Exhibit 10.51
SALIX PHARMACEUTICALS,
LTD.
2005 STOCK PLAN
(as adopted by the Board of
Directors on April 21, 2005)
1.
Purposes of the Plan . The purposes of this Plan
are to attract and retain the best available personnel for
positions of substantial responsibility, to provide additional
incentive to the Employees and Consultants of the Company and to
promote the success of the Company’s business. Pursuant to
the terms of this Plan, the Company may grant incentives (a) to its
Employees in the form of Incentive Stock Options; (b) to its
Employees and Consultants in the form of Nonstatutory Stock
Options; (c) to its Employees and Consultants in the form of Stock
Bonuses; and (d) to its Employees and Consultants in the form of
Purchase Rights.
2.
Definitions . As used herein, the following
definitions shall apply:
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(a)
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“
Administrator ” shall mean the Board or any of its
Committees appointed pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan.
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(b)
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“
Applicable Laws ” means the requirements relating to
the administration of stock option plans under the corporate laws
and securities regulations of applicable U.S. state corporate laws,
U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock
exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or
quoted and the applicable laws of any foreign country or
jurisdiction where Options are, or will be, granted under the
Plan.
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(c)
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“
Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the
Company.
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(d)
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“
Change in Control ” shall mean a change in control of
a nature that would be required to be reported in response to item
6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A promulgated under the
Exchange Act as such Schedule, Regulation and Act were in effect on
the date of adoption of this Plan by the Board, assuming that such
Schedule, Regulation and Act applied to the Company, provided that
such a change in control shall be deemed to have occurred at such
time as:
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(i)
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any
“person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d) and
14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, a Subsidiary
or an affiliate of the Company) becomes, directly or indirectly,
the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act) of securities representing a 33
1
/ 3 % or more of the combined voting
power for election of members of the Board of the then outstanding
voting securities of the Company or any successor of the
Company;
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(ii)
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during any
period of two consecutive years or less, individuals who at the
beginning of such period constituted the Board of the Company
cease, for any reason, to constitute at least a majority of the
Board, unless the election of nomination for election of each new
member of the Board was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds
of the members of the Board then still in office who were members
of the Board at the beginning of the period;
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(iii)
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the equity
holders of the Company approve any merger or consolidation to which
the Company is a party as a result of which the persons who were
equity holders of the Company immediately prior to the effective
date of the merger or consolidation (and excluding, however, any
shares held by any party to such merger or consolidation and their
affiliates) shall have beneficial ownership of less than 50% of the
combined voting power for election of members of the Board (or
equivalent) of the surviving entity following the effective date of
such merger or consolidation; or
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(iv)
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the equity
holders of the Company approve any merger or consolidation as a
result of which the equity interests in the Company shall be
changed, converted or exchanged (other than a merger with a
wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company) or any liquidation of the
Company or any sale or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Company.
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However, in no event shall a Change
in Control be deemed to have occurred with respect to a holder of a
Stock Right, if such holder is part of a purchasing group which
consummates the Change in Control transaction. Such holder shall be
deemed “part of a purchasing group” for purposes of the
preceding sentence if he, she or it is either directly or
indirectly an equity participant in the purchasing group (except
for (A) passive ownership of less than 3% of the stock of the
purchasing group, or (B) ownership of equity participation in the
purchasing group which is otherwise not significant, as determined
prior to the Change in Control by the Board).
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(e)
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“
Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended, or any successor thereto.
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(f)
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“
Committee ” shall mean any Committee appointed by the
Board in accordance with Section 4(a) of the Plan, if one is
appointed. Once appointed, such Committee shall continue to serve
in its designated capacity until otherwise directed by the Board.
From time to time, the Board may increase the size of the Committee
and appoint additional members thereof, remove members (with or
without cause) and appoint new members in substitution therefor,
fill vacancies, however caused, and remove all members of the
Committee and thereafter directly administer the Plan, all to the
extent permitted by the Applicable Laws.
