424B5

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration Statement No. 333-275402

P R O S P E C T U S  S U P P L E M E N T

(To Prospectus dated November 27, 2023)

 

 

LOGO

14,545,454 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

  We are selling 14,545,454 shares of our common stock.

Certain institutional and other accredited investors affiliated with or managed by Redmile Group, LLC, a significant stockholder of ours and an affiliate of one of our directors, Michael Lee, have agreed to purchase pre-funded warrants to purchase 3,636,364 shares of our common stock in a concurrent private placement exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, at a sale price equal to the public offering price of shares of our common stock in this offering, minus $0.001, which is the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant (which transaction we refer to as the concurrent private placement). The consummation of the concurrent private placement is contingent on the closing of this offering and the satisfaction of certain other customary conditions. However, the consummation of this offering is not contingent on the consummation of the concurrent private placement.

Our shares of common stock trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FATE.” On March 19, 2024, the last sale price of the shares of common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market was $7.00 per share.

 

 

Investing in the common stock involves a high degree of risk that is described in the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before investing in our common stock.

 

     PER SHARE      TOTAL  

Public offering price

   $ 5.50      $ 79,999,997  

Underwriting discount (1)

   $ 0.33      $ 4,800,000  

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $ 5.17      $ 75,199,997  

 

 

 

(1)

See “Underwriting” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about March 21, 2024.

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

 

BofA Securities    Jefferies    Leerink Partners

The date of this prospectus is March 19, 2024.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

     Page  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

     S-1  

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     S-3  

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

     S-5  

THE OFFERING

     S-7  

RISK FACTORS

     S-9  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     S-11  

DILUTION

     S-12  

CONCURRENT PRIVATE PLACEMENT

     S-14  

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS

     S-15  

UNDERWRITING

     S-20  

LEGAL MATTERS

     S-27  

EXPERTS

     S-27  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     S-27  

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

     S-27  
PROSPECTUS

 

     PAGE  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     2  

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     3  

THE COMPANY

     5  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     7  

SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

     8  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     9  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     15  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     21  

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

     22  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     25  

LEGAL MATTERS

     28  

EXPERTS

     29  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     30  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     31  

 

1


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. This document contains two parts. The first part consists of this prospectus supplement, which provides you with specific information about this offering. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer only to the “prospectus,” we are referring to both parts combined. This prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in the accompanying prospectus. To the extent that any statement we make in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with statements made in the accompanying prospectus or any documents dated prior to the date of this prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference herein or therein, the statements made in this prospectus supplement will be deemed to modify or supersede those made in the accompanying prospectus and such documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.

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 herein or in 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 agreement, 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.

We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any information that is in addition to or different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

In this prospectus supplement, “Fate,” “Fate Therapeutics,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” and similar terms refer to Fate Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. References to our “common stock” refer to the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Fate Therapeutics, Inc.

All references in this prospectus supplement to our financial statements include, unless the context indicates otherwise, the related notes.

The industry and market data and other statistical information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein are based on management’s own estimates, independent publications, government publications, reports by market research firms or other published independent sources, and, in each case, are believed by management to be reasonable estimates. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we have not independently verified the information.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. We own the following marks referred to in this document: Fate Therapeutics® and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this document are the property of their

 

S-1


respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trademarks or trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.

 

S-2


SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein contain or incorporate forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, even if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

our plans to research, develop and commercialize our product candidates;

 

   

the initiation, timing, progress, size, duration, costs and results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies for our product candidates;

 

   

our ability and timing to advance our product candidates in, and to successfully initiate, conduct, enroll and complete, clinical trials;

 

   

the therapeutic potential of our product candidates, and the disease indications for which we intend to develop our product candidates;

 

   

the timing and likelihood of, and our ability to obtain and maintain, regulatory clearance of our Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for and regulatory approval of our product candidates;

 

   

the potential of our technology platform, including our iPSC product platform, and our ability to leverage our platform in our research, development and commercialization activities for our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to manufacture our product candidates for clinical development and, if approved, for commercialization, and the timing and costs of such manufacture;

 

   

our ability to source clinical and, if approved, commercial materials and supplies used to manufacture our product candidates;

 

   

the performance of third parties in connection with the development of our product candidates, including third parties conducting our clinical trials as well as third-party suppliers;

 

   

our ability to attract, successfully partner with, and retain strategic collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise;

 

   

the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and our ability, and the ability of our collaborators, to successfully develop product candidates under the respective collaborations;

 

   

our ability to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to initiate and complete clinical trials of our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities, whether alone or with actual or potential collaborators, to commercialize our product candidates, if approved;

 

   

our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates, if approved;

 

S-3


   

the size and growth of the potential markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets;

 

   

regulatory developments and approval pathways in the United States and foreign countries for our product candidates;

 

   

the potential scope and value of our intellectual property rights;

 

   

our ability, and the ability of our licensors, to obtain, maintain, defend and enforce intellectual property rights protecting our product candidates, and our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties;

 

   

our ability to recruit and retain key personnel;

 

   

the accuracy of our projections and estimates regarding our revenues, expenses, capital requirements, cash utilization and need for additional financing;

 

   

our ability to compete with rapidly evolving therapeutic technologies and respond to other developments relating to our competitors and our industry; and

 

   

other risks and uncertainties, including those described or incorporated by reference under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

Any forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus reflect our current views with respect to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the section captioned “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus also contain estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business, and the markets for certain diseases, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, and the 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 or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market 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.

 

S-4


PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

The following summary of our business highlights certain of the information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Because this is only a summary, however, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, which are described under “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” and “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should also carefully consider the matters discussed in the section in this prospectus supplement titled “Risk Factors” and in the accompanying prospectus and in other periodic reports incorporated herein by reference.

Our Company

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a first-in-class pipeline of programmed cellular immunotherapies to patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Our development of programmed cellular immunotherapies is based on a simple notion: we believe that better cell therapies start with better cells.

To create better cell therapies, we have pioneered a therapeutic approach that we generally refer to as cell programming: we create and engineer human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function; we generate a clonal master iPSC line for use as a renewable source of cell manufacture; and we direct the fate of the clonal master iPSC line to produce our cell therapy product candidate. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, we believe clonal master iPSC lines can be used to mass produce multiplexed-engineered, cellular immunotherapies which are well-defined and uniform in composition, can be stored in inventory for off-the-shelf availability, can be combined and administered with standard-of-care therapies, and can have significant patient reach.

Utilizing our proprietary iPSC product platform, we are advancing off-the-shelf, multiplexed-engineered natural killer (NK) cell and T-cell product candidates which are selectively designed, incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function, and are intended to deliver multiple therapeutic mechanisms to patients for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease. We have a deep pipeline of iPSC-derived, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-targeted NK cell and T-cell product candidates currently under development with multiple clinical trials ongoing:

 

Program

  Indication    CAR
Target(s)
   # of Synthetic
Controls
   Development
Stage
   Partner  

Oncology - Hematologic Malignancies

 

FT819

  B-cell Malignancies    CD19    2    Phase 1   

FT522

  B-cell Lymphoma    CD19; 41BB    5    Phase 1   

FT576

  Multiple Myeloma    BCMA    4    Phase 1   

Oncology - Solid Tumors

 

FT825

  Solid Tumors    HER2    7    Phase 1      Ono  

Undisclosed

  Solid Tumors    Not disclosed    Not disclosed    Preclinical      Ono  

Autoimmune Diseases

 

FT819

  Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus
   CD19    2    Phase 1   

FT522

  Undisclosed    CD19; 41BB    5    Preclinical   

Concurrent Private Placement

Certain institutional and other accredited investors affiliated with or managed by Redmile Group, LLC, a significant stockholder of ours and an affiliate of one of our directors, Michael Lee, have agreed to purchase

 

S-5


pre-funded warrants to purchase 3,636,364 shares of our common stock in a concurrent private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act at a sale price equal to the public offering price of shares of our common stock in this offering, minus $0.001, which is the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant. The consummation of the concurrent private placement is contingent on the closing of this offering and the satisfaction of certain other customary conditions. However, the consummation of this offering is not contingent on the consummation of the concurrent private placement.

