TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relate to an offering of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase our common stock. Before buying any of the common stock and pre-funded warrants that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with the information incorporated by reference as described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference” in this prospectus supplement. These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of this offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants and also adds to, updates and changes information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. To the extent the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs from or conflicts with the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document incorporated by reference herein and therein having an earlier date, the information in this prospectus supplement will control. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date — for example, a document incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus — the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that which is contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering. Neither we, nor the underwriters, take any responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation of an offer in such jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus come are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement is accurate as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus supplement only and that any information we have incorporated by reference or included in the accompanying prospectus is accurate only as of the date given in the document incorporated by reference or as of the date of the accompanying prospectus, as applicable, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of our common stock or pre-funded warrants. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been or will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or as exhibits to documents incorporated by reference herein, and you
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may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.”
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
When we refer to “TELA,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, we mean TELA Bio, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiaries unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.
“TELA,” the TELA logo, TELA Bio®, OviTex® and other trademarks, trade names or service marks of TELA Bio, Inc. appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of TELA Bio, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary description about us, our business and this offering highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or incorporated in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before deciding to invest in our common stock or pre-funded warrants. You should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and each of the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference, before making an investment decision. Investors should carefully consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors” on page S-9 and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
The Company
We are a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy. Our growing product portfolio is purposefully designed to leverage the patient’s natural healing response while minimizing long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials. We are committed to delivering our advanced technologies with a strong economic value proposition to assist surgeons and institutions in providing next-generation soft-tissue repair solutions to more patients worldwide.
We are dedicated to building true partnerships with surgeons and healthcare providers to deliver solutions that provide both clinical and economic improvements. We believe that genuine collaboration with surgeons and healthcare providers results in the development of new solutions that empower patient care.
Our first portfolio of products, the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex, which we first commercialized in the United States, or U.S., in July 2016 and in Europe in February 2019, addresses unmet needs in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction by combining the benefits of biologic matrices and polymer materials while minimizing their shortcomings, at a cost-effective price.
Hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S., representing approximately 1.1 million procedures annually. Based on the volume weighted average selling price of our OviTex products, we estimate the annual U.S. total addressable market opportunity for our OviTex products to be approximately $1.5 billion.
Our OviTex portfolio consists of multiple product configurations intended to address various surgical procedures within hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, including ventral, inguinal, and hiatal hernia repair. In addition, we have also designed an OviTex product specifically for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia repair, which we market as OviTex LPR and began commercializing this product in November 2018. In February 2023, we launched two larger configurations of OviTex LPR, designed for ventral and incisional hernias. In April 2024, we launched OviTex IHR Reinforced Tissue Matrix, a new OviTex configuration specifically designed to address inguinal hernia procedures performed robotically and laparoscopically.
We have also focused on evaluating and publishing clinical data on the effectiveness and safety of our OviTex products. To date, there have been over thirty published or presented works relating to these clinical findings, either by us or a third-party evaluating the OviTex product. In October 2022, the 24-month results of our single arm, multicenter post-market clinical study, which we refer to as our BRAVO study, were published in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery. The BRAVO study was designed to evaluate the clinical performance of OviTex for primary or recurrent ventral hernias using open, laparoscopic, or robotic techniques in 92 enrolled patients. The recurrence rate at the 24-month time point was 2.6%, and surgical site occurrences, or SSOs, were observed in 38% of the study population. Of the enrolled patients, 78% were characterized as high risk for experiencing an SSO based on at least one known risk factor, which included obesity, active smoking, COPD, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, or advanced age (≥75 years). The results also indicated that BRAVO patients experienced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in their quality of life and perceived health based on patient responses to the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) health assessment and the validated 12-question Hernia-Related Quality of Life survey (HerQLes). In addition to the BRAVO study and other current clinical initiatives, we also commenced enrollment in May 2021 for our BRAVO II study, a prospective study evaluating the use of OviTex in robot-assisted ventral and inguinal hernia repairs.
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Our second portfolio of products, the OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex PRS, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in May 2019, addresses unmet needs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. OviTex PRS is indicated for use in implantation to reinforce soft-tissue where weakness exists in patients requiring soft-tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Our OviTex PRS portfolio consists of three product configurations with two or three layers of high-quality tissue derived from ovine rumen, which is reinforced with either permanent or resorbable polymer for added strength, stabilization, and controlled stretch. These products are designed to improve outcomes by facilitating functional tissue remodeling while controlling the degree and direction of stretch. In August 2023, we announced the launch of our OviTex PRS Long-Term Resorbable product configuration, which was designed to enhance the OviTex PRS portfolio with specific design features, including bi-directional stretch and a fully resorbable, long-term polymer for reinforcement.
Our OviTex PRS portfolio is supported by non-human primate data that demonstrated more rapid tissue integration and tissue remodeling compared to the market leading biologic matrix used in this indication. Based on the current sales of biologic matrices in the U.S., we estimate the annual U.S. current addressable market opportunity for our OviTex PRS products to be approximately $700 million.
Our OviTex products have received 510(k) clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, which clearances were obtained and are currently held by our exclusive contract manufacturer of these products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., or Aroa. In April 2019, our first OviTex PRS products received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was initially obtained by Aroa and is currently held by us. In March 2023, we received an additional 510(k) clearance for our OviTex PRS Long-Term Resorbable device, which is currently held by us. In May 2024, we received clearance of a Special 510(k) related to minor changes to our OviTex PRS Permanent and Short-Term Resorbable devices. In October 2024, we received approval from the FDA for our investigational device exemption application relating to the study of the safety and effectiveness of our OviTex PRS product in implant-based breast reconstruction. We continue to evaluate and finalize the clinical study protocol and anticipate additional FDA interactions related to such to support a pre-market application to obtain an indication for OviTex PRS for use in breast reconstruction.
We also continue to expand our service offerings and diversify our supplier base as we continue to create a soft tissue preservation and restoration portfolio, including through the development of complimentary solutions in our indications, such as atraumatic mesh fixation devices or surgical wound management and infection control. In September 2023, we entered into a distribution agreement with Advanced Medical Solutions Limited, a company registered in England, to distribute their LiquiFix Hernia Mesh Fixation Devices (LiquiFix FIX8™ and LiquiFix Precision™). In March 2024, we announced the full commercial launch of LiquiFix in the U.S. We previously co-developed and commercialized our NIVIS Fibrillar Collagen Pack, or NIVIS, an absorbent matrix of Type I and Type III bovine collagen designed to manage moderately to heavily exudating wounds and to control minor bleeding, in partnership with Regenity Biosciences. In March 2024, we sold our distribution rights to MiMedx Group, Inc. in exchange for an initial $5.0 million payment and additional future payments aggregating between a minimum of $3.0 million and a maximum of $7.0 million based on net sales of NIVIS during the first two years following its launch by MiMedx Group, Inc. We continue to assess additional strategic partnerships with medical device companies whereby we may enter into distribution, product development and/or licensing agreements for new products complimentary to, or related to, existing and future products in our distribution channel.
