audit and permissible
non-audit services provided by an independent registered public accounting
firm,
the Audit Committee has pre-approved all audit and permissible non-audit
services provided by Ernst & Young LLP.
Ernst
& Young LLP did not perform any professional services with respect to
information systems design and implementation for the years ended April 30,
2005
and 2004. The Audit Committee has considered whether the Audit, Tax and All
Other services provided by Ernst & Young LLP are compatible with maintaining
that firm’s independence.
Report
of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors(*)
Each
year, the Board of Directors appoints an Audit Committee to review the Company's
financial matters. We operate pursuant to a written Audit Committee Charter
adopted by the Board of Directors. In accordance with the Audit Committee
Charter, we must meet the independence requirements and other criteria set
by
The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. as currently in effect. As part of our oversight
of our company’s financial statements, we review and discuss with both
management and Ernst & Young LLP all annual and quarterly financial
statements prior to their issuance. In addition, our responsibilities include
recommending to the Board an accounting firm to be hired as the Company's
independent registered public accounting firm. We are also responsible for
recommending to the Board that the Company's financial statements be included
in
its Annual Report. We have taken the following steps in making our
recommendation that the Company's financial statements be included in its Annual
Report:
1. |
The
Audit Committee discussed with Ernst & Young LLP, the Company's
independent registered public accounting firm, for fiscal year ended
April
30, 2005, those matters required to be discussed by Statement on
Auditing
Standards No. 61, including information regarding the scope and results
of
the audit. These communications and discussions are intended to assist
the
Audit Committee in overseeing the financial reporting and disclosure
process.
|
2. |
The
Audit Committee discussed with Ernst & Young LLP its independence and
received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter concerning independence as
required under applicable independence standards for auditors of
public
companies. This discussion and disclosure helped the Audit Committee
in
evaluating such independence.
|
3. |
The
Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with the Company's management
and
Ernst & Young LLP, the Company's audited consolidated balance sheet at
April 30, 2005, and consolidated statements of operations, cash flows
and
stockholders' equity for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2005.
|
Based
on
the reviews and discussions explained above, the Audit Committee recommended
to
the Board that the Company's financial statements be included in its annual
report for its fiscal year ended April 30, 2005. The Audit Committee also
recommended to the Board the selection of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year
2006.
THE
AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carlton
M. Johnson, Chair
David
H.
Pohl
Thomas
A.
Waltz, M.D.
___________________________
*
The
report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed incorporated by reference
by
any general statement incorporating by reference this Proxy Statement into
any
filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically
incorporates this information by reference, and shall not otherwise be deemed
filed under such Acts.
PROPOSAL
NO. 3: APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO COMPANY'S CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK
|
Introduction
The
next
proposal on the agenda for the Annual Meeting will be to approve a proposed
amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation.
Our
Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect, authorizes the issuance
of
up to 200 million shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share. On June
10, 2005, the Board of Directors adopted a resolution to amend the Certificate
of Incorporation to increase the number of shares of Common Stock that we are
authorized to issue to 250 million shares, subject to stockholder approval
at
the 2005 Annual Meeting.
At
that
time, the Board of Directors declared the proposed amendment to be advisable
and
in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and is accordingly
submitting the proposed amendment to be voted on by the stockholders.
Of
the
200 million shares of Common Stock currently authorized, approximately
166 million shares are, as of August 15, 2005, issued and outstanding.
In
addition, as of that date, approximately 25 million shares are reserved for
issuance upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants and shares
that are reserved under our compensation plans for options yet to be granted.
Based
upon these issued and reserved shares of Common Stock, we currently have
approximately 9 million shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance
in the future for other corporate purposes.
The
Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect, also authorizes for
issuance 5 million shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, none
of which are outstanding.
The
form
of the proposed amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit
A
(the
"Amended Certificate").
Why
Are We Asking For Your Approval?
We
have
expended substantial funds on (i) the research, development and clinical trials
of our product candidates, and (ii) funding the operations of our wholly-owned
subsidiary, Avid Bioservices, Inc. Since inception, we have generally financed
our operations primarily through the sale of our Common Stock and issuance
of
convertible debt, which has been supplemented with payments received from
various licensing collaborations and through the revenues generated by Avid.
As
a result, we have historically experienced negative cash flows from operations
since our inception and we expect the negative cash flows from operations to
continue for the foreseeable future, unless and until we are able to generate
sufficient revenues from Avid’s contract manufacturing services and/or from the
sale and/or licensing of our products under development.
The
Board
of Directors is recommending this increase in the authorized shares of Common
Stock primarily to give us the flexibility to issue shares of Common Stock
for
future corporate needs, such as raising additional capital to fund primarily
our
clinical trial activities using Cotara® to treat brain cancer, our two Tarvacin™
clinical trials (to treat both solid cancer tumors and hepatitis C virus
infection), and our anticipated development costs associated with our technology
platforms and possible expansion of our manufacturing capabilities.
As
of
August 15, 2005, we had approximately 191 million shares of Common Stock issued
and reserved for issuance under all option and warrant agreements and shares
reserved for issuance, assuming all options and warrants are exercised on a
cash
basis, calculated as follows:
|
Shares
issued and outstanding
|
|
|
165,718,000
|
|
|
Shares
reserved for issuance under issued and outstanding
warrants
|
|
|
13,542,000
|
|
|
Shares
reserved for issuance under issued and outstanding options
|
|
|
11,191,000
|
|
|
Shares
reserved for issuance under existing stock option plans (excluding the
2005 Stock Incentive Plan)
|
|
|
618,000
|
|
|
Total
shares issued and reserved
|
|
|
191,069,000
|
|
After
taking into consideration the above shares issued and reserved for issuance
and
assuming no increase in the number of authorized shares, we would have
approximately 8,931,000 unreserved shares of Common Stock available for issuance
to raise additional capital or in connection with strategic transactions. In
addition, the remaining shares reserved for issuance excludes the 5 million
shares to be reserved for issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, which
plan is subject to stockholder approval at the 2005 Annual Meeting.
If
the
stockholders do not approve this proposal to increase the number of authorized
shares, we may not be able to arrange the financing necessary to continue our
existing operations beyond the next fiscal year or may be required to
immediately hold a special stockholders meeting to seek approval to increase
the
authorized number of shares of Common Stock, which could cost the Company in
excess of $100,000 in printing, distribution, and mailing fees.
Does
The Company Plan On Issuing Additional Shares?
At
the
present moment, we do not have any plan, arrangement, commitment or
understanding, whether written or oral, to issue any additional shares of Common
Stock that would be authorized by the proposed amendment.
Moving
forward, it is extremely difficult for us to reasonably estimate our future
revenue, expenses, required funding, stock price, and thus, the number of shares
that we may need to issue in order to obtain any necessary funding, based on
a
number of uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to:
· |
The
uncertainty of the amount of revenue our contract manufacturing business,
Avid Bioservices, Inc., can generate beyond our current customers
based on
its lack of historical reference;
|
· |
The
uncertainty of all future research and development costs associated
with
each of our technologies due to the number of unknowns and uncertainties
associated with pre-clinical and clinical trial development, including
the
uncertainty of future clinical trial results, the uncertainty of
the
number of patients to be treated in any future clinical trial, the
uncertainty of protocol changes and modifications in the design of
our
clinical trial studies, among others, which may increase or decrease
our
future expenses;
|
· |
The
uncertainty of future partnering or licensing revenue, including
potential
equity investments into the Company whereby the Company would possibly
issue stock directly to a strategic partner;
and
|
· |
The
uncertainty of the Company's access to the capital markets and its
cost of
capital.
|
The
above
uncertainties, including the uncertainty of the market price of our Common
Stock, will make it difficult for the Company to estimate the number of shares
of Common Stock that may be issued at any time. The Company has not entered
into
any arrangement for the issuance of Common Stock other than those arrangements
discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on July 14, 2005, or subsequent reports
filed
with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
If
the
stockholders approve the proposal, the Board of Directors would be able to
issue
these additional shares of Common Stock in its discretion from time to time,
subject to any rules or listing requirements of the NASD or of any other then
applicable securities exchange rules and subject to any other applicable rules
and regulations in the case of any particular issuance or reservation for
issuance that might require the stockholders to approve such transaction. The
newly authorized shares of Common Stock would be issuable for any proper
corporate purpose, including future capital-raising transactions involving
Common Stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, stock
dividends, establishing strategic relationships, and current or future equity
compensation plans.
What
Are The Effects On Existing Stockholders?
The
increase in authorized Common Stock will not have any immediate effect on the
rights of existing stockholders. However, the Board of Directors will have
the
authority to issue authorized Common Stock without requiring future stockholder
approval of such issuances, except as may be required by applicable law. To
the
extent that additional authorized shares are issued in the future, they would
decrease the existing stockholders' percentage equity ownership and voting
power
and, depending on the price at which they are issued, may have a dilutive effect
on our earnings per share and book value per share.
When
Would The Amendment Be Effective?
If
the
proposed amendment is adopted, it will become effective upon the filing of
a
certificate of amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary
of State of the State of Delaware.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE "FOR"
THE PROPOSAL TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY'S CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK.
PROPOSAL
NO. 4: APPROVE THE ADOPTION OF OUR 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE
PLAN
|
On
June
10, 2005, the Board of Directors adopted our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (the
“Plan”) and authorized the Company to present the Plan to our stockholders for
ratification. The material features of the 2005 Plan are summarized below.
The
summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the specific provisions
of
the 2005 Plan, the full text of which is set forth as Exhibit
B
to this
proxy statement.
