Publication and Posting of Rule 15 Proposals

RNS Number : 0357Z

Open Orphan PLC

07 January 2020

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION

7 January 2020

Recommended All Equity Offer

for

HVIVO PLC ("HVIVO")

to merge with

OPEN ORPHAN PLC ("OPEN ORPHAN")

Publication and Posting of Rule 15 Proposals

On 9 December 2019, the boards of Open Orphan and hVIVO announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all-equity offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of hVIVO (the "Offer"). Under the terms of the Offer, hVIVO Shareholders will be entitled to receive 2.47 New Open Orphan Shares for every one hVIVO Share. The Offer represents a value of approximately 15.56 pence per hVIVO Share and a premium of 33.8 per cent. based upon the hVIVO Closing Price on 6 December 2019, being the last practicable date prior to announcement of the Offer, valuing hVIVO at approximately £12.96 million.

Open Orphan announces in connection with the Offer the issuance of an appropriate offer to holders of outstanding hVIVO Options previously granted by hVIVO pursuant to the terms of the hVIVO LTIP in accordance with Rule 15 of the Takeover Code to provide information regarding how the Offer will affect such hVIVO Options (the "Rule 15 Letters"). The Rule 15 Letters are being made available for inspection, subject to certain restrictions applicable to persons in Restricted Jurisdictions, on https://www.openorphan.com/recommended-offer-for-hvivo-plc and on https://hvivo.com/investors/recommended-all-equity-offer-for-hvivo-to-merge-with-open-orphan-plc/. For the avoidance of doubt, the content of such websites is not incorporated into, and does not form part of, this announcement.

Given the financial terms of the Offer, none of the options issued under the other two hVIVO Share Schemes has a value on a "see-through" basis and, accordingly, Open Orphan is not required to make a proposal in accordance with Rule 15 of the Takeover Code to holders of those hVIVO Options.

The full terms and conditions of the Offer are set out in full in the offer document published by Open Orphan on 9 December 2019 (the "Offer Document"). Terms and expressions used in this announcement shall, unless defined herein or unless the context otherwise requires, have the same meanings as given to them in the Offer Document, a copy of which is available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on Open Orphan's website at https://www.openorphan.com/recommended-offer-for-hvivo-plc and hVIVO's website at https://hvivo.com/investors/recommended-all-equity-offer-for-hvivo-to-merge-with-open-orphan-plc/.

Enquiries:

Open Orphan plc Cathal Friel, Chief Executive Officer	[phone]
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Ben Cryer	[phone]
JE Davy (Euronext Adviser and Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell	[phone]

Important Information

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer to sell or an invitation to purchase any securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise, nor shall there be any purchase, sale, issuance or exchange of securities or such solicitation in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale, issuance or exchange would be unlawful. This announcement does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus equivalent document.

Arden Partners plc, which, in the United Kingdom, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for Open Orphan and no one else in connection with this announcement and the matters referred to herein and will not be responsible to anyone other than Open Orphan for providing the protections afforded to clients of Arden Partners plc nor for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement and the matters referred to herein. Arden Partners plc has given and not withdrawn its consent to the inclusion in this announcement of reference to its advice to the Open Orphan Directors in the form and context in which it appears.

Davy, which is authorised and regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland, has been appointed as Euronext Growth Advisor (pursuant to the Euronext Growth Rules) and broker to the Company. Davy is acting exclusively for the Company in connection with arrangements described in this announcement and is not acting for any other person and will not be responsible to any person for providing the protections afforded to customers of Davy or for advising any other person in connection with the arrangements described in this announcement. In accordance with the Euronext Growth Rules and Rules for Euronext Growth Advisors, Davy has confirmed to Euronext Dublin that it has satisfied itself that the Directors have received advice and guidance as to the nature of their responsibilities and obligations to ensure compliance by the Company with the Euronext Growth Rules. Davy accepts no liability whatsoever for the accuracy of any information or opinions contained in this announcement or for the omission of any material information, for which it is not responsible. Davy has not authorised the contents of, or any part of, this announcement and no liability whatsoever is accepted by Davy for the accuracy of any information or opinions contained in this announcement or for the omission of any information from this announcement.

Overseas jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom to assent their hVIVO Shares to the Offer, to execute and deliver Forms of Acceptance or to accept the proposals set out in the Rule 15 Letters, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. This announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom.

Copies of this announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Offer (including the Rule 15 Letters) are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction.

Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain other information provided by hVIVO Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from hVIVO may be provided to Open Orphan during the Offer Period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code, any person who is interested in one per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified.

An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of: (i) the offeree company; and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in one per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of: (i) the offeree company; and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), except to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Takeover Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the Business Day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Code.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Takeover Code).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone] if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Publication on website

A copy of this announcement will be available, free of charge (subject to any applicable restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions), for inspection on Open Orphan's website at https://www.openorphan.com/recommended-offer-for-hvivo-plc by no later than 12 noon on the Business Day following the publication of this announcement.

For the avoidance of doubt, neither the content of any website referred to in this announcement nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

 

END

 

 

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