We have a broad portfolio of intellectual property protecting our products that we believe, when combined with the proprietary manufacturing processes associated with our products and our know-how, provides significant barriers to entry. Our intellectual property applies to our differentiated product construction and materials. In addition, we believe our exclusive manufacturing and long-term supply and license agreement with Aroa creates a competitive advantage by allowing us to secure an exclusive supply of ovine rumen at a low cost. Ovine rumen, the forestomach of a sheep, is the source of the biologic material used in our OviTex and OviTex PRS products. We use biologic material from ovine rumen because of its plentiful supply, optimal biomechanical profile and open collagen architecture that allows for rapid cellular infiltration. Our OviTex products are manufactured by Aroa at their FDA registered and ISO 13485 compliant facility in Auckland, New Zealand. We purchase product from Aroa at a fixed transfer cost as a percentage of Aroa’s cost of goods sold, and, with the exception of our recent IHR-dedicated products, equals 27% of our net sales of licensed products. This revenue sharing arrangement allows us to competitively price our products and pass along cost-savings to our customers.
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We market our products through a single direct sales force, predominantly in the U.S., as augmented by a smaller number of sales representatives and distributors in certain European countries. We have invested in our direct sales and marketing infrastructure to expand our presence and to promote awareness and adoption of our products. As of September 30, 2024, we had 75 sales territories in the U.S. We believe we can enhance the productivity of our sales force by improving customer segmentation and targeting, implementing and further refining our proprietary training programs, leveraging support from our medical education and medical affairs functions to drive physician awareness, education and clinical understanding of our products, and utilizing engagement analytics to support further product development and enhancement opportunities. Additionally, we have contracted with three national group purchasing organizations, or GPOs, covering our OviTex and OviTex PRS products and plan to continue to contract with additional GPOs and other integrated delivery networks to increase access to and penetration of hospital accounts.
We are currently devoting research and development resources to develop additional variations of our OviTex and OviTex PRS product lines, including larger versions of our current product configurations, the development of configurations with longer-acting resorbable polymers and other potential product and packaging enhancements to extend the shelf life of our products. In addition, we also continue to explore the development of lower-cost, higher-margin resorbable polymer-based devices targeting our current indications. We are also exploring additional technologies that may complement our existing products, or expand the number of our product lines, in each case within the hernia, plastic and reconstruction, and broader soft-tissue reconstruction and preservation markets. We intend to continue to make investments in research and development efforts to develop improvements and enhancements to our product portfolio. We are also assessing strategic partnerships with medical device companies whereby we may enter into distribution, product development and/or licensing agreements for products complimentary to, or related to, existing and future products in our distribution channel, which could result in the payment by us of single digit percentage royalties or other product acquisition costs.
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “TELA.” There is no established trading market for the pre-funded warrants and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for the listing of the pre-funded warrants on any national securities exchange or other trading market.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated on April 17, 2012. Our primary executive offices are located at 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 and our telephone number is (484) 320-2930. Our website address is www.telabio.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, and you should not consider any information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus supplement or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.
Recent Developments
Preliminary Third Quarter Results
Preliminary unaudited operating results for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and certain preliminary financial condition information as of September 30, 2024 are as follows:
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Revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024 is estimated to be $19.0 million, compared to $15.1 million over the corresponding period of 2023.
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Gross margin for the three months ended September 30, 2024 is estimated to be approximately 68%, compared to 69% over the corresponding period of 2023.
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We ended the third quarter with $17.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $46.7 million as of December 31, 2023.
In addition, we implemented cost cutting measures in the third quarter of 2024, which are intended to reduce operating expenses in the future.
The above information is preliminary financial information as of and for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and is subject to completion. The unaudited, estimated results as of and for the
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three months ended September 30, 2024 are preliminary and were prepared by our management, based upon our estimates, a number of assumptions and currently available information, and are subject to revision based upon, among other things, quarter-end closing procedures and/or adjustments, the completion of our interim financial statements and other operational procedures. This preliminary financial information is the responsibility of management and has been prepared in good faith on a consistent basis with prior periods. However, we have not completed our financial closing procedures for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and our actual results could be materially different from this preliminary financial information, which preliminary information should not be regarded as a representation by us, our management, or the underwriters as to our actual results as of and for the three months ended September 30, 2024. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm has not audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to this preliminary financial information and does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect to this preliminary financial information. During the course of the preparation of our financial statements and related notes as of and for the three months ended September 30, 2024, we may identify items that would require us to make material adjustments to this preliminary financial information. As a result, prospective investors should exercise caution in relying on this information and should not draw any inferences from this information. This preliminary financial information should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles and reviewed by our auditors. See “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.235 billion in annual revenue; the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; the issuance, in any three-year period, by us of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and December 31, 2024, the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering. We refer to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 herein as the “JOBS Act,” and any reference herein to “emerging growth company” has the meaning ascribed to it in the JOBS Act.
An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended;
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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and
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exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations in this prospectus and our other filings with the SEC. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption. As a result of these elections, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain scaled disclosure obligations. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the aggregate value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates equaled or exceeded $250.0 million on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100.0 million during such completed fiscal year and the value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates equaled or exceeded $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
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THE OFFERING
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Common stock to be offered by us
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Pre-funded warrants offered by us
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We are also offering to each purchaser the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to shares of common stock, in lieu of shares of common stock. Each pre-funded warrant will be exercisable for one share of our common stock. The purchase price of each pre-funded warrant will equal the price per share at which the shares of common stock are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant will be $0.0001 per share. This offering also relates to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of any pre-funded warrants sold in this offering. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise will be subject to certain further adjustments as described herein. See “Description of pre-funded warrants” for additional information.
Each pre-funded warrant is exercisable for one share of our common stock (subject to adjustment as provided therein) at any time at the option of the holder, provided that the holder will be prohibited from exercising its pre-funded warrant for shares of our common stock if, as a result of such exercise, the holder, together with its affiliates, would own more than 9.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 4.99%) of the total number of shares of our common stock then issued and outstanding. However, any holder may increase or decrease such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%, provided that any increase or decrease in such percentage shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice to us.
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Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares from us
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| | We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock from us at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. | |
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering
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Use of proceeds
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We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million, or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, in each case assuming no exercise of any pre-funded warrants offered and sold by us, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including but not limited to sales and marketing, research and development activities, general and administrative matters, working capital and capital expenditures. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-14 of this prospectus supplement.
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Risk factors
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| | Investing in our common stock and pre-funded warrants involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement and other information included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants. | |
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Indications of interest
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| | Certain of our officers have indicated an interest in purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering at the public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters could determine to sell more, less or no shares to any of these potential investors and any of these potential investors could determine to purchase more, less or no shares in this offering. The underwriting discount for any shares sold to these potential investors in the offering will be the same as the underwriting discount for the shares sold to the public. | |
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Nasdaq Global Market symbol
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“TELA”
There is no established trading market for the pre-funded warrants and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for the listing of the pre-funded warrants on any national securities exchange or other trading market. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the pre-funded warrants will be limited.
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The number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 24,675,832 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2024, and excludes the following:
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2,239,140 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2024, at a weighted-average exercise price of $11.07 per share;
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774,891 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of service-based restricted stock units outstanding;
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216,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of performance-based restricted stock units outstanding;
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88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2024, at an exercise price of $28.65 per share;
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806,609 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2019 Plan, as of June 30, 2024 as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the 2019 Plan; and
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459,356 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended, or the ESPP, as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the ESPP.
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement:
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does not reflect the potential issuance of shares of common stock that remain available for sale as of the date of this prospectus supplement under our “at-the-market offering” program, pursuant to which we may sell our common stock from time to time under our equity distribution agreement between us and Piper Sandler & Co., dated as of November 13, 2023;
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assumes no exercise of the outstanding options or warrants described above or those that we are offering in this offering in lieu of common stock to certain investors; and
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assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares from us.