Purpose
The
purpose of the Plan is to advance the interests of the Company and its
stockholders by strengthening the Company's ability to attract and retain
individuals of training, experience and ability as officers, employees,
non-employee directors and consultants and to furnish additional incentives
to
such key individuals to promote the Company's financial success by providing
them with an equity ownership in the Company. It is the intent of the Company
that such individuals be encouraged to obtain and retain an equity interest
in
the Company, and each participant will be specifically apprised of said
intent.
Administration
The
Compensation Committee, composed of not less than two independent directors
appointed by the Board, will administer the Plan. Each member of the
Compensation Committee shall, at all times during their service as such, be
a
"non-employee director" within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. The Compensation Committee shall have conclusive authority
to construe and interpret the Plan and any award agreement entered into under
the Plan, and to establish, amend and rescind administrative policies for the
administration of the Plan and such additional authority as the Board may from
time to time determine is necessary or desirable.
Eligibility
Those
persons eligible to participate in the Plan shall include officers and other
employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company and its
subsidiaries.
Shares
Subject To The Plan
The
total
number of shares of Common Stock available under the Plan shall be 5,000,000,
subject to adjustment as provided in the Plan.
Participation
The
Compensation Committee shall select, from time to time, officers, employees,
non-employee directors and consultants who, in the opinion of the Compensation
Committee, can further the Plan's Purpose, and the Compensation Committee shall
determine the type or types of awards to be made to the participants. The terms,
conditions and restrictions of each award shall be set forth in an award
agreement.
Structure
Of The Plan
The
Plan
shall be divided into two separate equity programs: (i) the “Discretionary
Option Grant Program” under which eligible persons may, at the discretion of the
Plan Administrator, be granted options to purchase shares of Common Stock,
and
(ii) the “Stock Issuance Program” under which eligible persons may, at the
discretion of the Plan Administrator, be issued shares of Common Stock directly,
either through the immediate purchase of such shares or as a bonus for services
rendered to the Company (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
Change
In Control
In
the
event of a "change in control" of the Company, stock options not otherwise
exercisable shall become fully exercisable.
Federal
Income Tax Aspects
The
following paragraphs are a summary of the general federal income tax
consequences to U.S. taxpayers and the Company of awards granted under the
2005
Stock Incentive Plan. Tax consequences for any particular individual may be
different. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not describe
all federal, state or local tax laws.
Non-Statutory
Stock Options. No taxable income is reportable
when a
non-statutory stock option is granted to a participant. Upon exercise, the
participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess
of
the fair market value (on the exercise date) of the shares purchased over the
exercise price of the option. Any additional gain or loss recognized upon any
later disposition of the shares would be capital gain or loss.
Incentive
Stock Options. No taxable income is reportable
when an
incentive stock option is granted or exercised (except for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax, in which case taxation is the same as for nonqualified
stock options). If the participant exercises the option and then later sells
or
otherwise disposes of the shares more than two years after the grant date and
more than one year after the exercise date, the difference between the sale
price and the exercise price will be taxed as capital gain or loss. If the
participant exercises the option and then later sells or otherwise disposes
of
the shares before the end of the two- or one-year holding periods described
above, he or she generally will have ordinary income at the time of the sale
equal to the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date (or the sale
price, if less) minus the exercise price of the option.
Restricted
Stock. A participant will not have taxable income
upon
grant unless he or she elects to be taxed at that time. Instead, he or she
will
recognize ordinary income at the time of vesting equal to the fair market value
(on the vesting date) of the shares or cash received minus any amount paid
for
the shares.
Tax
Effect on Company. The Company generally will be entitled to
a tax
deduction in connection with an award under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan in
an
amount equal to the ordinary income realized by a participant and at the time
the participant recognizes such income (for example, the exercise of a
nonqualified stock option). Special rules limit the deductibility of
compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer and to each of our four most
highly compensated executive officers. Under Section 162(m) of the Internal
Revenue Code, the annual compensation paid to any of these specified executives
will be deductible only to the extent that it does not exceed $1,000,000.
However, the Company can preserve the deductibility of certain compensation
in
excess of $1,000,000 if the conditions of Section 162(m) are met.
Plan
Benefits
The
exact
types and amounts of any awards to be made by the Committee to any eligible
employees pursuant to the Plan are not presently determinable. As a result
of
the discretionary nature of the Plan, it is not possible to state who the
participants in such Plan will be, the number of options or other awards to
be
received by any person or group, or the benefits or amounts that would have
been
received by certain persons or groups under such Plan during the last fiscal
year if the Plan had been in effect during that year.
Approval
Of The Plan
Approval
of the Plan requires the affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast. Broker
non-votes will not be treated as votes cast for purposes of determining approval
of such proposal and will not be counted as votes for or against such
proposal.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR”THE
APPROVAL OF THE 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN.
PROPOSAL
NO. 5: STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSAL
|
A
stockholder has advised the Company that he intends to introduce at the 2005
Annual Meeting the following proposal. The name and address of and the number
of
shares owned by the proponent will be provided upon oral or written request
to
the Secretary of the Company.
Stockholder
Proposal
“The
shareholders urge our board of directors to take the necessary steps to nominate
at least two candidates for each open board position, and that the names,
biographical sketches, SEC-required declarations and photographs of such
candidates shall appear in the company’s proxy materials (or other required
disclosures) to the same extent that such information is required by law and
is
our Company’s current practice with the single candidates it now proposes for
each position.”
Supporting
Statement
“Stockholders
today are not given a ‘true’ option in regards to exercising their voting rights
in the election of directors. In the past, the company presents only one nominee
to fill each open seat on the Board of Directors. Shareholders who oppose a
candidate have no easy way to do so unless they are willing to undertake the
considerable expense of running an independent candidate for the board. The
only
other way to register dissent about a given candidate is to withhold support
for
all the nominees, but that process rarely affects the outcome of director
elections. The current system thus provides no readily effective way for
shareholders to oppose a candidate that has failed to attend board meetings;
or
serves on so many boards as to be unable to supervise our Company management
diligently; or who serves as a consultant to the Company that could compromise
independence; or pose other problems. As a result, while directors legally
serve
as the shareholder agent in overseeing management, the election of directors
at
the annual meeting is largely perfunctory. Even directors of near bankrupt
Companies enjoy re-election with 90%+ pluralities. The “real” selection comes
through the nominating committee, a process too often influenced, if not
controlled, by the very management the board is expected to scrutinize
critically.”
Your
Directors’ Position
The
Board
strongly believes that its present nominating process is the most effective
way
of ensuring that highly qualified and dedicated individuals serve on Peregrine’s
Board. Each year the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors performs
the
critical function of examining the composition of the Board and whether to
recommend any changes in its membership. In performing these duties, the
Nominating Committee, which consists solely of independent directors, reviews
the qualifications of existing board members and other possible candidates
in
accordance with the criteria outlined in the Charter of the Nominating Committee
of the Board of Directors (the “Charter”). In accordance with the Charter, the
Nominating Committee considers the needs of the Board and Peregrine in light
of
the current mix of director skills and attributes. In recommending one nominee
for each open directorship position, the Nominating Committee considers many
issues and factors in recommending only those individuals who the Committee
believes possess the necessary integrity, skills, and dedication to best serve
the stockholders of Peregrine. The Board believes that this process ensures
that
only the individuals with the range of character, skills and experience most
appropriate for Peregrine serve on the Board.
Any
of
our stockholders may submit a written recommendation to our Secretary for
consideration by the Nominating Committee, by following the procedures outlined
in Exhibit A to the Charter. Also, any stockholder may vote for some directors
and withhold votes from others. Finally, a stockholder may propose an alternate
slate of directors if the stockholder complies with the rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission relating to election contests.
Approval
of this proposal, however, would place the Board in the unusual and difficult
position of having to recommend both the individual who it believes is the
best
qualified to serve as a director and a competing second candidate who may be
viewed less favorably by the Board.
In
addition, the proposal, if effectuated, would likely deter many individuals
with
superior qualifications from seeking or accepting nomination to the Board.
It is
neither practical nor fair for the Board to ask these candidates to set aside
their time and potential other opportunities to compete in a politicized contest
in which they could not be assured of having the recommendation and full support
of the entire Board. Finally, the ambiguity created by having to nominate two
directors for each position could result in a Board that together lacks
diversity or lacks certain skills and levels of experience. More significantly,
the Board will be unable to ensure that one of the candidates elected will
qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” and whether two others will
satisfy the financial sophistication requirement as required by SEC and/or
NASDAQ rules and regulations.
The
Board
believes that Peregrine should continue to follow the present nominating
process, which complies with law and is used by virtually all public companies.
The procedure advocated in the Proposal would not be an efficient or effective
means of selecting the best directors for Peregrine. Accordingly, the Board
unanimously believes the Proposal is not in the best interest of Peregrine
and
its stockholders.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “AGAINST”
THIS STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL
NO. 6: STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSAL
|
A
stockholder has advised the Company that she intends to introduce at the 2005
Annual Meeting the following proposal. The name and address of and the number
of
shares owned by the proponent will be provided upon oral or written request
to
the Secretary of the Company.
Stockholder
Proposal
“This
proposal is designed to force the company to seek stockholder approval of all
stock options and/or warrants issued to Officers of the Company and members
of
the Company’s Board of Directors.