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(g)
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“
Common Stock ” shall mean the Common Stock, par value
$0.001 per share, of the Company.
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(h)
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“
Company ” shall mean Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., a
Delaware corporation.
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(i)
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“
Consultant ” shall mean any person, including an
advisor, engaged by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to
render services to such entity, and any Director of the Company
whether compensated for such services or not.
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(j)
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“
Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant ” shall
mean the absence of any interruption or termination of service as
an Employee or Consultant. Continuous Status as an Employee or
Consultant shall not be considered interrupted in the case of sick
leave, military leave, or any other leave of absence approved by
the Administrator; provided that such leave is for a period of not
more than 90 days or reemployment upon the expiration of such leave
is guaranteed by contract or statute. For purposes of this Plan, a
change in status from Employee to Consultant or from Consultant to
Employee will not constitute a termination of
employment.
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(k)
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“
Director ” shall mean a member of the
Board.
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(l)
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“
Disqualifying Disposition ” shall mean any disposition
(including any sale) of Common Stock before either (i) two years
after the date the Employee was granted the Incentive Stock Option,
or (ii) one year after the date the Employee acquired the Common
Stock by exercising the Incentive Stock Option. If an Employee has
died before such stock is sold, these holding period requirements
do not apply and no Disqualifying Disposition can occur
thereafter.
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(m)
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“
Effective Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 6 hereof.
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(n)
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“
Employee ” shall mean any person employed by the
Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. The payment of
a Director’s fee by the Company shall not be sufficient to
constitute “employment” by the Company.
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(o)
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“
Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.
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(p)
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“ Fair
Market Value ” means, as of any date, the value of Common
Stock determined as follows:
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(i)
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if the Common
Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or national
market system in the United States, including without limitation
the National Market System of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”)
System, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for
such stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as
quoted on such exchange or system for the last market trading day
prior to the time of determination, as reported in The Wall Street
Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems
reliable;
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(ii)
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if the Common
Stock is quoted on the NASDAQ System (but not on The National
Market System thereof) or regularly quoted by a recognized
securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, its Fair
Market Value shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked
prices for the Common Stock for the last market trading day prior
to the time of determination, as reported in The Wall Street
Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable;
or
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(iii)
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in the absence
of an established market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market
Value thereof shall be determined in good faith by the
Board.
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(q)
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“
Incentive Stock Option ” shall mean an Option intended
to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of
Section 422 of the Code.
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(r)
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“
Nonstatutory Stock Option ” shall mean an Option not
intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
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(s)
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“
Officer ” shall mean a person who is an officer of the
Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any successor
thereto and (i) every Director or senior officer of the Company,
(ii) every Director or senior officer of a company that is itself
an insider or subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any person or
company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting
securities of the Company or who exercises control or direction
over voting securities of the Company or a combination of both
carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all voting
securities of the Company for the time being outstanding other than
voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in
the course of a distribution, and (iv) the Company where it has
purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its securities,
for so long as it holds any of its securities.
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(t)
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“
Option ” shall mean an option to purchase Common Stock
granted pursuant to the Plan.
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(u)
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“
Optionee ” shall mean an Employee or Consultant who
receives an Option.
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(v)
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“
Parent ” shall mean a “parent
corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined
in Section 424(e) of the Code.
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(w)
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“
Plan ” shall mean this 2005 Stock Plan, as
amended.
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(x)
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“
Purchase Right ” shall mean an opportunity to make a
direct purchase of Common Stock.
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(y)
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“ Rule
16b-3 ” shall mean Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the
Exchange Act as the same may be amended from time to time, or any
successor provision.
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(z)
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“
Share ” shall mean a share of the Common Stock, as
adjusted in accordance with Section 14 of the Plan.
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(aa)
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“
Stock Bonus ” shall mean a bonus award of Common
Stock.
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(bb)
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“
Stock Rights ” shall refer collectively to Options,
Stock Bonuses or Purchase Rights granted pursuant to the
Plan.
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(cc)
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“
Subsidiary ” shall mean a “subsidiary
corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined
in Section 424(f) of the Code.