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RISK FACTORS
Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus supplement, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
Risks Related to This Offering
Our preliminary financial estimates represent management’s current estimates and are subject to change.
The preliminary financial information contained in “Prospectus Supplement Summary — Recent Developments — Preliminary Third Quarter Results” represents only preliminary estimates and is based on information available to management as of the date of this prospectus supplement and these estimates could change. Our actual financial results as of, and for the three and nine months ended, September 30, 2024 are subject to the completion of our financial statements as of such date, and for such periods. Such actual financial results will not be available until after this offering is completed and, consequently, will not be available to you prior to investing in this offering. Our actual financial results as of, and for the three and nine months ended, September 30, 2024 may differ materially from the preliminary financial results we have provided as a result of completion of our final adjustments, review by our independent registered public accountants and other developments arising between now and the time that our financial results for such periods are finalized. Our independent registered public accountants have not audited or completed their review with respect to such preliminary estimates and, accordingly, do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. Complete results as of, and for the three and nine months ended, September 30, 2024 will be included in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024. See the other risks described in this section and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for additional information regarding factors that could result in differences between these preliminary and the actual financial results we will report as of, and for the three and nine months ended, September 30, 2024.
Management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds from this offering, and may not use the proceeds effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion with respect to the use of proceeds of this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section of this prospectus supplement entitled “Use of Proceeds.” Our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not improve our financial condition or market value. Pending use, we may invest any net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or loses value. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and cause the price of our common stock to decline. Please see the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” on page S-14 of this prospectus supplement for further information.
You may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase.
If you purchase our common stock or pre-funded warrants in this offering, you will incur an immediate dilution of $ in net tangible book value (deficit) per share from the price you paid, based on the public offering price of $ per share and $ per pre-funded warrant, and assuming no exercise of the pre-funded warrants and no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The exercise of outstanding options or warrants, including those that we are offering in this offering in lieu of common
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stock to certain investors, and vesting and settlement of service-based restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units will result in further dilution. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see the section titled “Dilution.”
Issuances of shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of common stock following this offering, as well as the exercise of options and warrants, will dilute your ownership interests and may adversely affect the future market price of our common stock.
We may need additional capital to fund the development, production and marketing of our products. We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements, which may cause your ownership interest to be diluted. In addition, as of June 30, 2024, there were options to purchase 2,239,140 shares of our common stock outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $11.07, 774,891 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of service-based restricted stock units outstanding, 216,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of performance-based restricted stock units and 88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $28.65 per share. If these securities are exercised, you may incur further dilution. Moreover, to the extent that we issue additional options to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock in the future and those options or other securities are exercised, converted or exchanged, stockholders may experience further dilution.
The market price and trading volume of our stock may be volatile.
The price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. Even though our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, an active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained. The lack of an active trading market may impair the value of your shares and your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them. An inactive trading market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and enter into strategic partnerships or acquire other complementary products, technologies or businesses by using shares of our common stock as consideration. Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to satisfy the continued listing standards of Nasdaq. If we fail to satisfy the continued listing standards, we could be de-listed, which would have a negative effect on the price of our common stock.
We cannot predict the prices at which our shares of common stock may trade. The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially due to many factors, including:
•
the volume and timing of sales of our products;
•
the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry;
•
disputes or other developments with respect to our or others’ intellectual property rights;
•
our ability to develop, obtain regulatory clearance for, and market new and enhanced products on a timely basis;
•
product liability claims or other litigation;
•
quarterly variations in our results of operations or those of others in our industry;
•
media exposure of our products or of those of others in our industry;
•
changes in governmental regulations or in reimbursement;
•
changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;
•
sales of shares of our common stock by us, insiders or our stockholders;
•
broad trends impacting companies within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries; and
•
general market conditions and other factors, including the current state of the credit and capital markets, natural disasters and other calamities, including global pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or macroeconomic factors such as geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war.
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In recent weeks, the U.S. has experienced a shortage of IV fluids, which may impact elective procedural volumes and as a result may impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In recent years, the stock markets generally have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors may significantly affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
In addition, in the past, class action litigation has often been instituted against companies whose securities have experienced periods of volatility in market price. Securities litigation brought against us following volatility in our stock price, regardless of the merit or ultimate results of such litigation, could result in substantial costs, which would hurt our financial condition and operating results and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.
There is no public market for the pre-funded warrants being offered in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the pre-funded warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, including the Nasdaq Global Market. Without an active market, the liquidity of the pre-funded warrants will be limited.
We will not receive any meaningful amount of additional funds upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants.
Each pre-funded warrant will be exercisable until it is fully exercised and by means of payment of the nominal cash purchase price upon exercise or by means of a “cashless exercise” according to a formula set forth in the pre-funded warrant. Accordingly, we will not receive any meaningful additional funds upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants.
Significant holders or beneficial holders of our common stock may not be permitted to exercise pre-funded warrants that they hold.
A holder of a pre-funded warrant will not be entitled to exercise any portion of any pre-funded warrants which, upon giving effect to such exercise, would cause (i) the aggregate number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the holder (together with its affiliates) to exceed 9.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 4.99%) of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, or (ii) the combined voting power of our securities beneficially owned by the holder (together with its affiliates) to exceed 9.99% of the combined voting power of all of our securities then outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the pre-funded warrants. Such percentage may be increased or decreased by written notice by the holder of the pre-funded warrants to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%. Such increase or decrease will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to us. As a result, you may not be able to exercise your pre-funded warrants for shares of our common stock at a time when it would be financially beneficial for you to do so. In such circumstance you could seek to sell your pre-funded warrants to realize value, but you may be unable to do so in the absence of an established trading market for the pre-funded warrants.
Holders of pre-funded warrants purchased in this offering will have no rights as common stockholders until such holders exercise their pre-funded warrants and acquire our common stock.