The
Proposal Details
1.
|
Revoke
from all Company officials, representatives and committees, including
the
CEO, Board of Directors and the compensation committee, the authority
to
issue stock options and/or warrants to any and all Officers and Directors
of the Company.
|
2.
|
The
Company is permitted each year to submit multiple proposals for
stockholder approval to reward the Officers and Directors of the
Company
with stock options and/or warrants based upon
performance.
|
|
2a.
|
These
Company proposals must appear on proxy material for vote by all
stockholders of record.
|
|
2b.
|
The
Board of Directors must approve each of these Company
proposals.
|
|
2c.
|
Each
proposal must detail the desired recipient(s) of the stock options
or
warrants, the quantity of the stock options or warrants and the
performance of the recipient(s) over the past year that merits
consideration for such a reward.
|
3.
|
Approval
of a proposal to issue stock options and/or warrants to an Officer
or
Director of the Company requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of
votes cast. Broker non-votes will not be treated as votes cast for
purposes of determining the approval or rejection of such a proposal
and
will not be counted as votes for or against such a
proposal.
|
Supporting
Statement
This
proposal is designed to eliminate the unjustified issuance of stock options
to
those individuals who have
not
earned such a reward. I have the utmost confidence in the stockholders of this
Company to reward outstanding performance that merit such a reward. It is long
past time to stop the issuance of stock options to Officers and Directors of
the
Company for performance which is not apparent to the stockholders and which
stockholders have not been informed of the justification for the issuance of
such rewards. Also, the routine issuance of options and/or warrants to Officers
and Directors of the Company has dissuaded these individuals from outright
purchasing of Company stock, eliminating their exposure to the risk of true
stock ownership of this Company. Stockholders of this Company would appreciate
the Officers and Directors of this Company to show faith in its future by
purchasing and holding stock in this Company instead of holding options and/or
warrants.”
Your
Directors’ Position
The
Proposal's requirements, if adopted, would adversely affect Peregrine’s ability
to attract and retain qualified executives and directors. We use stock options
to attract and retain qualified employees, executive officers and directors.
In
the competitive job market where we have to compete against both established
companies with more traditional compensation programs and start up companies
with compensation programs that are primarily stock-based, we have to strike
a
balance between salary compensation and stock option incentives. In so doing,
we
also seek to align employee financial interests, including those of executive
officers and directors, with long-term stockholder value and believe that the
incentive component of an executive officer's compensation should be closely
tied to performance milestones.
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, which is comprised solely
of
independent directors, reviews and approves the compensation of Peregrine's
executive officers, including the granting of stock options. We believe that
our
existing stock option program aligns our option holder's interests with those
of
the Company. Stock options granted under the stock option program are granted
at
exercise prices no less than the fair market value of the common shares on
the
date of grant and generally vest over a three or four year period. During the
vesting periods and while the stock options remain outstanding, the option
holders' interests are clearly aligned with the interests of the shareholders
to
further the growth and development of the Company.
The
Proposal's requirements, if adopted, would adversely affect Peregrine’s ability
to attract and retain qualified executives. Use of this approach could place
us
at a disadvantage when competing for executive talent, as we believe that few,
if any, of our competitors use such a methodology. We operate in a very
competitive industry, and need the ability to hire key executives as the Board
determines the need arises. Because the stock option component comprises a
significant portion of an executive’s compensation package, what is the
likelihood that we will be able to attract a quality executive if his or her
option package is subject to stockholder approval at a later date, with no
guarantee that approval would be obtained. Chances are a quality executive
would
go work for a company whose offer is not subject to such uncertainties. The
problem is equally applicable to current executive officers. Companies in our
industry are always looking for talented executives. If a competitor recruits
one of our executives, the passage of this proposal would prevent us from
granting such executive an option as a means of enticing the executive to remain
with the Company.
In
addition to the foregoing, implementation of the proposal would create ambiguity
and uncertainty in the proxy process. The proposal suggests that the Company
would submit multiple proposals each year, with the requirement that a majority
of the votes cast is required for approval of a proposal. It is conceivable
that
no one proposal would receive a majority vote, and therefore no executives
would
receive an option grant, even though performance warrants the granting of
options. Retaining key executives in such a scenario will become a challenge.
Matters would be further confounded where multiple proposals are submitted
for
each executive, and stockholders are faced with proxy cards containing numerous
stock option proposals.
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors currently has flexibility
to
fashion option grants in the manner it believes to be necessary to attract
and
retain the executives essential to the Company's future success. The Board
believes that restricting this flexibility is not in the best interests of
stockholders.
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “AGAINST”
THIS STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION AND RELATED
MATTERS
|
Compensation
of Executive Officers
Summary
Compensation Table.
The
following table contains information concerning the compensation awarded, paid
to, or earned by the Named Executive Officers for all services rendered in
all
capacities to the Company for the years ended April 30, 2005, 2004 and 2003.
Named Executive Officers includes (i) all individuals serving as the Chief
Executive Officer during fiscal year 2005, (ii) up to four other most highly
compensated executive officers (based on salary plus bonus for fiscal year
2005)
who were serving as executive officers at the end of fiscal 2005 and (iii)
up to
two individuals who would have been included in this table under clause (ii)
above except for the fact that they were not serving as executive officers
at
the end of fiscal year 2005.
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
|
|
Annual
Compensation
|
|
Long-Term
Compensation Award
|
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
|
Fiscal
Year
|
Salary
(1)
|
|
Bonus
|
|
Securities
Underlying Options
|
|
Other
Compensation
|
|
Steven
W. King
President
and
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
2005
2004
2003
|
|
$
$
$
|
303,101
294,548
(3)
232,490
|
|
|
$
$
$
|
136,688
115,000
-
|
|
|
-
350,000
200,000
|
|
|
-
(2)
-
(2)
-
(2)
|
|
Paul
J. Lytle
Chief
Financial Officer, Corporate
Secretary
|
|
|
2005
2004
2003
|
|
$
$
$
|
240,915
239,124
(4)
217,582
|
|
|
$
$
$
|
108,535
81,176
-
|
|
|
-
300,000
-
|
|
|
-
(2)
-
(2)
-
(2)
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Salary
information is reported as of the last payroll paid prior to or
immediately after April 30th of each fiscal
year.
|
(2) |
Amounts
were not significant enough to meet the disclosure
requirements.
|
(3) |
Includes
a one-time retroactive pay adjustment of $24,548 related to a previous
year when Mr. King accepted a pay decrease due to the financial conditions
of the Company at that time.
|
(4) |
Includes
a one-time retroactive pay adjustment of $23,893 related to a previous
year when Mr. Lytle accepted a pay decrease due to the financial
conditions of the Company at that
time.
|
Stock
Option Grants.
There
were no stock option grants to the Named Executive Officers during fiscal year
2005.
Aggregated
Option Exercises and Fiscal Year-End Values. The
following table sets forth information (on an aggregated basis) concerning
each
exercise of stock options during the year ended April 30, 2005, by each of
the
Named Executive Officers and the final fiscal year-end value of unexercised
options:
AGGREGATE
OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
AND
FISCAL YEAR-END OPTION VALUES
Named
Executive
Officer
|
|
No.
of Shares Acquired on
Exercise
|
|
Value
Realized
(1)
|
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
at
April 30, 2005
|
|
Value
of Unexercised
In-the-Money
Options at
April 30,
2005 (2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
Steven
W. King
|
|
|
-
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
1,024,167
|
|
|
116,666
|
|
$
|
394,225
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
Paul
J. Lytle
|
|
|
-
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
650,833
|
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
153,475
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
____________________________
|
(1)
|
The
value realized upon the exercise of stock options would represent
the
difference between the exercise price of the stock option and the
fair
market value of the shares, multiplied by the number of options exercised
on the date of exercise.
|
|
(2)
|
The
value of “In-the-Money Options” represents the positive spread between the
exercise price of the option and the fair market value of the underlying
shares based on the closing stock price of our Common Stock on April
29,
2005, which was $1.21 per share. "In-the-Money Options" include only
those
options where the fair market value of the stock is higher than the
exercise price of the option on the date specified. The actual value,
if
any, a Named Executive Officer realizes on the exercise of options
will
depend on the fair market value of our Common Stock at the time of
exercise.
|
Employment
Agreement and Change-in-Control Arrangements
Steven
W.
King is subject to an employment agreement with us dated March 19, 2003,
pursuant to which he was employed as our President and Chief Executive Officer.
The agreement provides for an initial annual base salary of $270,000 and a
stock
option to purchase up to 200,000 shares of Common Stock, which option vests
monthly over 24 monthly periods. The agreement provides that Mr. King shall
serve as President and Chief Executive Officer for a minimum of six months.
Thereafter, Mr. King may terminate his employment upon 90 days notice. Upon
such
termination, Mr. King shall receive six months’ base salary as severance. We may
terminate Mr. King’s employment at any time for “cause” (as defined in the
agreement). If Mr. King’s employment is terminated by us for any reason other
than “cause”, or within 90 days following a “Change in Control” (as defined in
the agreement), Mr. King shall receive six months’ base salary as severance,
benefit continuation for six months, and two years to exercise any vested
options. Mr. King’s annual base salary was increased to $303,750 effective May
3, 2004.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
We
maintain three equity compensation plans: the 1996 Plan, the 2002 Plan, and
the
2003 Plan. Our stockholders have approved the 1996 and 2003 Plans while the
2002
Plan was not submitted for stockholder approval. The Compensation Committee
of
the Board of Directors is responsible for granting options under all option
plans.
Equity
Compensation Plan Approved by Stockholders
We
have
two incentive stock option plans with outstanding options as of April 30, 2005:
the 1996 Plan and the 2003 Plan. The plans provide for the granting of options
to purchase shares of our common stock at prices not less than the fair market
value of our common stock at the date of grant and generally expire ten years
after the date of grant.
The
1996
Plan originally provided for the issuance of options to purchase up to 4,000,000
shares of our common stock. The number of shares for which options may be
granted under the 1996 Plan automatically increases for all subsequent common
stock issuances by us in an amount equal to 20% of such subsequent issuances
up
to a maximum of 10,000,000 options as long as the total shares allocated to
the
1996 Plan do not exceed 20% of our authorized stock. As a result of issuances
of
our common stock subsequent to the adoption of the 1996 Plan, the number of
shares for which options may be granted has increased to 10,000,000. Options
granted generally vest over a period of four years with a maximum term of ten
years. As of April 30 2005, options to purchase 4,521,053 shares of our common
stock were outstanding under the 1996 Plan and 962 shares of our common stock
were available for grant under the 1996 Plan.