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3. Stock
Subject to the Plan . The stock subject to Stock
Rights shall be authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock. The
maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the Plan is
the sum of: (i) 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock plus (ii) such
number of shares of Common Stock that are available for issuance
under the Company’s 1996 Stock Option Plan as of the date of
adoption of this Plan by the Company’s stockholders. Any such
Shares may be issued as Incentive Stock Options, Nonstatutory Stock
Options or Stock Bonuses, or to persons or entities making
purchases pursuant to Purchase Rights, so long as the number of
Shares so issued does not exceed such aggregate number, as
adjusted. If any Option granted under the Plan should expire or
become unexercisable for any reason without having been exercised
in full or shall cease for any reason to be exercisable in whole or
part, or if the Company shall reacquire any Shares issued pursuant
to Stock Rights, the unpurchased Shares that were subject thereto
and any Shares so reacquired by the Company shall, unless the Plan
shall have been terminated, become available for future grant under
the Plan.
4.
Administration of the Plan .
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(i)
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Multiple
Administrative Bodies . The Plan may be administered by
different Committees with respect to different groups of Employees
and Consultants.
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(ii)
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Section
162(m) . To
the extent that the Administrator determines it to be desirable to
qualify Options granted hereunder as “performance-based
compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code, the Plan shall be administered by a Committee of two or more
“outside directors” within the meaning of Section
162(m) of the Code.
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(iii)
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Rule
16b-3. To the
extent desirable to qualify transactions hereunder as exempt under
Rule 16b-3, the transactions contemplated hereunder shall be
structured to satisfy the requirements for exemption under Rule
16b-3.
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(iv)
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Other
Administration . Other than as provided above, the
Plan shall be administered by (A) the Board or (B) a Committee,
which committee shall be constituted to satisfy Applicable
Laws.
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(b)
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Powers of
the Administrator . Subject to compliance with
Applicable Laws, and further subject to the provisions of the Plan
and in the case of a Committee, the specific duties delegated by
the Board to such Committee, the Administrator shall have the
authority, in its discretion:
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(i)
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to determine
the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock, in accordance with
Section 2(p) of the Plan;
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(ii)
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to select the
Employees and Consultants to whom Stock Rights may from time to
time be granted hereunder;
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(iii)
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to determine
whether and to what extent Stock Rights are granted
hereunder;
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(iv)
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to determine
the number of shares of Common Stock subject to any Stock Right
granted hereunder;
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(v)
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to approve
forms of agreement for use under the Plan;
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(vi)
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to determine
the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the
Plan, of any Stock Right granted hereunder (including, but not
limited to, the exercise price and any restriction or limitation,
or any vesting acceleration or waiver of forfeiture restrictions
regarding any Option and/or the shares of Common Stock relating
thereto, the purchase price of Shares subject to each Purchase
Right, and the form of consideration to be paid to the Company for
the exercise of any Option or purchase of Shares with respect to a
Stock Right, based in each case on such factors as the
Administrator shall determine, in its sole discretion);
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(vii)
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to determine
(subject to Section 10) the time or times when each Option shall
become exercisable and the duration of the exercise
period;
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(viii)
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to determine
whether restrictions such as repurchase options are to be imposed
on Shares subject to Options, Stock Bonuses and Purchase Rights and
the nature of such restrictions, if any;
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(ix)
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to determine
whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Common Stock
and other amounts payable with respect to an award under this Plan
shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the
participant (including providing for and determining the amount, if
any, of any deemed earnings on any deferred amount during any
deferral period);
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(x)
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to construe and
interpret the terms of the Plan and awards granted pursuant to the
Plan;
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(xi)
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to institute an
option exchange program; and
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(xii)
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to make all
other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration
of the Plan.
