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Carmell Corporation

19/11/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 19/11/2024 11:02

Initial Registration Statement for Employee Benefit Plan Form S 8

S-8

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2024

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

CARMELL CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

86-1645738

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

2403 Sidney Street

Suite 300

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203

(412) 894-8248

(Address of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)

Carmell Corporation 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan

Carmell Therapeutics Corporation Amended and Restated 2009 Stock Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plans)

Kendra-Bracken Ferguson

Chief Executive Officer

Carmell Corporation

2403 Sidney Street

Suite 300

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203

(412) 894-8248

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

With a copy to:

Michael A. Hedge, Esq.

K&L Gates LLP

1 Park Plaza

Twelfth Floor

Irvine, CA 92614

Telephone: (949)

253-0900

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

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Part I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Item 1. Plan Information.

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 1 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this "Registration Statement") or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 2 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

Part II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

Carmell Corporation (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed with the Commission:

(a)
The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Commission on April 1, 2024, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A, filed with the Commission on April 29, 2024;
(b)
The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, filed with the Commission on May 15, 2024;
(c)
The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Commission on August 14, 2024;
(d)
The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, filed with the Commission on November 14, 2024;
(f)
The description of the Registrant's common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-40228), filed by the Registrant with the Commission under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), on March 16, 2021, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents that the Registrant subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all of the shares of common stock offered have been sold or which deregisters all of such shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which 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 Registration Statement.

Under no circumstances will any information filed under current items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

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Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (referred to as the "DGCL") empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or who is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct was unlawful.

Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled; and the indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person's heirs, executors and administrators. Section 145 also empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a corporation's certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

The Registrant's Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the "Charter"), provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) in respect of unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases, or (4) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. In addition, the Charter provides that if the DGCL is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Registrant shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

The Charter further provides that any repeal or modification of such article by the Registrant's stockholders or amendment to the DGCL will not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such repeal or modification of a director serving at the time of such repeal or modification.

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The Registrant's Bylaws (the "Bylaws") provide that the Registrant will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, the Registrant's director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant's request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an "Indemnitee"), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the Registrant's best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The Bylaws also provide that the Registrant will advance expenses to Indemnitees in connection with a legal proceeding, subject to limited exceptions.

The Registrant entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers. These agreements provide that the Registrant will indemnify each of its directors and such officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Charter and the Bylaws.

The Registrant also maintains a general liability insurance policy, which covers certain liabilities of its directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.

Description

4.1

Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Carmell Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on July 20, 2023).

4.2

Amendment to Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Carmell Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on August 1, 2023).

4.3

Bylaws of Carmell Therapeutics Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on July 20, 2023).

5.1*

Opinion of K&L Gates LLP.

23.1*

Consent of Adeptus Partners, LLC.

23.2*

Consent of K&L Gates LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.1).

24.1*

Power of Attorney (included on signature page of the Registration Statement).

99.1

2023 Equity Incentive Plan of Carmell Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on S-4/A, filed with the Commission on June 23, 2023).

99.2

2009 Equity Incentive Plan of Carmell Therapeutics Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on S-4/A, filed with the Commission on June 23, 2023).

99.3

Form of Grant Agreement under 2023 Equity Incentive Plan of Carmell Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, filed with the Commission on August 14, 2024).

107*

Filing Fee Table.

* Filed herewith.

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Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement (notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Filing Fee Tables" or "Calculation of Registration Fee" table, as applicable, in the effective registration statement.); and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement.

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) herein do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 18, 2024.

Carmell Corporation

By:

/s/ Bryan J. Cassaday

Name:

Bryan J. Cassaday

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Rajiv Shukla and Bryan Cassaday, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ Kendra Bracken-Ferguson

Kendra Bracken-Ferguson

Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

November 18, 2024

/s/ Bryan Cassaday

Bryan Cassaday

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

November 18, 2024

/s/ Rajiv Shukla

Rajiv Shukla

Executive Chairman

November 18, 2024

/s/ Scott Frisch

Director

November 18, 2024

Scott Frisch

s/ Kathryn Gregory

Director

November 18, 2024

Kathryn Gregory

/s/ Gilles Spenlehauer

Dr. Gilles Spenlehauer

Director

November 18, 2024

/s/ Patrick Sturgeon

Patrick Sturgeon

Director

November 18, 2024

/s/ Rich Upton

Rich Upton

Director

November 18, 2024

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