During
October 2003, our stockholders approved the 2003 Stock Incentive Plan (“2003
Plan”) for the issuance of up to 5,000,000 options. The 2003 Plan provides for
the granting of options to purchase shares of our common stock at prices not
less than the fair market value of the stock at the date of grant and which
generally expire ten years after the date of grant. As of April 30 2005, options
to purchase 4,630,775 shares of our common stock were outstanding under the
2003
Plan and 369,225 shares of our common stock were available for grant under
the
2003 Plan.
Equity
Compensation Plans Not Approved by Stockholders
During
June 2002, we adopted a broad-based non-qualified stock option plan (“2002
Plan”) for the issuance of up to 3,000,000 options. The 2002 Plan provides for
the granting of options to purchase shares of our common stock at prices not
less than the fair market value of the stock at the date of grant and generally
expire ten years after the date of grant. As of April 30 2005, options to
purchase 1,849,148 shares of our common stock were outstanding under the 2002
Plan and 284,052 shares of our common stock were available for grant under
the
2002 Plan.
In
addition to the 2002 Plan, during 1999, we granted non-qualified options, which
are not part of any compensation plan, to purchase up to an aggregate of
1,500,000 shares of our common stock. As of April 30, 2005, options to purchase
181,664 shares of our common stock were outstanding. The resale of the
underlying shares of common stock is registered on a registration statement
on
Form S-3.
The
following table sets forth certain information as of April 30, 2005 concerning
our Common Stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options or pursuant
to
purchases of stock under all of our equity compensation plans approved by
stockholders and equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders in
effect as of April 30, 2005:
Plan
Category
|
|
(a)
Number of Securities
to be Issued Upon the Exercise of Outstanding
Options
|
|
(b)
Weighted-Average Exercise
Price of Outstanding Options
|
|
(c)
Number
of Shares Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity
Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column
(a)
|
|
Equity
compensation plans approved by stockholders
|
|
|
9,151,828
|
|
|
$
1.64
|
|
|
370,187
|
|
Equity
compensation plans not approved by stockholders
|
|
|
2,030,812
|
|
|
$
1.48
|
|
|
284,052
|
|
|
|
|
11,182,640
|
|
|
$
1.61
|
|
|
654,239
|
|
Report
of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors on Executive
Compensation(†)
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”)
is composed solely of directors who are not current or former employees of
Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“the Company”). The Board has determined that
each member is independent under the current listing standards of The Nasdaq
Stock Market, Inc. The Compensation Committee has furnished the following report
on executive compensation for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2005.
Compensation
Philosophy and Policies. We
are
still in the research and development phase and have not yet achieved
profitability; therefore, some of the traditional methods of evaluating
executive performance, such as cash flow, revenues and profit levels and market
share growth, would be inappropriate at this stage. Consequently, we assess
the
performance of each executive based on attainment of his or her specific
personal objectives and goals in light of our overall annual strategic goals.
Among other things, the Committee examines three (3) specific areas
in
formulating the compensation packages of our executive officers. These areas,
followed by specific inquiries made by the Committee within such areas, are
as
follows:
Our
Company's Performance:
|
•
|
The
extent to which our key research, clinical, manufacturing, business
development and financial objectives have been met during the preceding
fiscal year.
|
•
|
The
development, acquisition and in and out licensing of key technologies.
|
•
|
Our
achievement of certain milestones, whether specified in agreements
with
third party collaborators or determined internally.
|
•
|
Accessing
capital to fund our research, development, operations and other business
activities.
|
|
|
Executive
Performance:
|
•
|
An
executive's involvement in and responsibility for the development
and
implementation of strategic plans and the attainment of our strategic
and
operating objectives, along with achievement of agreed upon personal
objectives.
|
|
The
involvement of an executive in personnel recruitment, retention and
management development.
|
•
|
The
responsibility of the executive in developing and working within
operating
budgets, controlling costs and other aspects of expense management.
|
|
|
The
Committee considers the necessity of being competitive with companies
in
the biotechnology industry, taking into account relative company
size,
stage of development, performance and geographic location as well
as
individual responsibilities and performance. The
employment market for personnel and executives with experience in
the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in Southern California
is very
competitive. The Southern California area has many pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and medical device companies. The majority of our
competitors in this geographic area have more resources than the
Company.
This makes it more difficult to hire and retain key personnel throughout
the organization. Historically, the Company has not had the financial
resources to enter into long-term contracts with its executives.
The
Compensation Committee, therefore, uses a combination of base pay,
bonuses
and options as incentives for personnel and executives to remain
with the
Company and to work in the
best interest of the stockholders.
|
Each
executive officer's compensation package is reviewed annually and is comprised
of some or all of the following components: base salary, cash bonuses, and
stock
options. In addition to these components, executive officers generally are
eligible to participate in employee benefit programs generally available to
all
of our other employees.
Base
Salary. In
setting the base salary levels for each executive officer, the Committee reviews
surveys and other available information on the base salaries of executive
officers in comparable positions at other biotechnology companies. Factors
considered include, but are not limited to, company size, stage of development
of a company's products and geographic location. The Committee also considers
the individual experience level and actual performance of each executive officer
in light of Peregrine’s needs and objectives.
Bonus
Awards. As
part of the review and setting of annual compensation, annual bonuses have
been,
and are expected to continue to be, based on the attainment of annual milestones
and accomplishments identified by the Board of Directors and are granted at
the
discretion of the Committee. In fiscal year 2005, the product development
accomplishments of our senior management team, including the submission of
two
Investigational New Drug (“IND”) applications with the Food and Drug
Administration for Tarvacin™ (which were the first IND’s filed by us in 7
years), were judged to have substantially exceeded their respective goals set
by
the Committee for the year.
The
Committee believed these accomplishments represented a high level of achievement
compared to similar companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. We believe
the
bonuses awarded to our senior executives in fiscal year 2005 recognize these
accomplishments.
Stock
Option Plans. We
have historically made periodic grants of stock options to our employees,
including our senior executive officers. Each stock option permits the option
holder, for a period of ten years, to purchase one share of our stock at an
exercise price equal to the closing stock price on the date of the grant. Stock
options have value only to the extent the price of our stock on the date of
exercise exceeds the exercise price. Stock options are intended as incentive
and
motivation for our executive officers and other employees, as well as to align
the interest of those officers and other employees more closely with those
of
our stockholders in achieving corporate objectives.
Benefits.
Benefits
offered to employees serve a different purpose than do the other elements of
total compensation. In general, they are designed to provide a safety net of
protection against the adverse financial effects that can result from illness,
disability or death and to provide a reasonable level of insurance coverage
for
any medical, dental and vision problems that may be experienced by the Company’s
employees, as well as preventative care, at a reduced expense to the Company’s
employees. Benefits offered to executive officers are largely the same as those
that are offered to the general employee population.
Compensation
of the Chief Executive Officer. Effective
as of May 3, 2004, Mr. King's annual base salary was increased to $303,750.
The
Committee determined this increase in Mr. King's base salary in accordance
with
the criteria outlined above, its evaluation of Peregrine's overall performance,
as well as Mr. King's individual performance. During fiscal year 2005, Mr.
King
was awarded a cash bonus in the amount of $136,688 related to having attained
certain milestones, including the filing of two separate Investigational New
Drug Applications using Tarvacin™ for the treatment of solid cancers and
hepatitis C virus. Mr. King did not receive a stock option grant during fiscal
year 2005. The Committee considered this level of pay, and annual bonus in
light
of his leadership in Peregrine's achievement of strategic milestones over and
above the goals established by the Committee for him in the beginning of fiscal
year 2005.
Based
on
its evaluation of Mr. King's performance, the Committee believes that Mr. King's
compensation level is appropriate and in line with his peers in the industry.
The
undersigned members of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
provide this report on executive compensation for fiscal year 2005.
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
CARLTON
M. JOHNSON
DAVID
H. POHL
THOMAS
A. WALTZ, M.D.
________________________________
† The
material in this report is not soliciting material, is not deemed filed with
the
SEC, and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under
the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), whether made before or
after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general
incorporation language in such filing.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The
following non-employee directors currently serve on the Compensation Committee
of the Board of Directors: Carlton M. Johnson, David H. Pohl, and Thomas A.
Waltz, M.D. There are no interlocks of executive officers or directors of the
Company serving on the compensation committee or equivalent committee of another
entity, which has any director or executive officer serving on the Compensation
Committee, other committees or the Board of Directors of the
Company.
Comparison
of Stockholder Return (‡)
The
following graph shows a comparison of cumulative total returns for the Company,
Nasdaq Market Index and a Nasdaq Peer group for the period beginning
April 30, 2000 through April 30, 2005. The total cumulative return
on
investment shown for the Company, the Nasdaq Market Index and the Nasdaq
Pharmaceutical Index (Peer Companies Group Index) are based on the assumptions
that on April 30, 2000, $100 was invested in the common stock of each Index
and
that all dividends were reinvested. The Nasdaq Market Index and the Nasdaq
Pharmaceutical Index were prepared by The Center for Research in Security
Prices.