Corporate History and Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in 2007, and are headquartered in San Diego, California. Our principal executive office is located at 12278 Scripps Summit Drive, San Diego, California 92131 and our telephone number is (858) 875-1800. Our website address is www.fatetherapeutics.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein. For further information regarding us and our financial information, you should refer to our recent filings with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

S-6


THE OFFERING

 

Common stock we are offering

14,545,454 shares

 

Concurrent private placement

Certain institutional and other accredited investors affiliated with or managed by Redmile Group, LLC have agreed to purchase pre-funded warrants to purchase 3,636,364 shares of our common stock in a concurrent private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act at a sale price equal to the public offering price of shares of our common stock in this offering, minus $0.001, which is the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant. The consummation of the concurrent private placement is contingent on the closing of this offering and the satisfaction of certain other customary conditions. However, the consummation of this offering is not contingent on the consummation of the concurrent private placement.

 

Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering and the concurrent private placement

113,172,530 shares

 

Use of proceeds

We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement will be approximately $94.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement for funding clinical trials and nonclinical studies of our product candidates, manufacturing expenses associated with the development of our product candidates, the conduct of preclinical research and development, and for other working capital and general corporate purposes. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement.

 

Risk Factors

This investment involves a high degree of risk. You should read the sections entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of factors you should read and consider carefully before investing in our common stock.

 

The Nasdaq Global Market symbol

“FATE”.

The number of shares of our common stock shown above to be outstanding after this offering and the concurrent private placement is based on 98,627,076 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and excludes, in each case, as of such date:

 

   

13,805,540 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of 2,761,108 shares of our Class A convertible preferred stock;

 

   

257,310 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding pre-funded warrants associated with our public equity offering in January 2021;

 

   

9,850,841 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $13.71 per share;

 

S-7


   

3,065,087 shares of common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of outstanding restricted stock units (RSUs) under our equity incentive plans at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $37.96 per share;

 

   

8,633,496 shares of common stock available for issuance under our Amended and Restated 2022 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or 2022 Plan; and

 

   

689,750 shares of common stock available for issuance under our Amended and Restated Inducement Equity Plan, or Inducement Plan.

Further, the number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering does not take into account the 3,636,364 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants in the concurrent private placement.

To the extent that outstanding options are exercised, any RSUs vested and are settled, new equity awards are issued under our equity incentive plans, or our common stock is issued pursuant to other outstanding commitments, investors purchasing our common stock in this offering may 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 convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our existing stockholders.

Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of the pre-funded warrants offered in the concurrent private placement.

 

S-8


RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below and discussed under the section captioned “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, together with other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the information and documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently view as immaterial, may also impair our business. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects or cash flow could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to this Offering

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement and may not use them effectively.

We cannot specify with certainty the particular uses of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering and the concurrent private placement. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds.” Accordingly, you will have to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of the proceeds, with only limited information concerning management’s specific intentions. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement in ways that our stockholders may not desire or that may not yield a favorable return. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

You may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value per share of the common stock you purchase in this offering.

Because the price per share of our common stock being offered may be substantially higher than the book value per share of our common stock, you may suffer immediate and substantial dilution by purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering. See the section below titled “Dilution” for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you may incur if you purchase shares or our common stock in this offering.

You may experience future dilution as a result of the concurrent private placement and future equity offerings.

To raise additional capital, we are selling pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock in the concurrent private placement and we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering.

We do not expect to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future and, therefore, investors in this offering may never obtain a return on their investment.

You should not rely on an investment in our common stock to provide dividend income. We have never declared or paid dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate that we will pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to retain any earnings to maintain and expand our existing operations. In addition, any future

 

S-9


credit facility may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Accordingly, investors will likely be required to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any return on their investment. As a result, investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase shares of our common stock.

Substantial future sales or other issuances of our common stock could depress the market for our common stock.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or other equity securities, including the sale of pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock in the concurrent private placement, or the perception by the market that those sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline or could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through the sale of equity in the future.

Future issuances of our common stock or our other equity securities could further depress the market for our common stock. We expect to continue incurring costs associated with research and development with respect to our programs and general and administrative costs associated with our operations, and to satisfy our funding requirements, and we may need to sell additional equity securities. The sale or the proposed sale of substantial amounts of our common stock or our other equity securities may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and our stock price may decline substantially. Our stockholders may experience substantial dilution and a reduction in the price that they are able to obtain upon sale of their shares of common stock. New equity securities issued may have greater rights, preferences or privileges than our existing common stock.

If securities or industry analysts either do not publish research about us or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, our business, our market or our competitors, or if they change their recommendations regarding our common stock adversely, the trading price or trading volume of our common stock could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced in part by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts may publish about us, our business, our market, or our competitors. If one or more of these analysts initiate research with an unfavorable rating or downgrade our common stock, provide a more favorable recommendation about our competitors or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the trading price of our common stock would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the trading price or trading volume of our common stock to decline.

Participation in this offering and the concurrent private placement by certain of our existing stockholders would reduce the available public float of our shares.

Certain of our existing stockholders, including stockholders affiliated with our directors and who beneficially own 5% or more of our outstanding capital stock, have indicated an interest in purchasing securities in this offering and in the concurrent private placement at the public offering price (or, in the case of pre-funded warrants, at the public offering price minus $0.001, which is the exercise price per pre-funded warrant). However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no securities in this offering and the concurrent private placement to any of these stockholders, or any of these stockholders may determine to purchase more, fewer or no securities in this offering and the concurrent private placement. To the extent these stockholders purchase any securities in this offering and the concurrent private placement, such purchase could reduce the available public float of our shares because such stockholders may be restricted from selling the securities by restrictions under applicable securities laws. As a result, any purchase of securities by such stockholders in this offering and the concurrent private placement may reduce the liquidity of our common stock relative to what it would have been had these shares been purchased by investors that were not existing stockholders.

 

S-10


USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of any securities in this offering and the concurrent private placement will be approximately $94.7 million, based on the offering price of $5.50 per share and after deducting the 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 any securities from this offering and the concurrent private placement for funding clinical trials and nonclinical studies of our product candidates, manufacturing expenses associated with the development of our product candidates, the conduct of preclinical research and development, and for other working capital and general corporate purposes. The amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered under this prospectus supplement and the concurrent private placement and the accompanying prospectus will depend on a number of factors, such as the timing and progress of our and our strategic partners’ clinical trials of our product candidates and our development efforts, the timing and progress of any partnering efforts, technological advances and the competitive environment for our product candidates. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from any securities offered under this prospectus supplement and the concurrent private placement. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the timing and application of any net proceeds.

Pending the uses of the net proceeds described above from this offering and the concurrent private placement, we may invest the net proceeds in investment grade, interest-bearing obligations, such as money-market funds, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements, commercial paper, corporate bonds or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government, or hold the net proceeds as cash.

 

S-11


DILUTION

Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $368.4 million, or $3.74 per share, based upon 98,627,076 shares of our common stock outstanding as of that date. Net tangible book value per share is determined by subtracting our total liabilities from our total tangible assets and dividing the result by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2023. Dilution in net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares of common stock in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

After giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering at the public offering price of $5.50 per share and pre-funded warrants in the concurrent private placement to purchase 3,636,364 shares of our common stock at the sale price of $5.499 per pre-funded warrant (which equals the public offering price per share of our common stock less the $0.001 per share exercise price of each such pre-funded warrant) (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 in the concurrent private placement), and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2023 would have been approximately $463.1 million, or $4.09 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value of $0.35 per share to existing stockholders and immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $1.41 per share to new investors purchasing our common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution to investors purchasing our common stock on a per share basis (assuming the holders of the pre-funded warrants pursuant to the concurrent private placement do not exercise the pre-funded warrants):

 

Public offering price per share

        $5.50  

Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2023

     3.74     

Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering

     0.35     
  

 

 

    

As adjusted net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2023 after this offering

        $4.09  
     

 

 

 

Dilution per share to new investors purchasing our common stock in this offering

        $1.41  
     

 

 

 

The table and figures above are based on 98,627,076 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and excludes, in each case, as of such date:

 

   

13,805,540 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of 2,761,108 shares of our Class A convertible preferred stock;

 

   

257,310 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding pre-funded warrants associated with our public equity offering in January 2021;

 

   

9,850,841 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $13.71 per share;

 

   

3,065,087 shares of common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of outstanding RSUs under our equity incentive plans at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $37.96 per share;

 

   

8,633,496 shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2022 Plan; and

 

   

689,750 shares of common stock available for issuance under the Inducement Plan.

