EXCLUSIVE LICENSE
AGREEMENT
This
Exclusive License
Agreement (this “Agreement” )
is entered into as of June 30, 2006 (the
“Effective Date” ) by and between
Sytera, Inc. ,
a Delaware corporation (the “Licensor” ),
and Sytera II,
Inc. , a Delaware corporation (the
“Licensee” ).
Whereas, Licensor currently
owns certain patents, patent applications and technology relating
to the application of Fenretinide (as defined below) in the Field
(as defined below);
Whereas, pursuant to the
terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Licensor desires
to grant to Licensee, and Licensee desires to receive from
Licensor, an exclusive worldwide license to such patents, patent
applications and technology in exchange for shares of Licensee
Common Stock (as defined below) representing all of the outstanding
capital stock of Licensee; and
Whereas, insofar as the
License (as defined below) is being granted pursuant to a plan in
exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of Licensee, the
parties hereto intend the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement to qualify as a tax-free transfer under Section 351
of the Code (as defined below).
Now, Therefore, in
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth
below, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt
and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereby agree as follows:
1.
Definitions.
As used in this
Agreement:
1.1
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
1.2
“Fenretinide” means 4-hydroxyphenyl
retinamide and its active metabolite, 4-methoxyphenyl
retinamide.
1.3
“Field” means the treatment or prevention of
diabetes.
1.4
“Improvement” means any innovation,
improvement or variation (whether or not patentable), which may be
developed or otherwise acquired, during the term of this Agreement,
in respect of the Licensed Products and the Licensed Processes,
including, without limitation, any and all compounds that modulate
serum retinol.
1.5
“License” means the exclusive license
granted to Licensee in Section 2.1.
1.6
“Licensee Common Stock” means the Common
Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Licensee.
1.
1.7
“Licensed Patents” means: (i) the
patents and patent applications listed in Exhibit A ;
(ii) all patents issuing or claiming priority from any of the
patents and patent applications listed in Exhibit A
including continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals,
reexaminations, reissues, and extensions thereof, and foreign
counterparts, and substitutions of the patents and patent
applications listed in Exhibit A whether or not such
patent applications or patents exist as of the Effective Date; and
(iii) all patents based on Licensor Improvements (as defined
in Section 3.3).
1.8
“Licensed Processes” means any process
relating to the Field that: (i) would infringe one or more
claims of a Licensed Patent but for the License; or (ii) that
uses the Licensed Technology or Licensor Improvements.
1.9
“Licensed Products” means any product, or
component thereof, relating to the Field that: (i) would
infringe one or more claims of a Licensed Patent but for the
License; or (ii) is manufactured using the Licensed Technology
or Licensor Improvements (as defined in
Section 3.3).
1.10
“Licensed Technology” means any data or
information of a technical nature, currently owned by Licensor or
developed or otherwise acquired by Licensor during the term of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, any and all ideas, gene
sequences, cell lines, samples, media, chemical compounds, assays,
biological materials, techniques, sketches, drawings, works of
authorship, models, inventions, know-how, processes, apparatuses,
equipment, algorithms, software programs, software source documents
and formulae, relating to the Field and necessary or useful for the
manufacture or sale of the Licensed Products or use of Licenses
Processes.
2.1 License
Grant; Issuance of Licensee Shares. Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement: (i) at and effective as of the
Closing (as defined below), Licensor hereby grants to Licensee an
exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable license, with the full
right to sublicense to one or more tiers of sublicensees, under the
Licensed Patents and the Licensed Technology, to make, have made,
use, sell, offer to sell and import the Licensed Products within
the Field and to practice the Licensed Processes within the Field;
and (ii) at the Closing, Licensee shall issue to Licensor, as
consideration for the exclusive license granted pursuant to the
foregoing clause “(i)” of this Section 2.1 (the
“License” ), an aggregate of 8,430,594
shares of Licensee Common Stock (the
“Shares” ). Licensor expressly reserves
all rights in the Licensed Patents, Licensed Processes and Licensed
Technology in fields other than the Field.
2.2
Closing. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement (the “Closing” ) shall occur at
11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the Effective Date, at the offices
of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, 3579 Valley Centre
Drive, San Diego, CA 92130, or at such other time or place as the
parties may mutually agree. At the Closing: (i) the License
shall automatically, and without any further action by the parties
hereto, become effective; and (ii) Licensee shall issue and
deliver to Licensor one or more stock certificate(s) evidencing the
Licensee Shares.
2.
2.3 Delivery
of Ancillary Materials. At or promptly following the Closing,
Licensor will transfer to Licensee copies of all documents,
materials, and information relating to the Licensed Patents and
Licensed Technology. Upon Licensee’s request, Licensor agrees
to provide to Licensee, at Licensee’s expense, on mutually
convenient dates, all reasonable assistance necessary for Licensee
to understand and utilize the Licensed Patents and Licensed
Technology within the Field.
2.4 Federal
Income Tax Treatment. The parties intend that the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement shall be treated as a tax-free
transfer under Section 351 of the Code. All provisions of this
Agreement shall be interpreted and construed so as to effectuate
such treatment, and the parties shall take appropriate action to
ensure and report such treatment.
3.
Additional Terms of
License.
3.1 Term of
License. The License will remain in effect in
perpetuity.
3.2
Restrictions on Licensor. Given that the License is being
granted on an exclusive basis, at all times during the term of the
License specified in Section 3.1, Licensor agrees not to make,
have made, use, sell, offer to sell, or import any Licensed Product
within the Field or to practice the Licensed Processes within the
Field, and not to grant to any third party any rights of any kind
concerning the Licensed Patents or the Licensed Technologies for
the use, manufacture, sale, or importation of the Licensed Products
within the Field or to practice the Licensed Processes within the
Field. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the License includes the
right, and Licensee shall be entitled at all times during the term
of the License specified in Section 3.1, to have any third
party make, use, sell, offer to sell or import the Licensed
Products or to practice the Licensed Processes within the Field for
or on behalf of Licensee.
3.3
Improvements. As between Licensor and Licensee, Licensor will
exclusively own all Improvements conceived, made, reduced to
practice, invented, developed or acquired by or for Licensor (
“Licensor Improvements” ), and Licensee
will exclusively own all Improvements conceived, made, reduced to
practice, invented, developed or acquired by or for Licensee;
provided, however, that Licensor will promptly notify Licensee of
the development of any Licensor Improvements, and such Licensor
Improvements shall be deemed automatically licensed to Licensee
pursuant to Section 2.1.
3.4
Prosecution of Licensed Patents.
(a) Except as provided below in Section 3.4(b),
Licensor shall be responsible, at its sole discretion and expense,
for: (i) preparing, filing, prosecuting, and maintaining all
Licensed Patents in such jurisdiction; and (ii) conducting any
interference, re-examination, reissue and opposition proceedings
relating to the Licensed Patents in such jurisdiction
(collectively, “Prosecution” ). In
connection with the foregoing: (x) Licensor shall regularly
consult with Licensee, use reasonable efforts to accommodate
comments from Licensee, and keep Licensee advised of the status of
the Licensed Patents; and (y) Licensor shall provide to
Licensee, for Licensee’s review and comments, copies of all
material correspondence to and from the patent offices examining
such Licensed Patents, including restriction requirements, office
actions, proposed amendments and responses, and notices of
allowance.
3.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 3.4(a), Licensee will have
the right to file, at Licensee’s expense, one or more
divisional, continuation, or continuation-in-part applications
claiming priority to any of the Licensed Patents and which include
only those claims directed primarily t
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