COMPARISON
OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
VALUE
OF INVESTMENT OF $100 ON APRIL 30, 2000
The
underlying data for the foregoing graph is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
April
30, 2000
|
|
April
30, 2001
|
|
April
30, 2002
|
|
April
30, 2003
|
|
April
30,
2004
|
|
April
30,
2005
|
|
Peregrine
Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
|
|
$
|
100.00
|
|
$
|
32.23
|
|
$
|
40.59
|
|
$
|
14.09
|
|
$
|
39.88
|
|
$
|
28.89
|
|
Nasdaq
Pharmaceutical Index
|
|
$
|
100.00
|
|
$
|
96.05
|
|
$
|
77.70
|
|
$
|
75.88
|
|
$
|
97.09
|
|
$
|
86.72
|
|
Nasdaq
Market Index (U.S.)
|
|
$
|
100.00
|
|
$
|
54.70
|
|
$
|
43.98
|
|
$
|
38.41
|
|
$
|
50.24
|
|
$
|
50.41
|
|
_________________________
‡
The
performance graph and the underlying data is not soliciting material, and is
not
incorporated into any past or future filing of the Company under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
including this Proxy Statement, in whole or in part.
Stockholder
Proposals and Nominations
Pursuant
to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, stockholders may present proper
proposals for inclusion in the Company’s proxy statement and for consideration
at the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders. To be eligible for
inclusion in the Company’s 2006 Proxy Statement, your proposal must be received
by the Company no later than May 12, 2006, and must otherwise comply with
Rule 14a-8. While the Board will consider stockholder proposals, the
Company reserves the right to omit from the Company’s proxy statement
stockholder proposals that it is not required to include under the Exchange
Act,
including Rule 14a-8.
In
addition, the Company’s Nominating Charter of the Board of Directors contains an
advance notice provision with respect to matters to be brought at an annual
meeting of stockholders, including nominations, and not included in the
Company’s Proxy Statement. If you would like to nominate a director or bring any
other business before the stockholders at the 2006 Annual Meeting, you must
comply with the procedures contained in the Company’s Nominating Charter of the
Board of Directors and you must notify the Company in writing and such notice
must be delivered to or received by the Secretary no later than 90 days
prior to the 2006 Annual Meeting.
The
Nominating Charter of the Board of Directors provides that nominations may
be
made by the Board, by a committee appointed by the Board or any stockholder
entitled to vote in the election of directors generally. Stockholders must
provide actual written notice of their intent to make nomination(s) to the
Secretary of the Company no later than 90 days prior to the relevant
annual
meeting. Each notice must set forth (i) the name and address of the
stockholder who intends to make the nomination(s) and the person(s) to be
nominated; (ii) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of
record
of stock of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear
in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person(s) specified in
the
notice; (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between
the stockholder and each nominee and any other person(s) (naming such person(s))
pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by the stockholder;
(iv) such other information regarding each nominee as would be required
to
be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC
had the nominee been nominated, or intended to be nominated, by the Board;
and
(v) the consent of each nominee to serve as a director of the Company
if so
elected. Any candidates recommended by stockholders for nomination to the Board
will be evaluated in the same manner that nominees suggested by Board members,
management or other parties.
You
may
write to the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s principal executive
office, 14272 Franklin Avenue, Tustin, California 92780, to deliver the notices
discussed above and for a copy of the relevant Nominating Charter of the Board
of Directors regarding the requirements for making stockholder proposals and
nominating director candidates. In addition, the Nominating Charter of the
Board
of Directors can also be found on our website at www.peregrineinc.com
(this
website address is not intended to function as a hyperlink, and the information
contained on the Company’s website is not intended to be a part of this Proxy
Statement).
Communication
with the Board of Directors
The
Company’s annual meeting of stockholders provides an opportunity each year for
stockholders to ask questions of or otherwise communicate directly with members
of the Board on appropriate matters. In addition, stockholders may communicate
in writing with any particular director, or the directors as a group, by sending
such written communication to the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s
principal executive office, 14272 Franklin Avenue, Tustin, California 92780.
Copies of written communications received at such address will be provided
to
the Board or the relevant director unless such communications are considered,
in
the reasonable judgment of the Secretary, to be inappropriate for submission
to
the intended recipient(s). Examples of stockholder communications that would
be
considered inappropriate for submission to the Board include, without
limitation, customer complaints, solicitations, communications that do not
relate directly or indirectly to the Company’s business or communications that
relate to improper or irrelevant topics.
Annual
Report on Form 10-K
A
copy of
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (exclusive of Exhibits), will be furnished by first class
mail, within one business day of receipt of request, without charge to any
person from whom the accompanying proxy is solicited upon written request to
Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 14272 Franklin
Avenue, Tustin, California 92780-7017. If Exhibit copies are requested, a
copying charge of $.20 per page will be made. In addition, all of the Company’s
public filings, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K, can be found on our
website at www.peregrineinc.com
(this
website address is not intended to function as a hyperlink, and the information
contained on the Company’s website is not intended to be a part of this Proxy
Statement).
By
Order
of the Board of Directors
PAUL
J.
LYTLE
Chief
Financial Officer and
Corporate
Secretary
August
[
], 2005
EXHIBIT
A
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
OF
CERTIFICATE
OF INCORPORATION
OF
PEREGRINE
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.,
A
DELAWARE CORPORATION
PEREGRINE
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation organized and existing under
and
by virtue of the Delaware General Corporation Law (hereinafter referred to
as
the "Corporation"), hereby certifies as follows:
1.
That
at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation resolutions were
duly
adopted setting forth a proposed amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation
of the Corporation, declaring said amendment to be advisable and directing
said
amendment to be submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation at a special
meeting. The resolutions setting forth the proposed amendment is as
follows:
“RESOLVED,
that the Certificate of Incorporation be amended by changing the first sentence
of ARTICLE 4 so that it shall read as follows:
|
“The
total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation
shall
have authority to issue is 255,000,000, of which (i) 250,000,000
shares
shall be designated “Common Stock” and shall have a par value of $0.001
per share; and (ii) 5,000,000 shares shall be designated “Preferred Stock”
and shall have a par value of $0.001 per
share.”
|
2.
That
thereafter, pursuant to resolution of the Board of Directors, an Annual Meeting
of the stockholders of the Corporation was duly called and held, upon notice
in
accordance with Section 222 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, at which
Annual Meeting the necessary number of shares as required by statute were voted
in favor of the amendment.
3.
That
said amendment was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section
242
of the Delaware General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to
be
executed by Steven W. King, its President & CEO, and attested to by Paul J.
Lytle, its Secretary, this [__] day of October, 2005.
PEREGRINE
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
a
Delaware corporation
By:________________________________
Steven
W.
King, President & CEO
ATTEST:
__________________________________________
Paul
J.
Lytle, Secretary
EXHIBIT
B
PEREGRINE
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
2005
STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
ARTICLE
ONE
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
I.
PURPOSE
OF THE PLAN
This
2005
Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is intended to promote and advance the
interests of Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Corporation”), and its stockholders by strengthening the Corporation’s ability
to attract and retain individuals of training, experience and ability as
officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants and to furnish
additional incentives to such key individuals to promote the Corporation’s
financial success by providing them with the opportunity to acquire a
proprietary interest, or otherwise increase their proprietary interest, in
the
Corporation.
Capitalized
terms shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the attached
Appendix.
II.
STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN
A. The
Plan
shall be divided into two separate equity programs:
(i)
the
“Discretionary Option Grant Program” under which eligible persons may, at the
discretion of the Plan Administrator, be granted options to purchase shares
of
Common Stock, and
(ii)
the
“Stock Issuance Program” under which eligible persons may, at the discretion of
the Plan Administrator, be issued shares of Common Stock directly, either
through the immediate purchase of such shares or as a bonus for services
rendered to the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
B. The
provisions of Articles One and Four shall apply to all equity programs under
the
Plan and shall govern the interests of all persons under the Plan.
III. ADMINISTRATION
OF THE PLAN
A. The
Plan
will be administered by the Compensation Committee, composed of not less than
two directors appointed by the Board. Each member of the Compensation Committee
shall, at all times during their service as such, be a "non-employee director"
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The
Compensation Committee (hereinafter also referred to as the “Plan
Administrator”) shall have conclusive authority to construe and interpret the
Plan and any award agreement entered into thereunder, and to establish, amend
and rescind administrative policies for the administration of the Plan and
such
additional authority as the Board may from time to time determine is necessary
or desirable.
B. The
Plan
Administrator shall, within the scope of its administrative functions under
the
Plan, have full power and authority (subject to the provisions of the Plan)
to
establish such rules and regulations as it may deem appropriate for proper
administration of the Discretionary Option Grant Program and the Stock Issuance
Program and to make such determinations under, and issue such interpretations
of, the provisions of such programs and any outstanding options or stock
issuances thereunder as it may deem necessary or advisable. Decisions of the
Plan Administrator within the scope of its administrative functions under the
Plan shall be final and binding on all parties who have an interest in the
Discretionary Option Grant Program and/or the Stock Issuance Program under
its
jurisdiction or any option or stock issuance thereunder.
C. Service
on
the Compensation Committee shall constitute service as a Board member, and
members of each such committee shall accordingly be entitled to full
indemnification and reimbursement as Board members for their service on such
committee. No member of the Compensation Committee shall be liable for any
act
or omission made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any option grants
or
stock issuances under the Plan.
IV.
ELIGIBILITY
A. The
persons eligible to participate in the Discretionary Option Grant Program and
the Stock Issuance Program are as follows:
(i)
Employees,
(ii)
non-employee members of the Board or the board of directors of any Parent or
Subsidiary of the Corporation, and
(iii)
consultants and other independent advisors who provide services to the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Corporation).
B. The
Plan
Administrator shall, within the scope of its administrative jurisdiction under
the Plan, have full authority to determine:
(i)
with
respect to option grants under the Discretionary Option Grant Program, which
eligible persons are to receive option grants, the time or times when such
option grants are to be made, the number of shares to be covered by each such
grant, the status of the granted option as either an Incentive Option or a
Non-Statutory Option, the time or times when each option is to become
exercisable, the vesting schedule (if any) applicable to the option shares
and
the maximum term for which the option is to remain outstanding, and
(ii)
with
respect to stock issuances under the Stock Issuance Program, which eligible
persons are to receive stock issuances, the time or times when such issuances
are to be made, the number of shares to be issued to each Participant, the
vesting schedule (if any) applicable to the issued shares and the consideration
for such shares.