Further, the number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering does not take into account the 3,636,364 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants in the concurrent private placement, although the net proceeds from the sale of the pre-funded warrants in the concurrent private placement are taken into account in the foregoing dilution calculations.

 

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To the extent that outstanding options are exercised, any RSUs vested and are settled, new equity awards are issued under our equity incentive plans, or our common stock is issued pursuant to other outstanding commitments, investors purchasing our common stock in this offering may 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 convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our existing stockholders.

 

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CONCURRENT PRIVATE PLACEMENT

Certain institutional and other accredited investors affiliated with or managed by Redmile Group, LLC, a significant stockholder of ours and an affiliate of one of our directors, Michael Lee, have agreed to purchase pre-funded warrants to purchase 3,636,364 shares of our common stock in the concurrent private placement, exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, at a sale price equal to the public offering price of shares of our common stock in this offering, minus $0.001, which is the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant. The consummation of the concurrent private placement is contingent on the closing of this offering and the satisfaction of certain other customary conditions. However, the consummation of this offering is not contingent on the consummation of the concurrent private placement.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the ownership and disposition of our common stock applicable to non-U.S. holders (as defined below) investing in this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations relating thereto. This summary is based upon current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. These authorities may be changed, revoked, or subject to differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those set forth below. We have not sought any ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with such statements and conclusions.

This summary also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any U.S. state or local or any non-U.S. jurisdiction, any aspect of any U.S. federal tax laws other than income tax laws (e.g., U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws), the Medicare tax on net investment income, the rules regarding qualified small business stock within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code or any alternative minimum tax consequences. In addition, this discussion does not address tax considerations applicable to an investor’s particular circumstances or to investors that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:

 

   

banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;

 

   

tax-exempt or governmental organizations;

 

   

brokers or dealers in securities or currencies;

 

   

traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings;

 

   

persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than five percent of our common stock;

 

   

former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

 

   

persons who hold our common stock as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction” or other risk reduction transaction;

 

   

persons who do not hold our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, for investment purposes);

 

   

partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes (or investors in any such entities);

 

   

persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

 

   

regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts;

 

   

pension plans;

 

   

controlled foreign corporations;

 

   

passive foreign investment companies; or

 

   

persons that acquire our common stock as compensation for services.

In addition, if a partnership, including any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend on the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. Accordingly, partnerships that hold our common stock, and partners in such partnerships, should consult their tax advisors.

 

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You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock arising under the U.S. federal estate or gift tax rules or under the laws of any U.S. state or local or any non-U.S. or other taxing jurisdiction or under any applicable tax treaty.

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

For purposes of this discussion, you are a U.S. holder if you are a beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes), created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

Distributions

We do not anticipate making any distributions on our common stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions of cash or other property, distributions paid on common stock will be treated as a dividend to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), and will be includible in your income as ordinary income when received. However, with respect to dividends received by individuals, such dividends are generally taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rates, provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the common stock and thereafter as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such common stock. The tax treatment of such gain is further described in “—Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock” below. Dividends received by a corporation may be eligible for a dividends received deduction, subject to applicable limitations. Any such distributions will also be subject to the discussions below under the section titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting.”

Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, gain or loss realized on the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held the common stock for more than one year. The amount of the gain or loss will equal the difference between your tax basis in the common stock disposed of and the amount realized on the disposition. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders will be subject to reduced tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Information reporting requirements generally will apply to any payments of dividends on our common stock and gross proceeds on the sale or other disposition of our common stock, unless the U.S. holder is an exempt recipient (such as a corporation). Backup withholding (currently at a 24% rate) will apply to those payments if the U.S. holder fails to provide its correct taxpayer identification number, or certification of exempt status, or if the U.S. holder is notified by the IRS that it has failed to report in full payments of interest and dividend income. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished timely to the IRS.

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

For purposes of this discussion, you are a non-U.S. holder if you are a beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i) a foreign corporation or any other foreign organization classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) a nonresident alien individual, or (iii) a foreign estate or trust that

 

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in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net-income basis on income from, or gain on sale of, a share of common stock. If you are an individual, you may be deemed to be a resident alien, rather than a nonresident alien, by virtue of being present in the United States for at least 31 days in the calendar year and for an aggregate of at least 183 days during a three-year period ending with the current calendar year. For these purposes, all the days present in the current year, one-third of the days present in the immediately preceding year, and one-sixth of the days present in the second preceding year are counted.

Distributions

We do not anticipate making any distributions on our common stock in the foreseeable future. If we were to make distributions on our common stock, those payments will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits, they will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce your basis in our common stock, but not below zero, and then will be treated as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such common stock, subject to the tax treatment described in the discussion below regarding taxable dispositions of our common stock. Any such distributions would also be subject to the discussions below regarding backup withholding and FATCA.

Subject to the discussion below regarding a dividend received by you that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, a dividend paid to you generally will be subject to U.S. withholding tax either at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. In order to receive a reduced treaty rate, you must provide us or the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or a successor form), in each case, certifying qualification for the reduced rate.

Dividends received by you that are effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by you in the United States) generally are exempt from such withholding tax. In order to obtain this exemption, you must provide us or the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8ECI or successor form or other applicable IRS Form W-8 properly certifying such exemption. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to withholding tax, are generally taxed at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. persons, net of certain deductions and credits, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. In addition, if you are a corporate non-U.S. holder, you may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected dividends.

If you are eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty, you may be able to obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts currently withheld if you file an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock

Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA, a non-U.S. holder generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock unless:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by you in the United States), in which case you will be required to pay tax on the net gain derived from the sale under regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates, and for a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation, such non-U.S. holder may be subject to the branch profits tax on any earnings and profits attributable to such gains at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty;

 

   

you are an individual who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met,

 

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in which case you will be required to pay a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which tax may be offset by U.S. source capital losses in the taxable year of disposition (even though you are not considered a resident of the United States) (subject to applicable income tax or other treaties); or

 

   

our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest by reason of our status as a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (a USRPHC) (as defined in the Code) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or your holding period for our common stock. We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property relative to the fair market value of our other business assets, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, as long as a class of our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market (as determined under the Code), such common stock will be treated as U.S. real property interests only if you actually or constructively hold more than five percent of such regularly traded common stock at any time during the applicable period that is specified in the Code.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Generally, we must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends paid to you, your name and address, and the amount of tax withheld, if any. A similar report will generally be sent to you. Pursuant to applicable income tax treaties or other agreements, the IRS may make these reports available to tax authorities in your country of residence.

Payments of dividends or of proceeds on the disposition of our common stock made to you may be subject to additional information reporting and backup withholding at the then applicable rate unless you establish an exemption, for example by properly certifying your non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or a successor form). Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding and information reporting may apply if either we or our paying agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that you are a U.S. person.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund or credit may generally be obtained from the IRS, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)

Provisions commonly referred to as “FATCA” may impose withholding tax on certain types of payments made to “foreign financial institutions” and certain other non-U.S. entities. The legislation imposes a 30% withholding tax on dividends on our common stock, constructive distributions deemed paid with respect to the gross proceeds of the disposition on our common stock paid to a foreign financial institution or to certain non-financial foreign entities, unless (i) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence, reporting and withholding obligations, (ii) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements, or (iii) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the requirements in (i) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain U.S. persons or U.S.-owned foreign entities, annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on payments to account holders whose actions prevent it from complying with these reporting and other requirements. If the country in which a payee is resident has entered into an “intergovernmental agreement” with the United States regarding FATCA, that agreement may permit the payee to report to that country rather than to the U.S. Treasury. FATCA withholding may also apply to gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our common stock, although under proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, no withholding would apply to such gross proceeds. The preamble to the proposed regulations specifies that taxpayers (including withholding agents) are permitted to rely on the proposed regulations pending finalization.