Until holders of pre-funded warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of such warrants, holders of pre-funded warrants will have no rights with respect to the shares of our common stock underlying such pre-funded warrants. Upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, about us and our subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “projects,” “plans,” “goal,” “targets,” “potential,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “intends” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning:
•
estimates regarding future results of operations, financial position, research and development costs, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;
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the commercial success and degree of market acceptance of our products;
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the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry, including new products which may be perceived to negatively impact the demand for our products now or in the future;
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our ability to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organization and to market and sell our products in the U.S. and Europe;
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the performance of our exclusive contract manufacturer for our OviTex and OviTex PRS products, Aroa, in connection with the supply of product and in the development of additional products and product configurations within these product lines;
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our ability to maintain our supply chain integrity and expand our supply chain to manage increased demand for our products;
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our ability to compete successfully with larger competitors in our highly competitive industry;
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our ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our current products and any future products we may seek to commercialize;
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our ability to enhance our products, expand our indications and develop and commercialize additional products;
•
the development, regulatory approval, efficacy and commercialization of competing products;
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our business model and strategic plans for our products, technologies and business, including our implementation thereof;
•
the size of the markets for our current and future products;
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our ability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly qualified personnel;
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our ability to obtain additional capital to finance our planned operations;
•
our ability to maintain regulatory approval for our products;
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our ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for our future products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals;
•
decreasing selling prices and pricing pressures;
•
regulatory developments in the U.S. and European markets;
•
the potential impact of healthcare reform in the U.S., including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and measures being taken worldwide designed to reduce healthcare costs;
•
the possible effects arising from pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious illness, including coronavirus disease, influenza, or respiratory syncytial virus among others and associated economic disruptions, including the frequency of surgical procedures using our products, labor and hospital
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staffing shortages, supply chain integrity, and adverse healthcare economic factors affecting our products or the procedures in which they are used;
•
the impact of external cybersecurity events, including ransomware attacks, infiltration and hacking and other system outages, affecting hospitals, third-party payors and other vendors within the healthcare industry may result in a decrease in surgical procedures using our products;
•
the volatility of capital markets and other adverse macroeconomic factors, including due to inflationary pressures, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, banking instability, monetary policy changes, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war, including from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the current conflict in Israel and Gaza (including any escalation or expansion) and increasing tensions between China and Taiwan;
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our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls;
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our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others;
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the occurrence of adverse safety events, restrictions on use with our products or product liability claims;
•
our anticipated use of proceeds from this offering; and
•
other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. Our business and operations are and will be subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Consequently, actual results and experience may materially differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and experience to differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any document incorporated herein by reference herein and therein is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of common stock in this offering at a public offering price of $ per share and $ per pre-funded warrant will be $ million after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, we estimate that our net proceeds will be approximately $ million after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We will receive nominal proceeds, if any, upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the common stock offered by us hereunder, if any, for general corporate purposes, including but not limited to sales and marketing, research and development activities, general and administrative matters, working capital and capital expenditures. We do not currently have specific plans or commitments with respect to the net proceeds from this offering and, accordingly, we are unable to quantify the allocations of such proceeds among the various potential uses. Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering, and our investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering.
Pending the use of the net proceeds from this offering as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments including money market funds, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We do not anticipate declaring or paying, in the foreseeable future, any cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings, if any, to fund the development and expansion of our business. Any future determination related to dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements and other factors the board of directors deem relevant. In addition, our credit agreement with MidCap Financial Trust contains covenants that restrict our ability to pay cash dividends and our ability to pay cash dividends on our capital stock in the future may be limited by the terms of any future debt or preferred securities we issue or any other credit facilities we enter into.
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DILUTION
If you invest in our common stock or pre-funded warrants in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. As of June 30, 2024, our net tangible book value was $0.9 million, or $0.04 per share. Net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets (excluding deferred issuance costs) less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding.
After giving effect to the sale of (i) shares of our common stock at the public offering price of $ per share and (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to shares of common stock in this offering at a public offering price of $ per pre-funded warrant (which equals the public offering price of the common stock at which shares of common stock are being sold to the public in this offering less the $0.0001 per share exercise price of each such pre-funded warrant), and after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the pre-funded warrants issued pursuant to this offering or any resulting accounting associated with the pre-funded warrants, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been $ million, or $ per share. This amount represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $ per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. We determine dilution by subtracting the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the price per share paid by an investor in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution:
| |
Offering price per share.
|
| | | | | | | | | $ | | | |
| |
Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2024
|
| | | $ | 0.04 | | | | | | | | |
| |
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to investors purchasing shares
in this offering |
| | | $ | | | | | | | | | |
| |
As adjusted net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2024 after giving effect to this offering
|
| | | | | | | | | $ | | | |
| |
Dilution per share to investors in this offering
|
| | | | | | | | | $ | | | |
The discussion and table above assumes (i) no exercise of the pre-funded warrants sold in this offering and (ii) that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares of common stock.
If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares (and excluding shares of our common stock issued and any proceeds received upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants or any resulting accounting associated with the pre-funded warrants), our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $ per share, representing an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $ to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $ in as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. The foregoing table and calculations are based on 24,675,832 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2024, and exclude:
•
2,239,140 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2024, at a weighted-average exercise price of $11.07 per share;
•
774,891 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of service-based restricted stock units outstanding;
•
216,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of performance-based restricted stock units outstanding;
•
88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2024, at an exercise price of $28.65 per share;
•
806,609 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of June 30, 2024 as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the 2019 Plan; and
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•
459,356 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our ESPP, as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the ESPP.
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants, including the pre-funded warrants purchased in this offering, are exercised, investors purchasing shares in this offering could experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or equity-based securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OFFERED
We are offering shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock. We are also registering the shares of common stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants offered hereby.
Common stock
The material terms and provisions of our common stock and each other class of our securities which qualifies or limits our common stock are described in the section entitled “Description of Capital Stock” beginning on page 9 of the accompanying prospectus and the Description of Capital Stock included as Exhibit 4.2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 22, 2024.
Description of pre-funded warrants
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of pre-funded warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the pre-funded warrant, the form of which will be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with this offering and incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of pre-funded warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the pre-funded warrants.
Pre-funded warrants will be issued in certificated form only.
Term
The pre-funded warrants will not expire.
Duration and exercise price
Each pre-funded warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to $0.0001. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.
Exercisability
The pre-funded warrants will be exercisable at any time on or after the original issuance date. The pre-funded warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of such holder’s pre-funded warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 9.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 4.99%) of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least sixty-one (61) days’ written prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase or decrease the amount of ownership of outstanding shares of common stock after exercising the holder’s pre-funded warrants up to 9.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the pre-funded warrants. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued in connection with the exercise of a pre-funded warrant. In lieu of fractional shares, we will either pay the holder an amount in cash equal to the fractional amount multiplied by the exercise price or round up to the next whole share.
Cashless exercise
In lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the pre-funded warrants.
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Fundamental transactions
In the event of any fundamental transaction, as described in the pre-funded warrants and generally including any merger with or into another entity, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, tender offer or exchange offer, or reclassification of our shares of common stock, then upon any subsequent exercise of a pre-funded warrant, the holder will have the right to receive as alternative consideration, for each share of common stock that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such fundamental transaction, the number of shares of common stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of our company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration receivable upon or as a result of such transaction by a holder of the number of shares of common stock for which the pre-funded warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, the pre-funded warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent. The pre-funded warrants will be held in definitive form by the warrant agent. The ownership of the pre-funded warrants and any transfers of the pre-funded warrants will be registered in a warrant register maintained by the warrant agent. We will initially act as warrant agent.
Exchange listing
There is no established trading market for the pre-funded warrants. We do not intend to list the pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system.
Right as a stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the pre-funded warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the pre-funded warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until such pre-funded warrant holders exercise their pre-funded warrants.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
Subject to the limitations, assumptions and qualifications described herein, the following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering. For purposes of this section, such shares, or Shares, and pre-funded warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Offered Securities.” All prospective holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities.
This discussion is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, existing Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published administrative pronouncements and rulings of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement. These authorities are subject to change and to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to holders described in this discussion. There can be no assurance that a court or the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein, and TELA has not obtained, nor does it intend to obtain, a ruling with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a holder of the purchase, ownership or disposition of the Offered Securities.