C. The
Plan
Administrator shall have the absolute discretion either to grant options in
accordance with the Discretionary Option Grant Program or to effect stock
issuances in accordance with the Stock Issuance Program.
V.
STOCK
SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
A. The
stock
issuable under the Plan shall be shares of authorized but unissued or reacquired
Common Stock, including shares repurchased by the Corporation on the open
market. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock initially reserved for
issuance over the term of the Plan shall not exceed 5,000,000 shares. Such
authorized share reserve includes the number of shares subject to the
outstanding options, which are hereby incorporated into the Plan.
B. Shares
of
Common Stock subject to outstanding options shall be available for subsequent
issuance under the Plan to the extent those options expire or terminate for
any
reason prior to being exercised in full. Unvested shares issued under the Plan
and subsequently cancelled or repurchased by the Corporation, at the original
issue price paid per share, pursuant to the Corporation’s repurchase rights
under the Plan shall be added back to the number of shares of Common Stock
reserved for issuance under the Plan.
C. If
any change
is made to the Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend,
recapitalization, combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change
affecting the outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation’s
receipt of consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to:
(i)
the
maximum number and/or class of securities issuable under the Plan;
(ii)
the
number and/or class of securities for which any one person may be granted stock
options, separately exercisable stock appreciation rights and direct stock
issuances under the Plan per calendar year; and
(iii)
the
number and/or class of securities and the exercise price per share in effect
under each outstanding option under the Plan.
Such
adjustments to the outstanding options are to be effected in a manner, which
shall preclude the enlargement or dilution of rights and benefits under such
options. The adjustments determined by the Plan Administrator shall be final,
binding and conclusive.
ARTICLE
TWO
DISCRETIONARY
OPTION GRANT PROGRAM
I.
OPTION
TERMS
Each
option shall be evidenced by one or more documents in the form approved by
the
Plan Administrator; provided,
however,
that
each such document shall comply with the terms specified below. Each document
evidencing an Incentive Option shall, in addition, be subject to the provisions
of the Plan applicable to such options.
A. Exercise
Price.
1.
The
exercise price per share shall be fixed by the Plan Administrator at a price
not
less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value per share of Common
Stock on the option grant date; provided,
however,
that
the Plan Administrator may fix the exercise price at less than 85% if the
Optionee, at the time of the option grant, shall have made a payment to the
Corporation (including payment made by means of a salary reduction) equal to
the
excess of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the option grant date
over such exercise price.
2.
The
exercise price shall become immediately due upon exercise of the option and
may,
subject to the provisions of Section I of Article Four and the
documents evidencing the option, be payable in one or more of the forms
specified below:
(i)
cash
or check made payable to the Corporation,
(ii)
shares of Common Stock held for the requisite period necessary to avoid a charge
to the Corporation’s earnings for financial reporting purposes and valued at
Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date, or
(iii)
to
the extent the option is exercised for vested shares, through a special sale
and
remittance procedure pursuant to which the Optionee shall concurrently provide
irrevocable written instructions to (a) a Corporation-designated brokerage
firm
to effect the immediate sale of the purchased shares and remit to the
Corporation, out of the sale proceeds available on the settlement date,
sufficient funds to cover the aggregate exercise price payable for the purchased
shares plus all applicable Federal, state and local income and employment taxes
required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of such exercise, and
(b) the Corporation to deliver the certificates for the purchased shares
directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete the sale.
Except
to
the extent such sale and remittance procedure is utilized, payment of the
exercise price for the purchased shares must be made on the Exercise
Date.
B. Exercise
and Term of Options.
Each
option shall be exercisable at such time or times, during such period and for
such number of shares as shall be determined by the Plan Administrator and
set
forth in the documents evidencing the option. However, no option shall have
a
term in excess of ten (10) years measured from the option grant
date.
C. Effect
of Termination of Service.
1.
The
following provisions shall govern the exercise of any options held by the
Optionee at the time of cessation of Service or death:
(i)
Any
option outstanding at the time of the Optionee’s cessation of Service for any
reason shall remain exercisable for such period of time thereafter as shall
be
determined by the Plan Administrator and set forth in the documents evidencing
the option (which shall equal 1 year in the case of death or disability and
ninety (90) days in the case of any other cessation of Service), provided no
such option shall be exercisable after the expiration of the option
term.
(ii)
Any
option exercisable in whole or in part by the Optionee at the time of death
may
be subsequently exercised by the personal representative of the Optionee’s
estate or by the person or persons to whom the option is transferred pursuant
to
the Optionee’s will or in accordance with the laws of descent and
distribution.
(iii)
Subject to clause C.2.(ii) below of this Section I, during the applicable
post-Service exercise period, the option may not be exercised in the aggregate
for more than the number of vested shares for which the option is exercisable
on
the date of the Optionee’s cessation of Service. Upon the expiration of the
applicable exercise period or (if earlier) upon the expiration of the option
term, the option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding for any vested
shares for which the option has not been exercised.
2.
The
Plan Administrator shall have complete discretion, exercisable either at the
time an option is granted or at any time while the option remains outstanding,
to:
(i)
extend the period of time for which the option is to remain exercisable
following the Optionee’s cessation of Service from the limited exercise period
otherwise in effect for that option to such greater period of time as the Plan
Administrator shall deem appropriate, but in no event beyond the expiration
of
the option term, and/or
(ii)
permit the option to be exercised, during the applicable post-Service exercise
period, not only with respect to the number of vested shares of Common Stock
for
which such option is exercisable at the time of the Optionee’s cessation of
Service but also with respect to one or more additional installments in which
the Optionee would have vested had the Optionee continued in
Service.
D. Shareholder
Rights.
The
holder of an option shall have no shareholder rights with respect to the shares
subject to the option until such person shall have exercised the option, paid
the exercise price and become a holder of record of the purchased
shares.
E. Repurchase
Rights.
The
Plan
Administrator shall have the discretion to grant options which are exercisable
for unvested shares of Common Stock and to reserve the right to repurchase
any
or all of those unvested shares should the Optionee thereafter cease to be
in
Service to the Corporation. The terms upon which such repurchase right shall
be
exercisable (including the period and procedure for exercise and the appropriate
vesting schedule for the purchased shares) shall be established by the Plan
Administrator and set forth in the document evidencing such repurchase
right.
F. Limited
Transferability of Options.
During
the lifetime of the Optionee, options shall be exercisable only by the Optionee
and shall be assignable or transferable other than by will or by the laws of
descent and distribution following the Optionee’s death.
II.
INCENTIVE
OPTIONS
The
terms
specified below shall be applicable to all Incentive Options. Except as modified
by the provisions of this Section II, all the provisions of Articles One, Two
and Four shall be applicable to Incentive Options. Options that are specifically
designated as Non-Statutory Options when issued under the Plan shall
not
be
subject to the terms of this Section II.
A. Eligibility.
Incentive Options may only be granted to Employees.
B. Exercise
Price.
The
exercise price per share shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%)
of
the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the option grant
date.
C. Dollar
Limitation.
The
aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock (determined as of
the
respective date or dates of grant) for which one or more options granted to
any
Employee under the Plan (or any other option plan of the Corporation or any
Parent or Subsidiary) may for the first time become exercisable as Incentive
Options during any one calendar year shall not exceed the sum of One Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($100,000). To the extent the Employee holds two (2) or more
such options that become exercisable for the first time in the same calendar
year, the foregoing limitation on the exercisability of such options, as
Incentive Options shall be applied on the basis of the order in which such
options are granted.
D. 10%
Shareholder.
If any
Employee to whom an Incentive Option is granted is a 10% Shareholder, then
the
exercise price per share shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%)
of the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the option grant date,
and
the option term shall not exceed five (5) years measured from the option grant
date.
III.
CANCELLATION
AND REGRANT OF OPTIONS
The
Plan
Administrator shall have the authority to effect, at any time and from time
to
time, with the consent of the affected option holders, the cancellation of
any
or all outstanding options under the Discretionary Option Grant Program and
to
grant in substitution new options covering the same or a different number of
shares of Common Stock but with an exercise price per share based on the Fair
Market Value per share of Common Stock on the new grant date.
ARTICLE
THREE
STOCK
ISSUANCE PROGRAM
I.
STOCK
ISSUANCES
Shares
of
Common Stock may be issued under the Stock Issuance Program through direct
and
immediate issuances without any intervening option grants. Each such stock
issuance shall be evidenced by a Stock Issuance Agreement that complies with
the
terms specified below.
II.
STOCK
ISSUANCE TERMS
A. Purchase
Price.
1.
The
purchase price per share shall be fixed by the Plan Administrator, but shall
not
be less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value per share of
Common Stock on the issuance date.
2.
Subject to the provisions of Section I of Article Four, shares of Common Stock
may be issued under the Stock Issuance Program for any of the following items
of
consideration that the Plan Administrator may deem appropriate in each
individual instance:
(i)
cash
or check made payable to the Corporation,
(ii)
past
services rendered to the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary),
or
(iii)
any
other valid consideration for the issuance of shares of Common Stock under
Applicable Laws.
B. Vesting
Provisions.
1.