 

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The preceding discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice. Each prospective investor should consult its own tax advisor regarding the particular U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable laws.

 

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UNDERWRITING

BofA Securities, Inc., Jefferies LLC and Leerink Partners LLC are acting as representatives of each of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in an underwriting agreement among us and the underwriters, 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 set forth opposite its name below.

 

Underwriter

   Number
of Shares
 

BofA Securities, Inc.

     4,945,454  

Jefferies LLC

     4,800,000  

Leerink Partners LLC

     4,800,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

     14,545,454  
  

 

 

 

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase all of the shares of common stock sold under the underwriting agreement if any of them are purchased.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

The underwriters are offering the shares of common stock, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel, including the validity of the shares of common stock, and other conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters of officer’s certificates and legal opinions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.

Commissions and Discounts

The representatives have advised us that the underwriters propose initially to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of $0.198 per share of common stock. After the initial offering, the public offering price, concession or any other term of the offering may be changed.

The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds before expenses to us.

 

     Per Share    Total

Public offering price

   $5.50    $79,999,997

Underwriting discount

   $0.33    $ 4,800,000

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $5.17    $75,199,997

The expenses of the offering, not including the underwriting discount, are estimated at $480,000 and are payable by us.

No Sales of Similar Securities

We, our executive officers and directors have agreed not to sell or transfer any common stock or securities convertible into, exchangeable for, exercisable for, or repayable with common stock, for 60 days after the date of this prospectus without first obtaining the written consent of the representatives. Specifically, we and these other persons have agreed, with certain limited exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:

 

   

offer, pledge, sell or contract to sell any common stock,

 

   

sell any option or contract to purchase any common stock,

 

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purchase any option or contract to sell any common stock,

 

   

grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of any common stock,

 

   

lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any common stock,

 

   

request or demand that we file a registration statement related to the common stock, or

 

   

enter into any hedging, swap, loan or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequence of ownership of any common stock whether any such hedging, swap, loan or transaction is to be settled by delivery of shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise.

This lock-up provision applies to common stock and to securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with common stock. It also applies to common stock owned now or acquired later by the person executing the agreement or for which the person executing the agreement later acquires the power of disposition.

Nasdaq Global Market Listing

The shares of our common stock are listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FATE.”

Price Stabilization, Short Positions

Until the distribution of the shares is completed, SEC rules may limit the underwriters from bidding for and purchasing shares of our common stock. However, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize the price of the common stock, such as bids or purchases to peg, fix or maintain that price.

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, purchases on the open market to cover positions created by short sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering. “Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the shares of common stock offering hereby. 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 our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of shares of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.

Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate 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. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the Nasdaq Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

Neither we nor any of 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. In addition, neither we nor any of the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

Passive Market Making

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of common stock 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. How-

 

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ever, 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. Passive market making may cause the price of our common stock to be higher than the price that otherwise would exist in the open market in the absence of those transactions. The underwriters and dealers are not required to engage in passive market making and may end passive market making activities at any time.

Electronic Distribution

In connection with the offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses by electronic means, such as e-mail.

Other Relationships

Some of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and 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 account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each a “Relevant State”), no shares of common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares of common stock which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of shares of common stock may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:

 

  a.

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation;

 

  b.

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters 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 shares of common stock shall require the issuer or the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

Each person in a Relevant State who initially acquires any shares of common stock or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the Company and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

In the case of any shares of common stock being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares of common stock acquired by it in the offer 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 cir-

 

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cumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.

The Company, the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any shares of common stock in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares of common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of common stock, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

The above 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 (“UK”), no shares of common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the prospectus to the public in the UK prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares of common stock which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK in accordance with the UK Prospectus Regulation and the FSMA, except that offers of shares of common stock may be made to the public in the UK at any time under the following exemptions under the UK Prospectus Regulation and the FSMA:

 

  a.

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under 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 underwriters for any such offer; or

 

  c.

at any time in other circumstances falling within section 86 of the FSMA,

provided that no such offer of shares of common stock shall require the issuer or the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or Article 3 of the UK Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.

Each person in the UK who initially acquires any shares of common stock or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the Company and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation.

In the case of any shares of common stock being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares of common stock acquired by it in the offer 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 circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in the UK to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.

The Company, the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any shares of common stock in the UK means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares of common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of common stock, the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and the expression “FSMA” means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

 

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In connection with the offering, the representatives are not acting for anyone other than the issuer and will not be responsible to anyone other than the issuer for providing the protections afforded to their clients nor for providing advice in relation to the offering.

This document is for distribution only to persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who qualify as investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Financial Promotion Order”), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (“FSMA”)) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document is directed only at relevant persons and 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.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland

The shares of common stock may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document 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 document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares of common stock or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the shares of common stock 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 shares of common stock will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (“FINMA”), and the offer of shares of common stock has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares of common stock.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre

This prospectus supplement relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus supplement is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus supplement nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus supplement. The shares of common stock to which this prospectus supplement relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares of common stock offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares of common stock. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus supplement you should consult an authorized financial advisor.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia

No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”), and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.

 

S-24


Any offer in Australia of the shares of common stock may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares of common stock without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.

The shares of common stock applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares of common stock must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.

This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

The shares of common stock have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) 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 to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares of common stock has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, 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 to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares of common stock 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 and any rules made under that Ordinance.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan

The shares of common stock have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, the shares of common stock were not offered or sold or caused to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not be offered or sold or caused to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and this prospectus or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares of common stock, has not been circulated or distributed, nor will it be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) 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.

 

S-25


Where the shares of common stock are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

  (a)

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 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 or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(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 shares of common stock pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

  (b)

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA; where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; where the transfer is by operation of law; or as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

The shares of common stock may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the shares of common stock must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) 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 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.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 (or, in the case of securities issued or guaranteed by the government of a non-Canadian jurisdiction, section 3A.4) of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

 

S-26


LEGAL MATTERS

Goodwin Procter LLP of San Francisco, California will issue an opinion with respect to the validity of the issuance of the common stock being offered hereby. Perkins Coie LLP is counsel to the underwriters in connection with this offering.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We must comply with the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and we are required to file reports and proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying prospectus, which form part of the registration statement, do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement, including its exhibits and schedules. For further information about us and the securities described in this prospectus, you should refer to the registration statement, its exhibits and schedules and our reports, proxies, information statements and other information filed with the SEC. Our filings are available to the public on the Internet, through a database maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Our filings are also available, free of charge, on our website at www.fatetherapeutics.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference herein and is not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. The references to www.fatetherapeutics.com in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein are inactive textual references only. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to invest in our common stock.

Statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement as to the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete, and in each instance we refer you to the copy of the contract or document filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement the information that we file with it. Incorporation by reference means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents that are legally considered to be part of this prospectus supplement. Later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus supplement, any supplement and the documents listed below. We incorporate by reference the specific documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as amended:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 26, 2024;

 

   

the information specifically incorporated by reference into our 2022 Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 21, 2023; and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (SEC No. 001-36076), filed with the SEC on September 17, 2013, and any other amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.3 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

 

S-27


All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded, for purposes of this prospectus supplement, to the extent that a statement contained in or omitted from this prospectus supplement, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement. Nothing in this prospectus supplement shall be deemed to incorporate information furnished but not filed with the SEC pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K.

We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, but not delivered with the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, other than exhibits to such documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into the documents that this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus incorporates. You should direct written requests to: Fate Therapeutics, Inc., 12278 Scripps Summit Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, Attention: Secretary, or you may call us at (858) 875-1800. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

 

S-28


PROSPECTUS

FATE THERAPEUTICS, INC.

$300,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

 

 

From time to time, we may issue and sell, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units, in one or more series or classes. We may offer these securities individually or in combination with other securities.