This discussion addresses only Offered Securities that are held as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to particular holders in light of their individual circumstances, nor does it address any alternative minimum, Medicare contribution, estate or gift tax consequences, the special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, or any aspects of U.S. state or local or non-U.S. taxes. It does not address holders that are subject to special rules, such as:
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banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;
•
tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations;
•
brokers or dealers in securities;
•
traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings
•
persons who hold any of the Offered Securities as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction,” or other risk reduction transaction;
•
persons deemed to sell any of the Offered Securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;
•
entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes or other pass-through entities such as subchapter S corporations (or investors in such entities or arrangements);
•
regulated investment companies or real estate investment trust;
•
controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies or corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
•
U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
•
“qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds;
•
persons that own, actually or constructively, more than 5% of our common stock;
•
U.S. expatriates and former citizens or former long-term residents of the United States; or
•
holders that acquire the Offered Securities through the exercise of an employee stock option or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan.
If a holder is a partnership or other pass-through entity (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes), the U.S. federal income
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tax treatment of a partner or beneficial owner will generally depend on the status of such partner or beneficial owner and the entity’s activities. Partnerships, partners and beneficial owners in partnerships or other pass-through entities that own the Offered Securities should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities.
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of the Offered Securities, that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:
•
an individual that is a citizen or resident of the United States;
•
corporation, or an entity treated as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
•
a trust that (1) is subject to (A) the primary supervision of a court within the United States and (B) the authority of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person; or
•
an estate that is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income regardless of its source.
As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner, other than an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of the Offered Securities that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes not a U.S. Holder. U.S. Holders and Non-U.S. Holders are collectively referred to herein as “holders.”
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES.
General treatment of pre-funded warrants
Although it is not entirely free from doubt, a pre-funded warrant should be treated as a Share for U.S. federal income tax purposes and a holder of pre-funded warrants should generally be taxed in the same manner as a holder of the Shares as described below. Accordingly, upon exercise, the holding period of a pre-funded warrant should carry over to the Share received. Similarly, the tax basis of the pre-funded warrant should carry over to the Share received upon exercise increased by the exercise price of $0.0001. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences associated with the acquisition of a pre-funded warrant pursuant to this offering (including potential alternative characterizations). The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Tax considerations applicable to U.S. holders
Distributions on the shares and constructive distributions on pre-funded warrants
TELA does not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of TELA’s common stock in the foreseeable future. If TELA makes distributions of cash or other property on the Shares (other than certain distributions of stock) or constructive distributions result with respect to the pre-funded warrants, as described below, such distributions will constitute dividends to the extent paid out of TELA’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by a corporate U.S. Holder may be eligible for a dividends received deduction, subject to applicable limitations. Dividends received by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, are generally taxed at the lower applicable capital gains rate provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions in excess of TELA’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Shares or pre-funded warrants, as applicable, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under “— Sale or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities.”
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Under Section 305 of the Code, an adjustment to the number of Shares that will be issued on the exercise of pre-funded warrants, or an adjustment to the exercise price of pre-funded warrants (or in certain circumstances, a failure to make adjustments), may be treated as a constructive distribution to a U.S. Holder of pre-funded warrants if, and to the extent that, such adjustment has the effect of increasing such U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in TELA’s earnings and profits as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles or TELA’s assets, depending on the circumstances of such adjustment (for example, if such adjustment is to compensate for a distribution of cash or other property to TELA’s shareholders). U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the number of Shares that will be issued on the exercise of pre-funded warrants or the exercise price of pre-funded warrants. For certain informational reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distribution and publicly report such information or report such information to the IRS and holders of pre-funded warrants not exempt from information reporting. Proposed Treasury regulations, on which we may rely prior to the issuance of final Treasury regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions, and withholding obligations with respect thereto, are determined.
Sale or other taxable disposition of the offered securities
Upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Shares or pre-funded warrants, a U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash and the fair market value of any other property received upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares or pre-funded warrants. This capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period in such Shares or pre-funded warrants is more than one year at the time of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition. Long-term capital gains recognized by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, generally will be subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
Backup withholding and information reporting
In general, backup withholding and information reporting requirements may apply to distributions on the Shares, to constructive distributions on pre-funded warrants, and to the receipt of proceeds on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities. Backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24 percent) may apply if a U.S. Holder fails to furnish its taxpayer identification number, a U.S. Holder fails to certify under penalties of perjury that such taxpayer identification number is correct and that such U.S. Holder is not subject to backup withholding (generally on a properly completed and duly executed IRS Form W-9), the applicable withholding agent is notified by the IRS that the U.S. Holder previously failed to properly report payments of interest or dividends, or such U.S. Holder otherwise fails to comply with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.
Certain U.S. Holders generally are not subject to backup withholding and information reporting requirements, provided that their exemptions from backup withholding and information reporting are properly established. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from a payment to a U.S. Holder under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a credit against such U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such U.S. Holder to a refund, provided the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding, the availability of an exemption from backup withholding, and the procedure for obtaining such an exemption, if available.
Tax considerations applicable to non-U.S. holders
Distributions on the shares and the constructive distributions on pre-funded warrants
As mentioned above, TELA does not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of TELA’s common stock in the foreseeable future. However, distributions of cash or other property (other than certain distributions of stock) on the Shares and constructive distributions result with respect to pre-funded warrants, as described above under “Tax considerations applicable to U.S. Holders-Distributions on the Shares and constructive distributions on pre-funded warrants,” will constitute dividends to the extent paid out of TELA’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax
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purposes. Distributions in excess of TELA’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Shares or pre-funded warrants, as applicable, but not below zero. Any excess will be subject to the treatment as described below under “— Sale or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities.”
Dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States generally will be subject to withholding tax at a 30-percent rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to provide TELA or TELA’s paying agent with a properly executed applicable IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or appropriate successor form), as applicable, certifying under penalties of perjury that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person and is eligible for the benefits under the applicable income tax treaty. These forms may need to be periodically updated. If a Non-U.S. Holder holds the Offered Securities through a financial institution or other intermediary, the Non-U.S. Holder generally will be required to provide the appropriate documentation to the financial institution or other intermediary. A Non-U.S. Holder eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty who fails to timely provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or appropriate successor form), as applicable, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS.
If dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be taxed on the dividends in the same manner as a U.S. Holder. In this case, the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the withholding tax discussed in the preceding paragraph, although the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or appropriate successor form) in order to claim an exemption from withholding. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, are subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular U.S. federal income tax rates generally applicable to U.S. Holders. Dividends received by a corporate Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30-percent rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty). Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to other U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities, including the possible imposition of the branch profits tax.
Sale or other taxable disposition of the offered securities
Subject to the discussions below under “— Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “— FATCA,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on gain realized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities unless
•
the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States);
•
the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or
•
TELA is or has been a “United States real property holding corporation,” as defined in the Code, at any time within the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period, whichever period is shorter, and the Non-U.S. Holder is not eligible for an exemption under an applicable income tax treaty.
•
TELA believes that it is not, and does not anticipate becoming, a United States real property holding corporation. Even if TELA is or has been a United States real property holding corporation during the specified testing period, as long as TELA’s common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market (such as the Nasdaq Global Market) at any time during the calendar year in which the disposition occurs, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax
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on the disposition of the Shares if the Non-U.S. Holder does not own or has not owned (actually or constructively) more than 5 percent of TELA’s common stock at any time during the shorter of the two periods mentioned above. Non-U.S. Special rules may apply to the determination of the 5-percent threshold in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder of pre-funded warrants. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the effect of holding pre-funded warrants on the calculation of such 5-percent threshold. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of this regularly traded exception.
If a Non-U.S. Holder recognizes gain on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities that is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular U.S. federal income tax rates generally applicable to a United States person. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, the Non-U.S. Holder may also be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30-percent rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to other U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities, including the possible imposition of the branch profits tax.