Shares
of Common Stock issued under the Stock Issuance Program may, in the discretion
of the Plan Administrator, be fully and immediately vested upon issuance or
may
vest in one or more installments over the Participant’s period of Service or
upon attainment of specified performance objectives. The elements of the vesting
schedule applicable to any unvested shares of Common Stock issued under the
Stock Issuance Program, namely:
(i)
the
Service period to be completed by the Participant or the performance objectives
to be attained,
(ii)
the
number of installments in which the shares are to vest,
(iii)
the
interval or intervals (if any) which are to lapse between installments,
and
(iv)
the
effect which death, Permanent Disability or other event designated by the Plan
Administrator is to have upon the vesting schedule, shall be determined by
the
Plan Administrator and incorporated into the Stock Issuance
Agreement.
2.
Any
new, substituted or additional securities or other property (including money
paid other than as a regular cash dividend) which the Participant may have
the
right to receive with respect to the Participant’s unvested shares of Common
Stock by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization,
combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the
outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation’s receipt of
consideration shall be issued subject to (i) the same vesting requirements
applicable to the Participant’s unvested shares of Common Stock and
(ii) such escrow arrangements as the Plan Administrator shall deem
appropriate.
3.
The
Participant shall have full shareholder rights with respect to any shares of
Common Stock issued to the Participant under the Stock Issuance Program, whether
or not the Participant’s interest in those shares is vested. Accordingly, the
Participant shall have the right to vote such shares and to receive any regular
cash dividends paid on such shares.
4.
Should
the Participant cease to remain in Service while holding one or more unvested
shares of Common Stock issued under the Stock Issuance Program or should the
performance objectives not be attained with respect to one or more such unvested
shares of Common Stock, then those shares shall be immediately surrendered
to
the Corporation for cancellation, and the Participant shall have no further
shareholder rights with respect to those shares. To the extent the surrendered
shares were previously issued to the Participant for consideration paid in
cash
or cash equivalent (including the Participant’s purchase-money indebtedness),
the Corporation shall repay to the Participant the cash consideration paid
for
the surrendered shares and shall cancel the unpaid principal balance of any
outstanding purchase-money note of the Participant attributable to the
surrendered shares.
5.
The
Plan Administrator may in its discretion waive the surrender and cancellation
of
one or more unvested shares of Common Stock that would otherwise occur upon
the
cessation of the Participant’s Service or the non-attainment of the performance
objectives applicable to those shares. Such waiver shall result in the immediate
vesting of the Participant’s interest in the shares as to which the waiver
applies. Such waiver may be effected at any time, whether before or after the
Participant’s cessation of Service or the attainment or non-attainment of the
applicable performance objectives.
ARTICLE
FOUR
MISCELLANEOUS
I.
FINANCING
The
Plan
Administrator may permit any Optionee or Participant to pay the option exercise
price under the Discretionary Option Grant Program or the purchase price of
shares issued under the Stock Issuance Program by delivering a full-recourse,
interest bearing promissory note payable in one or more installments. The terms
of any such promissory note (including the interest rate and the terms of
repayment) shall be established by the Plan Administrator in its sole
discretion. In no event may the maximum credit available to the Optionee or
Participant exceed the sum of
(i)
the
aggregate option exercise price or purchase price payable for the purchased
shares plus
(ii)
any
Federal, state and local income and employment tax liability incurred by the
Optionee or the Participant in connection with the option exercise or share
purchase.
The
foregoing shall not be applicable to any executive officer or director of the
Corporation where the extension of such credit would result in a violation
of
Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
II.
SHARE
ESCROW/LEGENDS
Unvested
shares issued under the Plan may, in the Plan Administrator’s discretion, be
held in escrow by the Corporation until the Participant’s interest in such
shares vests or may be issued directly to the Participant with restrictive
legends on the certificates evidencing those unvested shares.
III.
CHANGE
IN CONTROL
A. In
the
event of any Change in Control, each outstanding option under the Discretionary
Option Grant Program shall automatically accelerate so that each such option
shall, immediately prior to the effective date of the Change in Control, become
fully exercisable with respect to the total number of shares of Common Stock
at
the time subject to such option and may be exercised for any or all of those
shares as fully-vested shares of Common Stock.
B. Outstanding
repurchase rights, if any, shall terminate automatically, and the shares of
Common Stock subject to those terminated rights shall immediately vest in full,
in the event of any Change in Control.
IV.
VESTING
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this agreement, the vesting schedule imposed with respect
to any option grant or share issuance shall not result in the Optionee or
Participant vesting in fewer than 20% per year for five years from the date
of
the option grant or share issuance.
V.
TAX
WITHHOLDING
A. The
Corporation’s obligation to deliver shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of
options or the issuance or vesting of such shares under the Plan shall be
subject to the satisfaction of all applicable Federal, state and local income
and employment tax withholding requirements.
B. The
Plan
Administrator may, in its discretion, provide any or all holders of
Non-Statutory Options or unvested shares of Common Stock under the Plan with
the
right to use shares of Common Stock in satisfaction of all or part of the Taxes
incurred by such holders in connection with the exercise of their options or
the
vesting of their shares. Such right may be provided to any such holder in either
or both of the following formats:
1.
Stock
Withholding:
The
election to have the Corporation withhold, from the shares of Common Stock
otherwise issuable upon the exercise of such Non-Statutory Option or the vesting
of such shares, a portion of those shares with an aggregate Fair Market Value
equal to the percentage of the Taxes (not to exceed one hundred percent (100%))
designated by the holder.
2.
Stock
Delivery:
The
election to deliver to the Corporation, at the time the Non-Statutory Option
is
exercised or the shares vest, one or more shares of Common Stock previously
acquired by such holder (other than in connection with the option exercise
or
share vesting triggering the Taxes) with an aggregate Fair Market Value equal
to
the percentage of the Taxes (not to exceed one hundred percent (100%))
designated by the holder.
VI.
EFFECTIVE
DATE AND TERM OF THE PLAN
A.
The
Plan
shall become effective immediately upon the Plan Effective Date. Options may
be
granted under the Discretionary Option Grant Program at any time on or after
the
Plan Effective Date. However, no options granted under the Plan may be
exercised, and no shares shall be issued under the Plan, until the Corporation’s
shareholders approve the Plan. If such shareholder approval is not obtained
within twelve (12) months after the Plan Effective Date, then all options
previously granted under this Plan shall terminate and cease to be outstanding,
and no further options shall be granted and no shares shall be issued under
the
Plan.
B. All
options outstanding as of the Plan Effective Date shall be incorporated into
the
Plan at that time and shall be treated as outstanding options under the Plan.
However, each outstanding option so incorporated shall continue to be governed
solely by the terms of the documents evidencing such option, and no provision
of
the Plan shall be deemed to affect or otherwise modify the rights or obligations
of the holders of such incorporated options with respect to their acquisition
of
shares of Common Stock.
C.
The
Plan
shall terminate upon the earliest
of
(i) the
tenth anniversary of the Plan Effective Date, and
(ii)
the
date on which all shares available for issuance under the Plan shall have been
issued as fully-vested shares.
Upon
such
plan termination, all outstanding option grants and unvested stock issuances
shall thereafter continue to have force and effect in accordance with the
provisions of the documents evidencing such grants or issuances.
VII.
AMENDMENT
OF THE PLAN
A. The
Board
shall have complete and exclusive power and authority to amend or modify the
Plan in any or all respects. However, no such amendment or modification shall
adversely affect the rights and obligations with respect to stock options or
unvested stock issuances at the time outstanding under the Plan unless the
Optionee or the Participant consents to such amendment or modification. In
addition, certain amendments may require shareholder approval if so determined
by the Board or pursuant to applicable laws or regulations.
B.
Options
to purchase shares of Common Stock may be granted under the Discretionary Option
Grant Program and shares of Common Stock may be issued under the Stock
Issuance Program that are in each instance in excess of the number of shares
then available for issuance under the Plan, provided any excess shares actually
issued under those programs shall be held in escrow until there is obtained
any
required approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares
of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan. If such approval is
not
obtained within twelve (12) months after the date the first such excess
issuances are made, then (i) any unexercised options granted on the basis of
such excess shares shall terminate and cease to be outstanding and (ii) the
Corporation shall promptly refund to the Optionees and the Participants the
exercise or purchase price paid for any excess shares issued under the Plan
and
held in escrow, together with interest (at the applicable Short Term Federal
Rate) for the period the shares were held in escrow, and such shares shall
thereupon be automatically cancelled and cease to be outstanding.
VIII.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Any
cash
proceeds received by the Corporation from the sale of shares of Common Stock
under the Plan shall be used for general corporate purposes.
IX.
REGULATORY
APPROVALS
A.
The
implementation of the Plan, the granting of any stock option under the Plan
and
the issuance of any shares of Common Stock (i) upon the exercise of any granted
option or (ii) under the Stock Issuance Program shall be subject to the
Corporation’s procurement of all approvals and permits required by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction over the Plan, the stock options granted under
it and the shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to it.
B.
No
shares
of Common Stock or other assets shall be issued or delivered under the Plan
unless and until there shall have been compliance with all applicable
requirements of Federal and state securities laws, including the filing and
effectiveness of the Form S-8 registration statement for the shares of Common
Stock issuable under the Plan, and all applicable listing requirements of any
stock exchange (or the Nasdaq Stock Market, if applicable) on which Common
Stock
is then listed for trading.
X.
NO
EMPLOYMENT/SERVICE RIGHTS
Nothing
in the Plan shall confer upon the Optionee or the Participant any right to
continue in Service for any period of specific duration or interfere with or
otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Corporation (or any Parent
or
Subsidiary employing or retaining such person) or of the Optionee or the
Participant, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate
such person’s Service at any time for any reason, with or without
cause.
APPENDIX
The
following definitions shall be in effect under the Plan:
A. Applicable
Laws
shall
mean the legal requirements relating to the administration of stock option
plans
and the issuance of stock and stock options under federal securities laws,
Delaware General Corporate Laws and securities laws, the Code, and the
applicable laws of any foreign country or jurisdiction where options will be
or
are being granted under the Plan.