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(c)
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Effect of
Administrator’s Decision . All decisions, determinations and
interpretations of the Administrator shall be final and binding on
all holders of any Stock Rights. The interpretation and
construction by the Administrator of any provisions of the Plan or
of any Stock Right granted under it shall be final unless otherwise
determined by the Board. The Administrator may from time to time
adopt such rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan as it
may deem best. No member of the Board or any Committee shall be
liable for any action or determination made in good faith with
respect to the Plan or any Stock Right granted under it.
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5.
Eligibility .
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(a)
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Nonstatutory
Stock Options, Stock Bonuses and Purchase Rights may be granted to
Employees and Consultants. Incentive Stock Options may be granted
only to Employees. An Employee or Consultant who has been granted a
Stock right may, if he or she is otherwise eligible, be granted
additional Stock Rights.
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(b)
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Each Option
shall be designated in the written option agreement as either an
Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option. However,
notwithstanding such designations, to the extent that the aggregate
Fair Market Value of Options that are exercisable for the first
time by an Optionee during any calendar year (under all plans of
the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, (or such
higher value as permitted under Code section 422 at the time of
such determination), such excess Options shall be treated as
Nonstatutory Stock Options.
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(c)
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For purposes of
Section 5(b) hereof, Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into
account in the order in which they were granted, and the Fair
Market Value of the Shares shall be determined as of the time the
Option with respect to such Shares is granted.
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(d)
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The Plan shall
not confer upon any holder of a Stock Right any right with respect
to the continuation of an employment or consulting relationship
with the Company, nor shall such Stock Right interfere in any way
with his or her right or the Company’s right to terminate his
or her employment or consulting relationship at any time, with or
without cause.
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(e)
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The terms of
any Stock Right shall comply with Applicable Laws.
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6. Term
of Plan . The Plan shall become effective upon the
earlier to occur of its adoption by the Board or its approval by
the stockholders of the Company (the “ Effective Date
”). It shall continue in effect for a term of ten (10) years,
unless sooner terminated under Section 15 of the Plan.
7.
Granting of Stock Rights . Stock Rights may be
granted under the Plan at any time after the Effective Date, as set
forth in Section 6, and prior to 10 years thereafter. The date of
grant of a Stock Right under the Plan will be the date specified by
the Administrator at the time it grants the Stock Right;
provided , however , that such date shall not be
prior to the date on which the Administrator acts.
8. Term
of Option . The term of each Option shall be the
term stated in the Option Agreement; provided ,
however , that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the
term shall be no more than ten (10) years from the date of grant
thereof or such shorter term as may be provided in the Option
Agreement. However, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option
granted to an Optionee who, at the time the Option is granted, owns
stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the voting power
of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary,
the term of the Option shall be five (5) years from the date of
grant thereof or such shorter term as may be provided in the Option
Agreement.
9. Option
Exercise Price and Consideration .
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(a)
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The per Share exercise price for
the Shares to be issued pursuant to exercise of an Option shall be
such price as is determined by the Administrator, but shall be no
less than 100% of the Fair
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Market Value on the date of grant;
provided , that , in the case of an Incentive Stock
Option granted to an Employee who, at the time of the grant of such
Incentive Stock Option, owns stock representing more than ten
percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of stock of the
Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, the per Share exercise price
shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per Share on
the date of grant.
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(b)
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The
consideration to be paid for the Shares to be issued upon exercise
of an Option, including the method of payment, shall be determined
by the Administrator (and, in the case of an Incentive Stock
Option, shall be determined at the time of grant) and may consist
entirely of (1) cash, (2) check, (3) other Shares that (x) in the
case of Shares acquired upon exercise of an Option either have been
owned by the Optionee for more than six months on the date of
surrender or were not acquired, directly or indirectly, from the
Company, and (y) have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender
equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Shares as to which
said Option shall be exercised, (4) authorization from the Company
to retain from the total number of Shares as to which the Option is
exercised that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value on the
date of exercise equal to the exercise price for the total number
of Shares as to which the Option is exercised, (5) delivery of a
properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable
instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Company the
amount of sale or loan proceeds required to pay the exercise price,
(6) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment, or (7) as
determined by the Administrator, such other consideration and
method of payment for the issuance of Shares to the extent
permitted under Applicable Laws. No Optionee shall receive
financial assistance from the Company in connection with the
exercise of any Option and the purchase price of the Common Stock
issuable pursuant to any Option shall be paid in full prior to the
issuance of such Common Stock. In making its determination as to
the type of consideration to accept, the Administrator shall
consider if acceptance of such consideration may be reasonably
expected to benefit the Company.