A Non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a 30-percent rate (unless otherwise provided pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty) on gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities, but such gain may be offset by certain U.S.-source capital losses (even though the Non-U.S. Holder is not considered a resident of the United States), provided that the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
Information reporting and backup withholding
Information returns will be filed with the IRS in connection with distributions on the Shares and constructive distributions on the pre-funded warrants. Copies of the information returns reporting those distributions and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which a Non-U.S. Holder is a resident under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or agreement. Unless a Non-U.S. Holder complies with certification procedures to establish that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person, information returns may also be filed with the IRS in connection with the proceeds from a sale, exchange or other disposition of the Offered Securities to or through the U.S. office (and, in certain cases, the foreign office) of a broker.
A Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24 percent) on payments on the Offered Securities or on the proceeds from a sale, exchange or other disposition of the Offered Securities unless the Non-U.S. Holder complies with certification procedures to establish that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person or otherwise establishes an exemption. Compliance with the certification procedures required to claim a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty (including properly certifying non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or appropriate successor form)) generally will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding as well. Notwithstanding the foregoing, U.S. federal backup withholding may apply if the payor has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that a Non-U.S. Holder is a United States person.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from a payment to a Non-U.S. Holder under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a credit against such Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such Non-U.S. Holder to a refund, provided the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
FATCA
Provisions of the Code commonly referred to as “FATCA” require withholding of 30 percent on distributions on the Shares, constructive distributions on pre-funded warrants, as well as payments of gross
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proceeds of dispositions of the Offered Securities, to a “foreign financial institution” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and in general includes investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by United States persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied or an exemption applies. However, the IRS has issued proposed Treasury regulations that eliminate FATCA withholding on payments of gross proceeds (but not on payments of dividends). Pursuant to the preamble to the proposed Treasury regulations, any applicable withholding agent may (but is not required to) rely on this proposed change to FATCA withholding until final Treasury regulations are issued or the proposed Treasury regulations are withdrawn. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. If FATCA withholding is imposed, a beneficial owner that is not a foreign financial institution generally may obtain a refund of any amounts withheld by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden). Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on their investments in the Offered Securities.
TELA will not pay any additional amounts to Non-U.S. Holders with respect to any amounts withheld, including pursuant to FATCA.
THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.
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UNDERWRITING
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, dated , 2024, between us and Canaccord Genuity LLC, or Canaccord Genuity, as the representative of the underwriters named below and the joint book-running manager of this offering, alongside Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the number of shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants shown opposite its name below:
|
UNDERWRITER
|
| |
NUMBER OF
SHARES |
| |
NUMBER OF
PRE-FUNDED WARRANTS |
|
|
Canaccord Genuity LLC
|
| | | | | | |
|
Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC
|
| | | | | | |
|
Total
|
| | | | | | |
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants if any of them are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the nondefaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The underwriters have advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the common stock as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the common stock, that you will be able to sell any of the common stock held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.
The underwriters are offering the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants subject to their acceptance of the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part. In addition, the underwriters have advised us that they do not intend to confirm sales to any account over which they exercise discretionary authority. The underwriters have not been engaged to act as warrant agent for the pre-funded warrants or to act as underwriter or agent or otherwise participate in the issuance of our common stock upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants.
Commission and Expenses
The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and to certain dealers, which may include the underwriters, at that price less a concession not in excess of $ per share of common stock or pre-funded warrant. After the offering, the public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be reduced by the representative. No such reduction will change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.
The following table shows the public offering price, the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us in connection with this offering. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
TOTAL
|
| |||||||||
| | | |
PER
SHARE |
| |
PER PRE-FUNDED
WARRANT |
| |
WITHOUT
OPTION TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL SHARES |
| |
WITH
OPTION TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL SHARES |
| ||||||||||||
|
Public offering price
|
| | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | ||||
|
Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us
|
| | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | ||||
|
Proceeds to us, before expenses
|
| | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | | $ | | | | |||
We estimate net expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $ . We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain of their expenses incurred in connection with this offering in an amount not to exceed $ in the aggregate.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “TELA”.
There is no established public trading market for the pre-funded warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to list the pre-funded warrants on The Nasdaq Global Market, any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system.
Stamp Taxes
If you purchase shares of securities offered in this prospectus supplement, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of shares from us at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, less underwriting discounts and commissions. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional shares proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment as indicated in the table above.
No Sales of Similar Securities
We, our executive officers and directors have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:
•
sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend, effect any short sale, establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act), pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, enter into a swap, hedge or similar arrangement that transfers the economic risk of ownership of, or otherwise dispose of any shares of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially; or
•
publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing
for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement without the prior written consent of Canaccord Genuity. For the avoidance of doubt, we shall not issue any common stock pursuant to that certain Equity Distribution Agreement, dated November 13, 2023, by and between us and Piper Sandler & Co., during this period.
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This restriction terminates after the close of trading of the common stock on and including the 90th day after the date of this prospectus supplement.
Canaccord Genuity may, in their sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the 90-day period release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements. There are no existing agreements between the underwriters and any of our stockholders who will execute a lock-up agreement, providing consent to the sale of shares prior to the expiration of the lock-up period.
Stabilization
The underwriters have advised us that, pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising its option to purchase additional shares of our common stock or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which it may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional shares of our common stock. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing in connection with the offering if the common stock originally sold are purchased in a covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed.
Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the web sites or through online services maintained by the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to
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allocate a specific number of shares of common stock for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by the underwriters is not part of this prospectus supplement, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Activities and Relationships
The underwriters and certain of their affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and certain of their affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and certain of their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own accounts and for the accounts of their respective customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriters or their affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriters and their affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and certain of their affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each a “Relevant Member State”), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which have been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the securities may be offered to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time:
a)
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;
b)
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representative for any such offer; or
c)
in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
provided that no such offer of the securities shall require the Company or any of the representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information
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on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
Each person in a Relevant Member State who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any securities under, the offering contemplated hereby will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the underwriters and their affiliates and us that:
a)
it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation; and
b)
in the case of any securities acquired by it as a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5 of the Prospectus Regulation, (i) the securities acquired by it in the offering have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in any Relevant Member State other than qualified investors, as that term is defined in the Prospectus Regulation, or have been acquired in other circumstances falling within the points (a) to (d) of Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation and the prior consent of the joint book-running managers has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where the securities have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any Relevant Member State other than qualified investors, the offer of those securities to it is not treated under the Prospectus Regulation as having been made to such persons.
We, the underwriters and their affiliates, and others will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representation, acknowledgement and agreement. Notwithstanding the above, a person who is not a qualified investor and who has notified the joint book-running managers of such fact in writing may, with the prior consent of the joint book-running managers, be permitted to acquire securities in the offering.
This European Economic Area selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, no shares have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in accordance with the transition provisions in Regulation 74 of the Prospectus (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, except that it may make an offer to the public in the United Kingdom of any shares at any time under the following exemptions under the UK Prospectus Regulation:
a)
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
b)
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representative for any such offer; or
c)
in any other circumstances falling within section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the “FSMA”),
provided that no such offer of the shares shall require the Issuer or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
In the United Kingdom, the offering is only addressed to, and is directed only at, “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, who are also (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Order”); (ii) high net worth entities or other persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.