This prospectus describes the general manner in which any of these securities may be offered using this prospectus. We will specify in any accompanying prospectus supplement the prices and terms of the securities being offered and other details regarding the offering thereof. See section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus and in the corresponding section in the applicable prospectus supplement for additional information on how we may conduct sales of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units.

The securities offered by us in this prospectus may be sold directly to investors, to or through underwriters and also to other purchasers or through agents. We will set forth the names of any underwriters or agents, and any fees, conversions or discount arrangements, in any accompanying prospectus supplement. We may not sell any securities under this prospectus without delivery of the applicable prospectus supplement. We also may authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.

You should carefully read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference before you invest in our securities.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FATE.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on October 31, 2023, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market, was $1.81 per share. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to any other listing, if any, on The Nasdaq Global Market or any securities market or other exchange of the securities covered by the applicable prospectus supplement.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus beginning on page 2 and any similar section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

The date of this prospectus is November 27, 2023.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

     PAGE  

About this Prospectus

     1  

Risk Factors

     2  

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     3  

The Company

     5  

Use of Proceeds

     7  

Securities We May Offer

     8  

Description of Capital Stock

     9  

Description of Debt Securities

     15  

Description of Warrants

     21  

Description of Units

     22  

Plan of Distribution

     25  

Legal Matters

     28  

Experts

     29  

Where You Can Find More Information

     30  

Incorporation by Reference

     31  

 

 

 

i


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings for an aggregate initial offering price of up to $300,000,000.

This prospectus describes the general manner in which we may offer the securities described in this prospectus. Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain more specific information about the terms of the offering. The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in the documents that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between information in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the most recent applicable prospectus supplement and documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. This prospectus may not be used to offer to sell, solicit an offer to buy or consummate a sale of our securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, together with the additional information incorporated herein by reference as described under the sections captioned “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.”

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities other than the securities described in the accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates and any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.

This prospectus contains 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.

Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus to “Fate Therapeutics”, “we”, “our”, “us” and “the Company” refer, collectively, to Fate Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries.

 

1


RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in our subsequent filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, together with the other information contained in this prospectus and in our filings with the SEC that we have incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, before making an investment decision. See “Where You Can Find More Information” for information about how to obtain a copy of these documents. The risks described in these documents are not the only ones we face, but those that we consider to be material. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should also carefully consider the risks and other information that may be contained in, or incorporated by reference into, any prospectus supplement relating to specific offerings of securities. Please also carefully read the section below titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

2


SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or to our future operating or financial performance and involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, even if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

our plans to research, develop and commercialize our product candidates;

 

   

the initiation, progress, success, cost and timing of our clinical trials and product development activities;

 

   

our ability and timing to advance our product candidates in, and to successfully initiate, conduct, enroll and complete, clinical trials;

 

   

the therapeutic potential of our product candidates, and the disease indications for which we intend to develop our product candidates;

 

   

the timing and likelihood of, and our ability to obtain and maintain, regulatory clearance of our Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for and regulatory approval of our product candidates;

 

   

the potential of our technology platform, including our induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform, and our ability to leverage our platform in our research, development and commercialization activities for our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to manufacture our product candidates for clinical development and, if approved, for commercialization, and the timing and costs of such manufacture;

 

   

our ability to source clinical and, if approved, commercial materials and supplies used to manufacture our product candidates;

 

   

the performance of third parties in connection with the development and manufacture of our product candidates, including third parties conducting our clinical trials as well as third-party suppliers and manufacturers;

 

   

our ability to attract and retain strategic collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise;

 

   

the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and our ability, and the ability of our collaborators, to successfully develop product candidates under the respective collaborations;

 

   

our ability to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to initiate and complete clinical trials of our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities, whether alone or with actual or potential collaborators, to commercialize our product candidates, if approved;

 

   

our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates, if approved;

 

   

the size and growth of the potential markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets;

 

   

regulatory developments and approval pathways in the United States and foreign countries for our product candidates;

 

   

the potential scope and value of our intellectual property rights;

 

   

our ability, and the ability of our licensors, to obtain, maintain, defend and enforce intellectual property rights protecting our product candidates, and our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties;

 

3


   

our ability to recruit and retain key personnel;

 

   

the accuracy of our projections and estimates regarding our revenues, expenses, capital requirements, cash utilization and need for additional financing;

 

   

our ability to compete with rapidly evolving cell therapy technologies and respond to other developments relating to our competitors and our industry; and

 

   

other risks and uncertainties, including those described or incorporated by reference under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement that we may file.

Any forward-looking statements in this prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, reflect our current views with respect to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those referenced in the section “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference herein and therein. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date the statements were made, and while we believed such information formed a reasonable basis for such statements at the time they were made, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business, and the markets for certain diseases, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, and the 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 or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in the foregoing documents by these cautionary statements. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market 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.

 

4


ABOUT THE COMPANY

The following highlights information about the Registrant and our business contained elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. It is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in any of our securities. You should carefully read this prospectus together with the more detailed information incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Overview

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a first-in-class pipeline of programmed cellular immunotherapies to patients with cancer and autoimmune disorders. Our development of first-in-class cell therapy product candidates is based on a simple notion: we believe that better cell therapies start with better cells.

To create better cell therapies, we have pioneered a therapeutic approach that we generally refer to as cell programming: we create and engineer human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function; we generate a clonal master iPSC line for use as a renewable source of cell manufacture; and we direct the fate of the clonal master iPSC line to produce our first-in-class cell therapy product candidate. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, we believe clonal master iPSC lines can be used to mass produce multiplexed-engineered cellular immunotherapies which are well-defined and uniform in composition, can be stored in inventory for off-the-shelf availability, can be combined and administered with other therapies, and can have broader patient reach.

Utilizing this therapeutic approach, we are advancing a cell therapy pipeline comprised of off-the-shelf, multiplexed-engineered, iPSC-derived natural killer (NK) and T-cell product candidates that are selectively designed, incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function, and are intended to deliver multiple mechanisms of therapeutic importance to patients for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease. We have a deep pipeline of iPSC-derived, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-targeted NK and T-cell product candidates currently under development with multiple clinical trials ongoing:

 

PROGRAM

 

INDICATION

  CAR
TARGET(S)
  # OF
SYNTHETIC
CONTROLS
  DEVELOPMENT
STAGE
  PARTNER

CAR NK Cell Programs

FT576

  Multiple Myeloma   BCMA   4   Phase 1  

FT522

  B-cell Lymphoma   CD19; 41BB   5   Phase 1  
  Autoimmune Disorders   CD19; 41BB   5   Preclinical  

CAR T-cell Programs

         

FT819

  B-cell Lymphoma   CD19   2   Phase 1  
  Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia   CD19   2   Phase 1  
  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus   CD19   2   Phase 1  

FT825

  Solid Tumors   HER2   7   Phase 1   Ono

Other CAR-targeted Programs

       

Undisclosed

  Solid Tumors   Not
disclosed
  Not
disclosed
  Preclinical   Ono

Corporate History and Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in 2007, and are headquartered in San Diego, California. Our principal executive office is located at 12278 Scripps Summit Drive, San Diego, California 92131 and our telephone number is (858) 875-1800. Our corporate website address is www.fatetherapeutics.com. We do not incorporate by reference the information contained on, or accessible through, our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website a part of this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase our securities.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available,

 

5


free of charge, on or through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports and amendments are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings at www.sec.gov.

For additional information about our Company, please refer to other documents we have filed with the SEC and that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as listed under the heading “Incorporation by Reference.”

Trademarks

We own various U.S. federal trademark registrations and applications, and unregistered trademarks, including the following marks referred to in this document: Fate Therapeutics®, and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this document are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this document are referred to without the symbols ® and , but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.

 

6


USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered by us under this prospectus for working capital and general corporate purposes, including for research and development, clinical trials, and manufacturing expenses associated with the development of our product candidates, and for general and administrative and capital expenditures, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus will depend on a number of factors, such as the timing and progress of our and our strategic partners’ clinical trials of our product candidates and our development efforts, the timing and progress of any partnering efforts, technological advances and the competitive environment for our product candidates. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from any securities offered under this prospectus. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the timing and application of any net proceeds.