B. Board
shall
mean the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
C. Change
in Control shall
mean the occurrence of any one of the following events:
(a) Any
“person,” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act
(other than the Company, any of its Affiliates or any trustee, fiduciary or
other person or entity holding securities under any employee benefit plan or
trust of the Company or any of its Affiliates) together with all “affiliates”
and “associates” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange
Act) of such person, shall become the “beneficial owner” (as such term is
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing twenty percent (20%) or more of either
(i) the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities
having the right to vote in an election of the Board (“voting securities”) or
(ii) the then outstanding Shares (in either such case other than as a result
of
an acquisition of securities directly from the Company); or
(b) When,
during any period of 24 consecutive months during the existence of the Plan,
the
individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board (the
“Incumbent Directors”) cease or any reason other than death to constitute at
least a majority thereof, provided, however, that a director who was not a
director at the beginning of such 24-month period shall be deemed to have
satisfied such 24-month period) or by prior operation of this subsection (b);
or
(c) The
shareholders of the Company shall approve (i) any consolidation or merger of
the
Company or any Subsidiary where the shareholders of the Company, immediately
prior to the consolidation or merger, would not immediately after the
consolidation or merger, beneficially own (as such term is defined in Rule
13d-3
under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, shares representing in the
aggregate eighty percent (80%) or more of the voting securities of the
corporation issuing cash or securities in the consolidation or merger (or of
its
ultimate parent corporation, if any), (ii) any sale, lease, exchange or other
transfer (in one transaction or a series of transactions contemplated or
arranged by any party as a single plan) of all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company or (iii) any plan or proposal for the liquidation or
dissolution of the Company.
(d) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a “Change of Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred for
purposes of the foregoing clause (i) solely as the result of an acquisition
of
securities by the Company which, by reducing the number of Shares or other
voting securities outstanding, increases (i) the proportionate number of Shares
beneficially owned by any person to twenty percent (20%) or more of the Shares
then outstanding or (ii) the proportionate voting power represented by the
voting securities beneficially owned by any person to twenty percent (20%)
or
more of the combined voting power of all then outstanding voting securities;
provided, however, that if any person referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of
this
sentence shall thereafter become the beneficial owner of any additional Shares
or other voting securities (other than pursuant to a stock split, stock
dividend, or similar transaction), then a “Change of Control” shall be deemed to
have occurred.
D. Code shall
mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. Common
Stock
shall
mean the Corporation’s common stock.
F. Corporation shall
mean Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its
successors.
G. Discretionary
Option Grant Program shall
mean the discretionary option grant program in effect under the
Plan.
H. Employee shall
mean an individual who is in the employ of the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary), subject to the control and direction of the employer entity as
to
both the work to be performed and the manner and method of
performance.
I. Exercise
Date shall
mean the date on which the Corporation shall have received written notice of
the
option exercise.
J. Fair
Market Value per
share
of Common Stock on any relevant date shall be determined in accordance with
the
following provisions:
(i)
If
the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, then the
Fair
Market Value shall be deemed equal to the closing selling price per share
of
Common Stock on the date in question, as such price is reported on the Nasdaq
Stock Market or any successor system. If there is no closing selling price
for
the Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall
be
the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation
exists.
(ii)
If
the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock Exchange, then the Fair
Market Value shall be deemed equal to the closing selling price per share of
Common Stock on the date in question on the Stock Exchange determined by the
Plan Administrator to be the primary market for the Common Stock, as such price
is officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such exchange.
If
there is no closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question,
then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last
preceding date for which such quotation exists.
(iii)
If
the Common Stock is at the time quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board , then the
Fair
Market Value shall be deemed equal to the closing bid price per share of Common
Stock on the date in question.
(iv)
If
the Common Stock is at the time then reported in the “Pink Sheets,” published by
the National Quotation Bureau Incorporated (or a similar organization or agency
succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the Fair Market Value shall
be
deemed equal to the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock as
of
the date of question.
K. Incentive
Option
shall
mean an option which satisfies the requirements of Code Section
422.
L. Involuntary
Termination shall
mean the termination of the Service of any individual which occurs by reason
of:
(i)
such
individual’s involuntary dismissal or discharge by the Corporation for reasons
other than Misconduct, or
(ii)
such
individual’s voluntary resignation following (A) a change in his or her position
with the Corporation which materially reduces his or her level of
responsibility, (B) a reduction in his or her level of compensation (including
base salary, fringe benefits and participation in any corporate-performance
based bonus or incentive programs) by more than fifteen percent (15%) or (C)
a
relocation of such individual’s place of employment by more than fifty (50)
miles, provided and only if such change, reduction or relocation is effected
by
the Corporation without the individual’s consent.
M. Misconduct shall
mean the commission of any act of fraud or embezzlement by the Optionee or
Participant, any unauthorized use or disclosure by such person of confidential
information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary)
which has a material adverse effect on the Corporation. The foregoing definition
shall not be deemed to be inclusive of all the acts or omissions which the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) may consider as grounds for the
dismissal or discharge of any Optionee, Participant or other person in the
Service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
N. 1934
Act
shall
mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
O. Non-Statutory
Option shall
mean an option not intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section
422.
P. Optionee shall
mean any person to whom an option is granted under the Discretionary Option
Grant Program.
Q. Parent shall
mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of
corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each corporation in the
unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time of the
determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations
in such chain.
R. Participant shall
mean any person who is issued shares of Common Stock under the Stock Issuance
Program.
S. Permanent
Disability or Permanently Disabled shall
mean the inability of the Optionee or the Participant to engage in any
substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical
or
mental impairment expected to result in death or to be of continuous duration
of
twelve (12) months or more.
T. Plan shall
mean the Corporation’s 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, as set forth in this
document.
U. Plan
Administrator shall
mean the Organization and Compensation Committee of the Board, which is
authorized to administer the Discretionary Option Grant and Stock Issuance
Programs with respect to one or more classes of eligible persons, to the extent
such entity is carrying out its administrative functions under those programs
with respect to the persons under its jurisdiction.
V. Plan
Effective Date
shall
mean the date on which the Board adopted the Plan.
W. Section
16 Insider shall
mean an officer or director of the Corporation subject to the short-swing profit
liabilities of Section 16 of the 1934 Act.
X. Service shall
mean the performance of services for the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary) by a person in the capacity of an Employee, a non-employee member
of
the board of directors or a consultant or independent advisor, except to the
extent otherwise specifically provided in the documents evidencing the option
grant or stock issuance.
Y. Stock
Exchange shall
mean either the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock
Exchange.
Z. Stock
Issuance Agreement shall
mean the agreement entered into by the Corporation and the Participant at the
time of issuance of shares of Common Stock under the Stock Issuance
Program.
AA.
Stock
Issuance Program shall
mean the stock issuance program in effect under the Plan.
BB.
Subsidiary
shall
mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of
corporations beginning with the Corporation, provided each corporation (other
than the last corporation) in the unbroken chain owns, at the time of the
determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations
in such chain.
CC.
Taxes
shall
mean the Federal, state and local income and employment tax liabilities incurred
by the holder of Non-Statutory Options or unvested shares of Common Stock in
connection with the exercise of those options or the vesting of those
shares.
DD.
10%
Shareholder
shall
mean the owner of stock (as determined under Code Section 424(d)) possessing
more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes
of
stock of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC.
This
Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Directors
2005
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To
Be Held Monday, October 24, 2005, at 10 a.m. PST
The
undersigned hereby appoints Steven W. King and Paul J. Lytle, or any one or
all
of them, with full power of substitution, attorneys and proxies to represent
the
undersigned at the annual meeting of stockholders of PEREGRINE PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC. to be held on October 24, 2005 and at any adjournment thereof, with all
the
power which the undersigned would possess if personally present and to vote,
as
specified below, all shares of Common Stock which the undersigned may be
entitled to vote at said meeting.
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IF
NOT OTHERWISE MARKED, THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY SHALL
BE VOTED
AS FOLLOWS:
"FOR"
ITEMS 1, 2, 3, and 4
AND “AGAINST”
ITEMS 5 and 6.
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PLEASE
MARK VOTES
AS
SHOWN IN THIS EXAMPLE: ý
|
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR"
ITEMS 1, 2, 3, and 4
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FOR
|
AGAINST
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ABSTAIN
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1.
Election of Directors.
Nominees:
01
Carlton M. Johnson
02
Steven W. King
03
David H. Pohl
04
Eric S. Swartz
05
Thomas A. Waltz, M.D.
(Instructions:
To withhold authority to vote for any one or more individual nominee(s),
write that nominee(s) name on the space provided below.)
____________________________________
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2.
Ratify the Audit Committee’s selection of Ernst & Young LLP as
our independent registered public accounting firm for
fiscal year 2006.
3.
Approve a proposed amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation
to
increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock by
50,000,000.
4.
To approve the adoption of our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.
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¨
¨
¨
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¨
¨
¨
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¨
¨
¨
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FOR
all
nominees
listed
below
(except
as marked
to
the contrary)
¨
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WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY
to
vote for all nominees
listed
below
¨
|
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “AGAINST”
ITEM 5 and 6.
5.
Require two nominees for each open seat on the Board of
Directors.
6.
Require us to obtain stockholder approval of all stock
options and/or warrants issued to officers
and
members of the Board of Directors.
NEW
ADDRESS: ______________________
____________________________________
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¨
¨
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¨
¨
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¨
¨
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Signature
_______________________
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Date
__________
|
Signature
______________
|
Date
______________
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NOTE:
Please sign as name appears on this proxy. Joint owners should each
sign.
When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian,
please give full titles as such.
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YOUR
VOTE IS IMPORTANT!
PLEASE
VOTE