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10.
Exercise of Option .
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(a)
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Procedure
for Exercise; Rights as a Stockholder . Any Option granted hereunder shall
be exercisable at such times and under such conditions as
determined by the Administrator, including performance criteria
with respect to the Company and/or the Optionee, and as shall be
permissible under the terms of the Plan.
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An Option may not be exercised for a
fraction of a Share.
An Option shall be deemed to be
exercised when written notice of such exercise has been given to
the Company in accordance with the terms of the Option by the
person entitled to exercise the Option and full payment for the
Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised has been
received by the Company. Full payment may, as authorized by the
Administrator, consist of any consideration and method of payment
allowable under Section 9(b) of the Plan. Until the issuance (as
evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or
of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) of the stock
certificate evidencing such Shares, no right to vote or receive
dividends or any other rights as a stockholder shall exist with
respect thereto, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The
Company shall issue (or cause to be issued) such stock certificate
promptly upon exercise of the Option. No adjustment will be made
for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to
the date the stock certificate is issued, except as provided in
Section 14 of the Plan.
Exercise of an Option in any manner
shall result in a decrease in the number of Shares which thereafter
may be available, both for purposes of the Plan and for sale under
the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the Option is
exercised.
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(b)
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Termination of Status as an
Employee or Consultant . In the event of termination of an
Optionee’s Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant for
any reason other than by reason of death or disability, such
Optionee may, but only within thirty (30) days (or such other
period of time, not
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exceeding three (3) months in the
case of an Incentive Stock Option or six (6) months in the case of
a Nonstatutory Stock Option, as is determined by the Administrator,
with such determination in the case of an Incentive Stock Option
being made at the time of grant of the Option) after the date of
such termination (but in no event later than the date of expiration
of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement),
exercise his or her Option to the extent that he or she was
entitled to exercise it at the date of such termination. To the
extent that the Optionee was not entitled to exercise the Option at
the date of such termination, or if the optionee does not exercise
such Option (which he or she was entitled to exercise) within the
time specified herein, the Option shall terminate.
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(c)
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Disability
of Optionee . Notwithstanding the provisions of
Section 10(b) above, in the event of termination of an
Optionee’s Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant as
a result of his or her disability, all unvested options under the
Optionee’s Option shall immediately vest, and he or she may,
but only within twelve (12) months (or such shorter period of time
as is determined by the Administrator, with such determination in
the case of an Incentive Stock Option being made at the time of
grant of the Option) from the date of such termination (but in no
event later than the date of expiration of the term of such Option
as set forth in the Option Agreement), exercise his or her Option.
To the extent that he or she does not exercise such Option within
the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate.
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(d)
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Death of
Optionee . In
the event of the death of an Optionee:
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(i)
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during the term
of the Option while such Optionee is at the time of his death an
Employee or Consultant of the Company and who shall have been in
Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant since the date of
grant of the Option, all unvested options under the
Optionee’s Option shall immediately vest, and the Option may
be exercised, at any time within twelve (12) months (or such
shorter period of time as is determined by the Administrator, with
such determination in the case of an Incentive Stock Option being
made at the time of grant of the Option) following the date of
death (but in no event later than the date of expiration of the
term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement), by the
Optionee’s estate or by a person who acquired the right to
exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance; or
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(ii)
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within thirty
(30) days (or such other period of time not exceeding three (3)
months as is determined by the Administrator, with such
determination in the case of an Incentive Stock Option being made
at the time of grant of the Option) after the termination of
Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant, the Option may be
exercised, at any time within twelve (12) months following the date
of death (but in no event later than the date of expir
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