 

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THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

We may offer shares of common or preferred stock, various series of senior or subordinated debt securities, warrants, or units consisting of combinations of the foregoing, in each case from time to time under this prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering. This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the securities we may offer from time to time. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. At the time we offer a particular type or series of securities, we will provide an applicable prospectus supplement describing the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:

 

   

designation or classification;

 

   

aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price;

 

   

voting or other rights;

 

   

rates and times of payment of interest, dividends or other payments, if any;

 

   

liquidation preference;

 

   

original issue discount, if any;

 

   

maturity date, if applicable;

 

   

ranking; 

 

   

restrictive covenants, if any;

 

   

redemption, conversion, exercise, exchange, settlement or sinking fund terms, including prices or rates, if any, and, if applicable, any provisions for changes to or adjustments in such prices or rates and in the securities or other property receivable upon conversion, exercise, exchange or settlement;

 

   

any securities exchange or market listing arrangements; and

 

   

important U.S. federal income tax considerations, if any.

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless accompanied by an applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should read the prospectus supplement related to any securities being offered.

We may sell the securities directly to or through underwriters, dealers or agents. We and our underwriters, dealers or agents reserve the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposed purchase of securities. If we do offer securities through underwriters or agents, we will include in the applicable prospectus supplement (i) the names of the underwriters or agents and applicable fees, discounts and commissions to be paid to them; (ii) details regarding over-allotment options, if any; and (iii) net proceeds to us.

The following descriptions are not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in any securities we may offer hereunder; they are summarized from, and qualified by reference to, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and the other documents referred to in the descriptions, all of which are or will be publicly filed with the SEC, as applicable. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following summary description of our common stock and preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of our capital stock. The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (certificate of incorporation) and amended and restated bylaws (bylaws), which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and by applicable law. The terms of our common stock and preferred stock may also be affected by the applicable provisions of the of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL).

Authorized Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock consists of 250,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (common stock), and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (preferred stock). 2,819,549 shares of our authorized preferred stock have been designated as Class A Convertible Preferred Stock. Except as otherwise provided in the certificate of designation of any series of preferred stock we may issue, the number of authorized shares of common stock or preferred stock may from time to time be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of such class outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of our capital stock irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

As of September 30, 2023, we had 98,585,750 shares of common stock outstanding and 2,761,108 shares of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding. Unless stated otherwise, the following discussion summarizes the terms and provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws.

Common Stock

The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The holders of our common stock do not have any cumulative voting rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our board of directors (Board) out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding shares of our preferred stock. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription rights or redemption rights and no sinking fund provisions are applicable to our common stock.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after the payment of all our debts and other liabilities and subject to any liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock then outstanding. All outstanding shares are fully paid and nonassessable.

When we issue shares of common stock under this prospectus, the shares will be fully paid and nonassessable and will not have, or be subject to, any preemptive or similar rights.

Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FATE.” As of September 30, 2023, we had approximately 22 stockholders of record of our common stock.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219.

Preferred Stock

Undesignated Preferred Stock

Our Board was initially authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. As a result of the designation and issuance of 2,819,549 shares of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock described below, our Board is authorized to designate and issue up to 2,180,451 remaining shares of preferred stock. Our Board may determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of the shares of each

 

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series of preferred stock, any or all of which may be more favorable than the rights of our common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon our liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company or other corporate action.

The purpose of authorizing our Board to issue preferred stock in one or more series and determine the number of shares in the series and its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. Examples of rights and preferences that the Board may fix are:

 

   

dividend rights;

 

   

dividend rates;

 

   

conversion rights;

 

   

voting rights;

 

   

terms of redemption; and

 

   

liquidation preferences.

The existence of authorized but unissued shares of undesignated preferred stock may enable our Board to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our Board were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of us or our stockholders, our Board could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer, stockholder or stockholder group. The rights of holders of our common stock described above, will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of any preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future. The issuance of shares of undesignated preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.

Class A Convertible Preferred Stock

We filed a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State of Delaware on November 22, 2016 (the Certificate of Designation), pursuant to which we designated 2,819,549 shares of authorized and unissued preferred stock as Class A Convertible Preferred Stock (the Preferred Shares). Each Preferred Share is convertible into five shares of common stock (subject to adjustment for stock dividends, stock splits, combinations and the like). The holders of the Preferred Shares, which currently consist of entities affiliated with Redmile Group, LLC (Redmile), are prohibited from converting the Preferred Shares into shares of common stock if, as a result of such conversion, Redmile, together with its affiliates, would own more than 9.99% of the shares of our common stock then issued and outstanding (the Redmile Percentage Limitation), which percentage may change at Redmile’s election upon 61 days’ notice to us to (i) any other number less than or equal to 19.99% or (ii) subject to approval of our stockholders to the extent required in accordance with the Nasdaq Global Market rules, any number in excess of 19.99%. On May 2, 2017, our stockholders approved the issuance of up to an aggregate of 14,097,745 shares of common stock upon the conversion of the 2,819,549 outstanding Preferred Shares. As a result, Redmile has the right to increase the Redmile Percentage Limitation to any percentage in excess of 19.99% at its election upon 61 days’ notice to us. In April 2023, we filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock, which amended the definition of Beneficial Ownership Limitation to be 14.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock pursuant to a Notice of Conversion. Additionally, in the event of certain fundamental transactions, including (i) any merger or consolidation of our company with or into another entity; (ii) our sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets; (iii) the acceptance by holders of 35% or more of our outstanding common stock of any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer pursuant to which such holders are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property; (iv) any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our common stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which our common stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for

 

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other securities, cash or property; or (v) any other business combination pursuant to which a third party acquires more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, each Preferred Share outstanding immediately prior to such fundamental transaction will automatically convert into shares of common stock at the applicable conversion ratio then in effect.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of Preferred Shares will participate pari passu with the holders of our common stock in any distribution of proceeds, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder. The Preferred Shares generally have no voting rights. Holders of the Preferred Shares are entitled to receive, on an as-converted-to-common-stock basis, dividends that are equal to dividends actually paid on shares of common stock, when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of common stock.

Additional Series of Preferred Stock

We will incorporate by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus, the form of any certificate of designation that describes the terms of any additional series of preferred stock we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. This description and the applicable prospectus supplement will include:

 

   

the title and stated value;

 

   

the number of shares authorized;

 

   

the liquidation preference per share;

 

   

the purchase price;

 

   

the dividend rate, period and payment date, and method of calculation for dividends;

 

   

whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends will accumulate;

 

   

the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any;

 

   

the provisions for a sinking fund, if any;

 

   

the provisions for redemption or repurchase, if applicable, and any restrictions on our ability to exercise those redemption and repurchase rights;

 

   

any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange or market;

 

   

whether our preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, and, if applicable, the conversion price, or how it will be calculated, and the conversion period;

 

   

whether our preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt securities, and, if applicable, the exchange price, or how it will be calculated, and the exchange period;

 

   

voting rights, if any, of our preferred stock;

 

   

preemptive rights, if any;

 

   

restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any;

 

   

whether interests in our preferred stock will be represented by depositary shares;

 

   

a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to our preferred stock;

 

   

the relative ranking and preferences of our preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs;

 

   

any limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs; and

 

   

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, our preferred stock.

When we issue shares of preferred stock under this prospectus, the shares will fully be paid and nonassessable and will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

 

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Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

Certain provisions of the DGCL and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions, which are summarized below, are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and, as a consequence, they might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions are also designed in part to encourage anyone seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. However, we believe that the advantages gained by protecting our ability to negotiate with any unsolicited and potentially unfriendly acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging such proposals, including those priced above the then-current market value of our common stock, because, among other reasons, the negotiation of such proposals could improve their terms.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law. We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

 

   

before the stockholder became interested, the Board approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances; or

 

   

at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by the Board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 203 defines a business combination to include:

 

   

any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

   

any sale, transfer, lease, pledge, exchange, mortgage or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation;

 

   

subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

   

subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

   

the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.

In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.

Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us and encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to

 

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negotiate with our Board rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the items described below.