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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the shares in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offering and any shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares, and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
Each person in the UK who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with us, the underwriters and their affiliates that it meets the criteria outlined in this section.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Bermuda
Securities may be offered or sold in Bermuda only in compliance with the provisions of the Investment Business Act of 2003 of Bermuda which regulates the sale of securities in Bermuda. Additionally, non-Bermudian persons (including companies) may not carry on or engage in any trade or business in Bermuda unless such persons are permitted to do so under applicable Bermuda legislation.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
This prospectus supplement is not a disclosure document for the purposes of Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this prospectus supplement in Australia, you confirm and warrant that you are either:
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a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;
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a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to the company which complies with the requirements of section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made;
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a person associated with the Company under Section 708(12) of the Corporations Act; or
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a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this prospectus supplement is void and incapable of acceptance.
You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the securities issued to you pursuant to this prospectus supplement for resale in Australia within 12 months of those securities being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
No securities have been offered or sold, and no securities may be offered or sold, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) or the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance.
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This prospectus supplement has not been registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this prospectus supplement and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered, any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended), or FIEL, and the underwriters will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from S-30 the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus supplement has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
•
a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
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a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
•
to an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
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where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;
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where the transfer is by operation of law;
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as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or
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as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore.
Singapore SFA Product Classification — In connection with Section 309B of the SFA and the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018 (the “CMP Regulations 2018”), we have determined, and hereby notify all relevant persons (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018), that the shares are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018) and Excluded
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Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus supplement has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA) and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of the securities.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada
(A) Resale Restrictions
The distribution of securities in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
(B) Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing securities in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
•
the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106 — Prospectus Exemptions or Section 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), as applicable;
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the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103 — Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations;
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where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; and
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the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions.
(C) Conflicts of Interest
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that certain of the underwriters are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105 — Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
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(D) Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
(E) Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
(F) Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of securities should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the securities in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the securities for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Israel
This prospectus supplement does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In Israel, this prospectus supplement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of our securities is directed only at, (i) a limited number of persons in accordance with the Israeli Securities Law and (ii) investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals,” each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case, purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors are required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
General Non-U.S. Legend
This prospectus supplement is for use solely in connection with the proposed offering in certain jurisdictions. This prospectus supplement is not to be distributed in any other jurisdiction and is not to be used in connection with any offer of, or any invitation or solicitation by or on behalf of the Company to subscribe for or purchase, securities in any other jurisdiction. This prospectus supplement is personal to each offeree and does not constitute an offer to any person or to the public generally to subscribe for or otherwise acquire the securities. Distribution of this prospectus supplement to any person other than the prospective investor and any person retained to advise such prospective investor with respect to its purchase is unauthorized.
Delivery of this prospectus supplement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein.
The distribution of this prospectus supplement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. You must inform yourself about, and observe, any such restrictions. You must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in force in any jurisdiction in which you purchase, offer or sell the securities or possess or distribute this prospectus supplement and must obtain any consent, approval or permission required for your
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purchase, offer or sale of the securities under the laws and regulations in force in any jurisdiction to which you are subject or in which you make such purchases, offers or sales. We and the underwriters are not making an offer of, or invitation to purchase, any of the securities to any person in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful.
This prospectus supplement has not been submitted to the review or registration procedures of any regulatory authority outside the United States. The offering of the securities pursuant to this prospectus supplement has not been approved or recommended by any governmental securities regulator.
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the issuance of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of TELA Bio, Inc. as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
We are currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and in the “Investors” section of our website at www.telabio.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus supplement.
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus supplement, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference herein or therein. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus supplement, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement or any sale of the securities offered hereby.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:
•
•
Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2024 and August 13, 2024, respectively;
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The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 18, 2024;
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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 20, 2024, March 21, 2024, April 15, 2024, May 20, 2024 and June 6, 2024 (in each case other than any portions thereof deemed furnished and not filed); and
•
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items unless
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such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, until the termination of the offering of the shares of our securities made by this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus from the date that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any requests for documents to TELA Bio, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
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PROSPECTUS
$150,000,000
![[MISSING IMAGE: lg_telabio-4clr.jpg]](https://cdn.kscope.io/5240efeb21c588fd7821c7e31e6a3cb1-lg_telabio-4clr.jpg)
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
Subscription Rights
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
Subscription Rights
We may offer and sell up to $150,000,000 in the aggregate of any combination of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before you invest in any of our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 7 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS
YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “TELA.” On November 9, 2023, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq was $5.73 per share.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is November 20, 2023.
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $150,000,000 as described in this prospectus.
This prospectus provides you only with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that any information incorporated by reference herein and therein is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
When we refer to “TELA,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean TELA Bio, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.
“TELA,” the TELA logo, TELA Bio®, OviTex® and other trademarks, trade names or service marks of TELA Bio, Inc. appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus are the property of TELA Bio, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated herein by reference for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document.
We are currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and in the “Investors” section of our website at www.telabio.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:
•
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The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 17, 2023;
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Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2023, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2023, and for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2023;
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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 9, 2023, February 21, 2023, March 23, 2023, April 20, 2023, June 2, 2023, August 16, 2023, September 28, 2023 and October 20, 2023 (in each case other than any portions thereof deemed furnished and not filed); and
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The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-39130) filed with the SEC on November 7, 2019, under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than any filings or portions of such reports that are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act in accordance with the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules, including current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including those made after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus from the date that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
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We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. Written or oral requests for copies should be directed to TELA Bio, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355, telephone number (484) 320-2930.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, about us and our subsidiary. These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “projects,” “plans,” “goal,” “targets,” “potential,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “intends” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning:
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the ongoing and possible future effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious illness, and associated economic disruptions, including the frequency of surgical procedures using our products, labor and hospital staffing shortages, supply chain integrity, and inflation, impacting our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;
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estimates regarding future results of operations, financial position, research and development costs, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;
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the commercial success and degree of market acceptance of our products;
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the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry, including new products which may be perceived to negatively impact the demand for our products now or in the future;
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our ability to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organization and to market and sell our products in the U.S. and Europe;
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the performance of our exclusive contract manufacturer for our OviTex portfolio products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., in connection with the supply of product and in the development of additional products and product configurations within these product lines;
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our ability to maintain our supply chain integrity and expand our supply chain to manage increased demand for our products;
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our ability to compete successfully with larger competitors in our highly competitive industry;
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our ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our current products and any future products we may seek to commercialize;
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our ability to enhance our products, expand our indications and develop and commercialize additional products;
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the development, regulatory approval, efficacy and commercialization of competing products;
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our business model and strategic plans for our products, technologies and business, including our implementation thereof;
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the size of the markets for our current and future products;
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our ability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly qualified personnel;
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our ability to obtain additional capital to finance our planned operations;
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our ability to maintain regulatory approval for our products;
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our ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for our future products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals;
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decreasing selling prices and pricing pressures;
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regulatory developments in the U.S. and European markets;
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the potential impact of healthcare reform in the U.S., including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and measures being taken worldwide designed to reduce healthcare costs;
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the volatility of capital markets and other adverse macroeconomic factors, including due to inflationary pressures, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, banking instability, geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war, including from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the evolving events in Israel and Gaza;
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our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls;
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our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others;
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our expectations regarding the use of proceeds from recent and any future financings, if any;
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the occurrence of adverse safety events, restrictions on use with our products or product liability claims; and
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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.
