UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 7, 2020

SYNDAX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (781) 419-1400

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒

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Item 1.01Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On February 7, 2020, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Hercules Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”), which provided for aggregate maximum borrowings of up to $30.0 million, consisting of (i) a term loan of up to $20.0 million, which was funded on February 7, 2020, and (ii) subject to Hercules’ investment committee approval, an additional term loan of up to $10.0 million, available for borrowing from February 7, 2020 to December 15, 2020 (the “Tranche 2 Advance”).  Borrowings under the Loan Agreement bear interest at an annual rate equal to the greater of (i) 9.5% or (ii) 5.10% plus the Wall Street Journal prime rate.  

Borrowings under the Loan Agreement are repayable in monthly interest-only payments through October 1, 2021, or April 1, 2022 if the Phase 3 clinical trial of entinostat (E2112) in patients with advanced hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative, breast cancer has achieved the primary efficacy endpoint sufficient to file an NDA as the next step in clinical development (“Performance Milestone”).  After the interest-only payment period, borrowings under the Loan Agreement are repayable in equal monthly payments of principal and accrued interest until the maturity date of the loan, which is either (i) September 1, 2023, or (ii) March 1, 2024 upon achievement of the Performance Milestone (the “Maturity Date”). At the Company’s option, the Company may prepay all, but not less than all, of the outstanding borrowings, subject to a prepayment premium equal to (i) 2.0% of the principal amount outstanding if the prepayment occurs during the first year following the applicable loan being funded, (ii) 1.5% of the principal amount outstanding if the prepayment occurs during the second year following the applicable loan being funded, and (iii) 1.0% of the principal amount outstanding at any time thereafter but prior to the Maturity Date. In addition, the Company paid a $100,000 facility charge upon closing and will pay a $50,000 facility charge in connection with the Tranche 2 Advance.  The Loan Agreement also provides for a final payment, payable upon maturity or the repayment in full of all obligations under the agreement, of up to $998,000.

Borrowings under the Loan Agreement are collateralized by substantially all of the Company’s and its subsidiaries personal property and other assets, other than its intellectual property. The Loan Agreement includes a minimum cash covenant of $12.5 million that applies commencing on September 30, 2020, subject to reduction upon satisfaction of certain conditions as set forth in the Loan Agreement. In addition, the Loan Agreement includes customary affirmative and restrictive covenants and representations and warranties, including a covenant against the occurrence of a “change in control,” financial reporting obligations, and certain limitations on indebtedness, liens (including a negative pledge on intellectual property and other assets), investments, distributions (including dividends), collateral, investments, distributions, transfers, mergers or acquisitions, taxes, corporate changes, and deposit accounts. The Loan Agreement also includes customary events of default, including payment defaults, breaches of covenants following any applicable cure period, the occurrence of certain events that could reasonably be expected to have a “material adverse effect” as set forth in the Loan Agreement, cross acceleration to third-party indebtedness and certain events relating to bankruptcy or insolvency. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, a default interest rate of an additional 5.0% may be applied to the outstanding principal balance, and Hercules may declare all outstanding obligations immediately due and payable and take such other actions as set forth in the Loan Agreement.  

The foregoing description of the Loan Agreement contained herein does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Loan Agreement, a copy of which the Company will file as an exhibit to the its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

 

Item 2.03Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

 

The information in Item 1.01 above relating to the Loan Agreement is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: February 10, 2020

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