Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Shockwave Medical, Inc., a pioneer in the development of Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) to treat severely calcified cardiovascular disease, today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Neovasc Inc. (“Neovasc”).
The Neovasc Reducer System (the “Reducer”) is a first-of-its-kind technology to address refractory angina. Refractory angina is a chronic condition in which a patient suffers chest pain that cannot be controlled by conventional therapies. It is estimated that each year, in the U.S. and the E.U. alone, up to 300,000 new patients with obstructive coronary disease who are ineligible for conventional revascularization experience refractory angina, despite guideline-directed medical therapy. In addition, it is estimated that up to another 500,000 new patients present with angina and non-obstructive coronary artery disease in the U.S. and the E.U. each year. The Reducer has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA, is CE-marked and is currently enrolling patients in the COSIRA-II study, a randomized clinical trial being conducted under an Investigation Device Exemption intended to support FDA approval for patients with coronary obstructive refractory angina.
Shockwave has acquired all of the outstanding common shares of Neovasc (the “Common Shares”) for US$27.25 per share in cash (the “Cash Portion”) upfront by way of a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”). Consideration for the purchased shares has been paid to Computershare Investor Services Inc. as depositary under the arrangement (the “Depositary”) and will be provided to former shareholders of Neovasc (the “Shareholders”) as soon as reasonably practicable after the date hereof, in accordance with the terms of the arrangement agreement and subject to the ruling by the Israel Tax Authority issued in connection with the Arrangement (the “Withholding Tax Ruling”) as described below. In addition, the Shareholders will also receive a potential deferred payment in the form of a non-tradeable contingent value right (a “CVR”, and together with the Cash Portion, the “Consideration”) entitling the Shareholders to receive up to an additional US$12.00 per share in cash if certain regulatory milestones are achieved within specified timeframes.
As a result of the completion of the Arrangement, Neovasc’s Common Shares will be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Neovasc has also requested that the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) file a delisting application on Form 25 to report the delisting of the Common Shares of Neovasc from Nasdaq. An application will be made for Neovasc to cease to be a reporting issuer in the applicable Canadian jurisdictions as a result of completion of the Arrangement. Neovasc expects to terminate the registration of its Common Shares under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), approximately 10 days after the closing of the transaction.
Pursuant to the Withholding Tax Ruling, in order to receive the Consideration free of withholding pursuant to the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance (New Version), 5721-1961 (the “Ordinance”), Shareholders are required to make the Israeli Tax Certification described below. Shareholders that hold Common Shares through a broker and who meet the requirements of the Israeli Tax
Certification will be able to provide such certification and submit the supporting documents described below through an online portal that will be made available by the Depositary; such Shareholders with questions about the Consideration or this portal are encouraged to call their brokers with any questions. Registered Shareholders (that is, Shareholders that, as of the closing of the Arrangement, hold shares directly in Neovasc, and not through a broker) will be contacted by the Depositary with instructions on how to receive the Consideration. In order to avoid withholding of Israeli tax, Registered Shareholders (as well as any Shareholder whose consideration exceeds US$500,000) will need to obtain a withholding exemption certificate issued by the Israel Tax Authority and such Shareholders are encouraged to seek guidance from an Israeli tax lawyer or accountant to help with the process of obtaining such an exemption certificate. Registered Shareholders with questions may contact the Depositary directly by calling 888-852-1154 (within North America) or 514-982-7478 (outside North America).
The “Israeli Tax Certification” will require that Shareholders certify that: (i) they are not (and from the date they purchased the Common Shares until the closing of the Arrangement, were not) a “resident of Israel” as defined under Section 1 of the Ordinance; (ii) the Common Shares held by such Shareholder were acquired on or after January 1, 2009, and to the extent the Common Shares were transferred to such Shareholder pursuant to a tax-free transfer (under Israeli law), which includes transactions such as gifts or inheritances, the transferor acquired the Common Shares on or after January 1, 2009; (iii) they did not acquire the Common Shares from a “relative” (as defined under Section 88 of the Ordinance) and the Common Shares were not subject to the provision of Part E2 of the Ordinance or Section 70 of the Israeli Land Taxation Law (Appreciation and Acquisition), 5723-1963, which relate to tax-free reorganizations; (iv) the gain from the sale of the Common Shares is not derived through a permanent establishment they have in Israel; and (v) such Shareholder is the beneficial owner (directly or indirectly) of less than 5% of the Common Shares. In support of the Israeli Tax Certification, Shareholders will be required to upload to the portal described above: (i) for Shareholders who are individuals, a copy of such Shareholder’s valid non-Israeli passport or a valid government-issued identification card or IRS Form W-9; and (ii) for Shareholders who will receive consideration in excess of US$300,000 but no more than US$500,000 or are Israeli citizens, a tax residency certificate from the applicable tax authority in such Shareholder’s country of residence or a withholding exemption certificate issued by the Israel Tax Authority.
Source: globenewswire.com