You should read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. Our business and operations are and will be subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Consequently, actual results and experience may materially differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and experience to differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated herein by reference is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
We are a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy. Our growing product portfolio is purposefully designed to leverage the patient’s natural healing response while minimizing long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials. We are committed to delivering our advanced technologies with a strong economic value proposition to assist surgeons and institutions in providing next-generation soft-tissue repair solutions to more patients worldwide.
Our first portfolio of products, the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in July 2016, addresses unmet needs in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction by combining the benefits of biologic matrices and polymer materials while minimizing their shortcomings, at a cost-effective price. Our OviTex products have received 510(k) clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, which clearances were obtained and are currently held by our exclusive contract manufacturer of these products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., or Aroa. Our second portfolio of products, the OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex PRS, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in May 2019, addresses unmet needs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In April 2019, our first OviTex PRS products received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was initially obtained by Aroa and is currently held by us. In March 2023, we received an additional 510(k) clearance, which expands the OviTex PRS portfolio to include OviTex PRS Long-Term Resorbable.
Our OviTex portfolio consists of multiple product configurations intended to address various surgical procedures within hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, including ventral, inguinal, and hiatal hernia repair. In addition, we have also designed an OviTex product specifically for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia repair, which we market as OviTex LPR and began commercializing this product in November 2018. In February 2023, we launched two new, larger configurations of OviTex LPR, designed for ventral and incisional hernias.
We were incorporated on April 17, 2012. Our primary executive offices are located at 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 and our telephone number is (484) 320-2930. Our website address is www.telabio.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making a decision to invest in our securities, in addition to carefully considering the other information contained in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference herein or therein, you should carefully consider the risks described under the caption “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, and the risks discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in any of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q since our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as any amendments thereto, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference, and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information; Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
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USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as set forth in any accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise. General corporate purposes may include, and are not limited to sales and marketing, research and development costs, manufacturing costs, repayment of debt, the acquisition or licensing of other businesses, products or product candidates, working capital and capital expenditures.
We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments including money market funds, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government, or may hold such proceeds as cash, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our certificate of incorporation, which has been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” For a complete description, you should refer to our Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or Certificate of Incorporation, and Third Amended and Restated Bylaws, or Bylaws, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. All of our outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the voting shares are able to elect all of the directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of holders of 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding voting stock is required to take certain actions, including amending certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, such as the provisions relating to amending our Bylaws, procedures for our stockholder meetings, the classified board, director liability, and exclusive forum for proceedings.
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds.
Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Rights and Preferences
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “TELA.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights,
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preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.
The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or could discourage a third-party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.
Warrants
We have warrants to purchase an aggregate of 88,556 shares of our common stock outstanding with an exercise price of $28.65 per share. These warrants may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.
Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and Our Charter Documents
Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, which prohibits persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly-held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.
Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that all stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by consent in writing. A special meeting of stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board of directors, the chair of our board of directors, or our chief executive officer.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
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Amendment of Charter Provisions
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, including provisions relating to the size of the board, removal of directors, special meetings, actions by written consent and cumulative voting. The affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend or repeal our Bylaws, although our Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote of our board of directors.
Classified Board; Election and Removal of Directors
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with each class serving staggered terms, and gives our board of directors the exclusive right to expand the size of our board of directors and to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director.
Choice of Forum
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless our board of directors consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) is the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, in each case, (A) any claim as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within 10 days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court, or (C) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction.
Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or any other claim for which the federal and state courts have concurrent jurisdiction.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be named in the applicable indenture, as trustee. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
As used in this section only, “TELA,” “TELA Bio,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to TELA Bio, Inc., excluding its wholly owned subsidiary, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
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the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions);
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the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities;
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any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
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the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable;
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the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
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the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered;
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the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;
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any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and in the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
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the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;
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the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
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whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;
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the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;
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the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be United States Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
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the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made;
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if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;
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the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
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any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;
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any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
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any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
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any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities;
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the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange;
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any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and
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whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees.
We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt
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securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:
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we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than TELA) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and
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immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us.
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Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
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default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period);
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default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity;
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default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or TELA and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;
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certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of TELA; and
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any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof.
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.
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No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
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that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and
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the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
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to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
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to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”;
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to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;
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to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series;
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to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;
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to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series;
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to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;
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to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;
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to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;
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to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or
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to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
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reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
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reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;
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reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities;
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reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;
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waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
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make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;
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make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or
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waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security.
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
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Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
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we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and
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any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series (“covenant defeasance”).
The conditions include:
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depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and
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delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders and beneficial owners of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred.
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Securityholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or securityholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability.
This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the debt securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.
The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York, in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in
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any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.
The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:
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the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise;
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the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock;
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the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a debt warrant and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property;
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the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;
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the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;
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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;
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United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and
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any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants.
Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled to:
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vote, consent or receive dividends;
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receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or
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exercise any rights as our stockholders.
Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants
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will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.
We have outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 88,556 shares of our common stock outstanding with an exercise price of $28.65 per share. These warrants may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.
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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.
The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.
If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:
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the title of the series of units;
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identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;
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the price or prices at which the units will be issued;
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the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable;
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a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and
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any other terms of the units and their constituent securities.
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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS
We may issue subscription rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities. These subscription rights may be offered independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the stockholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.
The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:
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the price, if any, for the subscription rights;
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the exercise price payable for our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;
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the number of subscription rights to be issued to each stockholder;
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the number and terms of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities which may be purchased per each subscription right;
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the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable;
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any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights;
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the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire;
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the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities or an over-allotment privilege to the extent the securities are fully subscribed; and
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if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement which may be entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights.
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription rights certificate, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. We urge you to read the applicable subscription rights certificate and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.
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GLOBAL SECURITIES
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC has advised us that it is:
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a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;
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a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;
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a member of the Federal Reserve System;
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a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and
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a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where
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notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.
Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.
As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:
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DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be;
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we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or
•
an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities,
we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.
We have obtained the information in this section and elsewhere in this prospectus concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry system from sources that are believed to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
Euroclear and Clearstream
If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking, S.A., which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank SA/NV, as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.
Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.
Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.
Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be
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received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.
Other
The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, “at-the-market offerings,” negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:
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at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;
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at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
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at prices related to such prevailing market prices;
•
in “at-the-market offerings” (as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act);
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at negotiated prices; or
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through any method permitted by applicable law and described in a prospectus supplement.
Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.
Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.
Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.
Any common stock or preferred stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange.
To facilitate the offering of securities, and to the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize
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or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
To the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, any underwriters who are qualified market makers on Nasdaq may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on Nasdaq during the business day prior to the pricing of an offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.
If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters or other persons acting as agents may be authorized to solicit offers by institutions or other suitable purchasers to purchase the securities at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in the prospectus supplement. These purchasers may include, among others, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. Delayed delivery contracts will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the securities covered by the delayed delivery contracts will not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and agents will not have any responsibility with respect to the validity or performance of these contracts.
We may engage in “at-the-market offerings” into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.
No securities may be sold under this prospectus without delivery, in paper format or in electronic format, or both, of the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Goodwin Procter LLP will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby on behalf of TELA Bio, Inc. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of TELA Bio, Inc. as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
31
Shares of Common Stock
Pre-funded Warrants to Purchase Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Joint Bookrunners
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Canaccord Genuity
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Lake Street
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, 2024