Board Composition and Filling Vacancies. Our certificate of incorporation provides for the division of our Board into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, with one class being elected each year. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% or more of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Furthermore, any vacancy on our Board, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our Board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office even if less than a quorum.

No Written Consent of Stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides that all stockholder actions are required to be taken by a vote of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting, and that stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting.

Meetings of Stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that only a majority of the members of our Board then in office may call special meetings of stockholders and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting.

Advance Notice Requirements. Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices.

Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. As required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, any amendment of our certificate of incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our Board, and if required by law or our certificate of incorporation, must thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, Board composition, limitation of liability and the amendment of our certificate of incorporation must be approved by not less than 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the bylaws; and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, or, if our Board recommends that the stockholders approve the amendment, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, in each case voting together as a single class.

Undesignated Preferred Stock. Our certificate of incorporation provides for 5,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock, of which 2,819,549 shares have been designated as Class A Convertible Preferred Stock. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of undesignated preferred stock may enable our Board to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our Board were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of our stockholders, our Board could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our certificate of incorporation grants our Board broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.

 

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Exclusive Forum. Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claims for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In addition, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Our bylaws also provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions. Although we believe these provisions benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware or federal securities law in the types of lawsuits to which they apply, these provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. In addition, these forum selection provisions may impose additional litigation costs for stockholders who determine to pursue any such lawsuits against us. The enforceability of similar exclusive forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation and bylaws have been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could rule that these provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws are inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provisions are unenforceable. In particular, while the Delaware Supreme Court and other state courts have upheld the validity of federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims under the Securities Act be brought in federal court, there is uncertainty as to whether other state or federal courts will enforce the federal forum provision in our bylaws.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This section describes the general terms and provisions of our debt securities that we may issue from time to time. We may issue debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may offer under this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will describe the specific terms of any debt securities offered through that prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. The terms of any debt securities we offer under a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may differ from the terms we describe below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the “indentures,” we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.

We will issue any senior debt securities under the senior indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the senior indenture. We will issue any subordinated debt securities under the subordinated indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the subordinated indenture. We have filed forms of these documents as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.

The indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. We use the term “trustee” to refer to either the trustee under the senior indenture or the trustee under the subordinated indenture, as applicable.

The following summaries of material provisions of the senior debt securities, the subordinated debt securities and the indentures are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete applicable indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities. Except as we may otherwise indicate, the terms of the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are identical.

General

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:

 

   

the title;

 

   

the principal amount being offered, and if a series, the total amount authorized and the total amount outstanding;

 

   

any limit on the amount that may be issued;

 

   

whether or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form, and, if so, the terms and who the depository will be;

 

   

the maturity date;

 

   

whether and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional amounts on any debt securities held by a person who is not a United States person for tax purposes, and whether we can redeem the debt securities if we have to pay such additional amounts;

 

   

the annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;

 

   

whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;

 

   

the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt;

 

   

the place where payments will be payable;

 

   

restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any;

 

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our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;

 

   

the date, if any, after which, the conditions upon which, and the price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;

 

   

the date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option, to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable;

 

   

whether the indenture will restrict our ability or the ability of our subsidiaries to:

 

   

incur additional indebtedness;

 

   

issue additional securities;

 

   

create liens;

 

   

pay dividends or make distributions in respect of our capital stock or the capital stock of our subsidiaries;

 

   

redeem capital stock;

 

   

place restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets;

 

   

make investments or other restricted payments;

 

   

sell or otherwise dispose of assets;

 

   

enter into sale-leaseback transactions;

 

   

engage in transactions with stockholders or affiliates;

 

   

issue or sell stock of our subsidiaries; or

 

   

effect a consolidation or merger;

 

   

whether the indenture will require us to maintain any interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based, asset-based or other financial ratios;

 

   

a discussion of certain material or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities;

 

   

information describing any book-entry features;

 

   

provisions for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund, if any;

 

   

the applicability of the provisions in the indenture on discharge;

 

   

whether the debt securities are to be offered at a price such that they will be deemed to be offered at an “original issue discount” as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 1273 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

 

   

the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; and

 

   

the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; and any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, including any additional events of default or covenants provided with respect to the debt securities, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the debt securities.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third-party). We will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third-party) that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.

 

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Consolidation, Merger or Sale

Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indentures will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the indentures or the debt securities, as appropriate. If the debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for other securities of ours or securities of other entities, the person with whom we consolidate or merge or to whom we sell all of our property must make provisions for the conversion of the debt securities into securities that the holders of the debt securities would have received if they had converted the debt securities before the consolidation, merger or sale.

Events of Default Under the Indenture

Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:

 

   

if we fail to pay interest when due and payable and our failure continues for 90 days and the time for payment has not been extended;

 

   

if we fail to pay the principal, premium or sinking fund payment, if any, when due and payable at maturity, upon redemption or repurchase or otherwise, and the time for payment has not been extended;

 

   

if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant contained in the debt securities or the indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive notice from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and

 

   

if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur.

We will describe in each applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus any additional events of default relating to the relevant series of debt securities.

If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.

Subject to the terms of the indentures, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense. 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, provided that:

 

   

the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and

 

   

subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding.

 

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A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies if:

 

   

the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;

 

   

the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and such holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense or to be incurred in compliance with instituting the proceeding as trustee; and

 

   

the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer.

These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities, or other defaults that may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus.

We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indentures.

Modification of Indenture; Waiver

Subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue, we and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to the following specific matters:

 

   

to fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture;

 

   

to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Our Debt Securities—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;”

 

   

to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

   

to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture;

 

   

to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided under “Description of Our Debt Securities—General,” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities;

 

   

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee;

 

   

to provide for uncertificated debt securities and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose;

 

   

to add to our covenants such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred to us in the indenture; or

 

   

to change anything that does not materially adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series.

In addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue or as otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:

 

   

extending the stated maturity of the series of debt securities;

 

   

reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption or repurchase of any debt securities; or

 

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reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver.

Discharge

Each indenture provides that, subject to the terms of the indenture and any limitation otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:

 

   

register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series;

 

   

replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series;

 

   

maintain paying agencies;

 

   

hold monies for payment in trust;

 

   

recover excess money held by the trustee;

 

   

compensate and indemnify the trustee; and

 

   

appoint any successor trustee.

In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.

Form, Exchange and Transfer

We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indentures provide that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company or another depository named by us and identified in a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus with respect to that series.

At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

Subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.

We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series. If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:

 

   

issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or

 

   

register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part.

 

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Information Concerning the Trustee

The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs.

Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indentures at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.

Payment and Paying Agents

Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.

We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.

All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.

Governing Law

The indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

Ranking of Debt Securities

The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to certain of our other indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. The subordinated indenture does not limit the amount of subordinated debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.

The senior debt securities will rank equally in right of payment to all our other senior unsecured debt. The senior indenture does not limit the amount of senior debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.

General

We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a separate warrant agreement. We will enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

 

   

the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

 

   

the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;

 

   

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

 

   

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

 

   

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;

 

   

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

 

   

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

   

the periods during which, and places at which, the warrants are exercisable;

 

   

the manner of exercise;

 

   

the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

 

   

the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified;

 

   

federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

 

   

the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

 

   

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units comprised of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt securities and warrants in any combination. We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section outlines certain provisions of the units that we may issue. If we issue units, they will be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. The information described in this section may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the unit agreement with respect to the units of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of units offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a particular supplement, the specific terms of any series of units may differ from the general description of terms presented below. We urge you to read any prospectus supplement related to any series of units we may offer, as well as the complete unit agreement and unit certificate that contain the terms of the units. If we issue units, forms of unit agreements and unit certificates relating to such units will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.

Each unit that we may issue will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:

 

   

the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

 

   

any provisions of the governing unit agreement;

 

   

the price or prices at which such units will be issued;

 

   

the applicable United States federal income tax considerations relating to the units;

 

   

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and

 

   

any other terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units.

The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Capital Stock,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Warrants” will apply to the securities included in each unit, to the extent relevant and as may be updated in any prospectus supplements.

Issuance in Series

We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes terms of the units that apply generally to all series. Most of the financial and other specific terms of a particular series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unit Agreements

We will issue the units under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. We may add, replace or terminate unit agents from time to time. We will identify the unit agreement under which each series of units will be issued and the unit agent under that agreement in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The following provisions will generally apply to all unit agreements unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement:

Modification without Consent

We and the applicable unit agent may amend any unit or unit agreement without the consent of any holder:

 

   

to cure any ambiguity; any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below;

 

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to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision; or

 

   

to make any other change that we believe is necessary or desirable and will not adversely affect the interests of the affected holders in any material respect.

We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only units to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular unit in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other units in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected unit; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected units.

Modification with Consent

We may not amend any particular unit or a unit agreement with respect to any particular unit unless we obtain the consent of the holder of that unit, if the amendment would:

 

   

impair any right of the holder to exercise or enforce any right under a security included in the unit if the terms of that security require the consent of the holder to any changes that would impair the exercise or enforcement of that right; or

 

   

reduce the percentage of outstanding units or any series or class the consent of whose holders is required to amend that series or class, or the applicable unit agreement with respect to that series or class, as described below.

Any other change to a particular unit agreement and the units issued under that agreement would require the following approval:

 

   

If the change affects only the units of a particular series issued under that agreement, the change must be approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding units of that series; or

 

   

If the change affects the units of more than one series issued under that agreement, it must be approved by the holders of a majority of all outstanding units of all series affected by the change, with the units of all the affected series voting together as one class for this purpose.

These provisions regarding changes with majority approval also apply to changes affecting any securities issued under a unit agreement, as the governing document.

In each case, the required approval must be given by written consent.

Unit Agreements Will Not Be Qualified under Trust Indenture Act

No unit agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no unit agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of units issued under unit agreements will not have the protections of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their units.

Mergers and Similar Transactions Permitted; No Restrictive Covenants or Events of Default

The unit agreements will not restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets to, another corporation or other entity or to engage in any other transactions. If at any time we merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets substantially as an entirety to, another corporation or other entity, the successor entity will succeed to and assume our obligations under the unit agreements. We will then be relieved of any further obligation under these agreements.

The unit agreements will not include any restrictions on our ability to put liens on our assets, nor will they restrict our ability to sell our assets. The unit agreements also will not provide for any events of default or remedies upon the occurrence of any events of default.

Governing Law

The unit agreements and the units will be governed by Delaware law.

Form, Exchange and Transfer

We will issue each unit in global—i.e., book-entry—form only. Units in book-entry form will be represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, which will be the holder of all the units represented by the global security. Those who own beneficial interests in a unit will do so through participants in the depositary’s

 

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system, and the rights of these indirect owners will be governed solely by the applicable procedures of the depositary and its participants. We will describe book-entry securities, and other terms regarding the issuance and registration of the units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Each unit and all securities comprising the unit will be issued in the same form.

If we issue any units in registered, non-global form, the following will apply to them.

The units will be issued in the denominations stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders may exchange their units for units of smaller denominations or combined into fewer units of larger denominations, as long as the total amount is not changed.

 

   

Holders may exchange or transfer their units at the office of the unit agent. Holders may also replace lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated units at that office. We may appoint another entity to perform these functions or perform them ourselves.

 

   

Holders will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange their units, but they may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the transfer or exchange. The transfer or exchange, and any replacement, will be made only if our transfer agent is satisfied with the holder’s proof of legal ownership. The transfer agent may also require an indemnity before replacing any units.

 

   

If we have the right to redeem, accelerate or settle any units before their maturity, and we exercise our right as to less than all those units or other securities, we may block the exchange or transfer of those units during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of exercise and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers of or exchange any unit selected for early settlement, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unsettled portion of any unit being partially settled. We may also block the transfer or exchange of any unit in this manner if the unit includes securities that are or may be selected for early settlement.

Only the depositary will be entitled to transfer or exchange a unit in global form, since it will be the sole holder of the unit.

Payments and Notices

In making payments and giving notices with respect to our units, we will follow the procedures as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the offered securities in and outside the United States:

 

   

through underwriters;

 

   

through dealers;

 

   

through agents;

 

   

directly to one or more purchasers, including to a limited number of institutional purchasers, to a single purchaser or to our affiliates and stockholders;

 

   

in “at the market offerings,” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise; or

 

   

through a combination of any of these methods or any other method permitted by law.

In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders.

We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. In the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, we will name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions that we must pay to any such agent. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions, including:

 

   

at a fixed price, or prices, which may be changed from time to time;

 

   

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

   

at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

 

   

at negotiated prices.

Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.

The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:

 

   

the terms of the offerings;

 

   

the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

   

the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;

 

   

the public offering or purchase price of the securities;

 

   

the net proceeds from the sale of securities;

 

   

any delayed delivery arrangements;

 

   

any discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to the underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

   

all other items constituting underwriting compensation;

 

   

any discounts and commissions to be allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

   

any commissions paid to agents; and

 

   

any exchanges on which the securities will be listed.

If any underwriters or agents are used in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement, sales agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

 

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In connection with the offering of securities, we may grant to the underwriters an option to purchase additional securities with an additional underwriting commission, as may be set forth in any accompanying prospectus supplement. If we grant any such option, the terms of such option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for such securities.

If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer, who may be deemed to be an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act, may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.

Agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:

 

   

the purchase by an institution of the securities covered under that contract shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which that institution is subject; and

 

   

if the securities are also being sold to underwriters acting as principals for their own account, the underwriters shall have purchased such securities not sold for delayed delivery. The underwriters and other persons acting as our agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of delayed delivery contracts.

Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with their remarketing of offered securities.

Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates, may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may over allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain

 

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the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

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.

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than three scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the third business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than three scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.

In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, the aggregate maximum discount, commission or agency fees or other items constituting underwriting compensation to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer will not exceed 8% of the proceeds from any offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.

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.

Each underwriter, dealer and agent participating in the distribution of any of the securities that are issuable in bearer form will agree that it will not offer, sell or deliver, directly or indirectly, securities in bearer form in the United States or to United States persons, other than qualifying financial institutions, during the restricted period, as defined in United States Treasury Regulations Section 1.163-5(c)(2)(i)(D)(7).

The anticipated date of delivery of offered securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to each offer.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, San Francisco, California. Any underwriters, dealers or agents will also be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.

 

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EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain all of 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 by reference into this prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document.

Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.fatetherapeutics.com. The information contained in or that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus.

We have the authority to designate and issue more than one class or series of stock having various preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption. See “Description of Capital Stock.” We will furnish a full statement of the relative rights and preferences of each class or series of our stock which has been so designated and any restrictions on the ownership or transfer of our stock to any stockholder upon written or oral request and without charge. Written requests for such copies should be directed to Fate Therapeutics, Inc., 12278 Scripps Summit Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, Attention: Secretary, or by telephone request to (858) 875-1800. Our website is located at www.fatetherapeutics.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information from other documents and reports we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to these documents. You should read the information incorporated by reference because it is an important part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the following information or documents that we have filed with the SEC:

 

   

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023, or the 2022 Form 10-K;

 

   

the information specifically incorporated by reference into our 2022 Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 21, 2023;

 

   

the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, June  30, 2023 and September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 3, 2023, August 8, 2023 and November 8, 2023, respectively;

 

   

the Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 5, 2023, April  19, 2023, June  7, 2023, June  8, 2023, June  9, 2023, and September 1, 2023 (except, with respect to each of the foregoing, for portions of such reports which were deemed to be furnished and not filed); and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (SEC No. 001-36076), filed with the SEC on September 17, 2013, and any other amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.3 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and deemed to be part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

Any statement contained in any document incorporated by reference herein filed before the date of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, but not delivered with the prospectus or any prospectus supplement, other than exhibits to such documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into the documents that this prospectus or any prospectus supplement incorporates. You should direct written requests to: Fate Therapeutics, Inc., Fate Therapeutics, Inc., 12278 Scripps Summit Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, Attention: Secretary, or you may call us at (858) 875-1800. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

 

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14,545,454 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

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March 19, 2024