Exhibit 19.1
Amended and Restated Effective as of November 17, 2023
ENANTA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
SECURITIES TRADING POLICY
The federal securities laws prohibit any member of the Board of Directors (a “Director”) or employee of Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) (including its subsidiaries) from purchasing or selling Company securities on the basis of material nonpublic information concerning the Company, or from tipping material nonpublic information to others. These laws impose severe sanctions on individuals who violate them. In addition, the SEC has the authority to impose large fines on the Company and on the Company’s Directors, executive officers and controlling stockholders if the Company’s employees engage in insider trading and the Company has failed to take appropriate steps to prevent it (so-called “controlling person” liability).
This Securities Trading Policy is being adopted in light of these legal requirements, and with the goal of helping:
Information concerning the Company is considered material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable stockholder would consider the information important in making a decision to buy or sell the Company’s securities. Stated another way, there must be a substantial likelihood that a reasonable stockholder would view the information as having significantly altered the “total mix” of information available about the Company. Material information can include positive or negative information about the Company. Information concerning any of the following subjects, or the Company’s plans with respect to any of these subjects, would often be considered material:
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This list is illustrative only and is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of circumstances that could give rise to material information.
This policy also applies to material non-public information about other companies with which is the Company is negotiating or doing business. This policy prohibits trading in the securities of any such company while in possession of material non-public information about it, as well as disclosure of any such material non-public information to others.
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Information concerning the Company is considered nonpublic if it has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally.
Information will generally be considered nonpublic unless
(a) the information has been disclosed
and (b) a sufficient amount of time has passed so that the information has had an opportunity to be digested by the marketplace.
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Prohibited Activities. Except as provided in Section 4, no person or entity covered by this Section 2 may:
(b) Application of Policy After Cessation of Service. If a person ceases to be a Director or employee of the Company at a time when he or she is aware of material nonpublic information concerning the Company, the prohibition on purchases, sales or donations of Company securities in Section 2.2(a) shall continue to apply to such person until that information has become public or is no longer material.
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If the Company is required to impose a “pension fund blackout period” under Regulation BTR, each Director and executive officer shall not, directly or indirectly sell, purchase or otherwise transfer during such blackout period any equity securities of the Company acquired in
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connection with his or her service as a director or officer of the Company, except as permitted by Regulation BTR.
Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 will protect directors, executive officers and employees from insider trading liability under Rule 10b5-1 for transactions under a previously established contract, plan or instruction to trade in the Company’s stock (a “Trading Plan”) entered into in good faith and in accordance with the terms of Rule 10b5-1 and all applicable state laws, and such Trading Plan will be exempt from the trading restrictions set forth in this policy. Persons entering into Trading Plans must act in good faith with respect to the Trading Plan throughout its duration. The initiation or termination of, and any modification to, any such Trading Plan will be deemed to be a transaction in the Company’s securities so that any such initiation, termination or modification is subject to all the limitations and prohibitions relating to transactions in the Company’s securities covered by this policy. Each such Trading Plan and each trading plan that does not satisfy the requirements of Rule 10b5-1, and any adoption, termination or modification thereof, must be submitted to and pre-approved by the Company’s General Counsel, or any other person the Board of Directors may designate from time to time (each an “Authorizing Officer”), who may impose such conditions on the implementation and operation of such plans as the Authorizing Officer deems necessary or advisable. However, compliance of a Trading Plan with the terms of Rule 10b5-1 and the execution of transactions pursuant to the Trading Plan are the sole responsibility of the person initiating the Trading Plan, not the Company or the Authorizing Officer.
Trading Plans do not exempt individuals from complying with Section 16 short-swing profit rules or liability.
Rule 10b5-1 presents an opportunity for participants to establish arrangements so that they can subsequently sell (or purchase) Company stock during open trading windows and blackout periods, even during times when there is material non-public information. A Trading Plan may also help reduce negative publicity that may result when key executives sell the Company’s stock. Rule 10b5-1 only provides an “affirmative defense” in the event there is an allegation of insider trading. It does not prevent another party from bringing a lawsuit or otherwise alleging that insider trading has occurred.
A Director, officer or employee may enter into a Trading Plan only when he or she is not in possession of material non-public information concerning the Company, and only during an open trading window period outside of a blackout period. Although transactions effected under a Trading Plan will not require further pre-clearance at the time of the trade, any transaction (including the quantity and price) made pursuant to a Trading Plan of a Section 16 reporting person must be reported to the Company promptly on the day of each trade to permit the the preparation and filing of a required Form 4 under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
The Company reserves the right from time to time to suspend, discontinue or otherwise prohibit any transaction in the Company’s securities, even pursuant to a previously approved
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Trading Plan, if the Authorizing Officer or the Board of Directors, in its discretion, determines that such suspension, discontinuation or other prohibition is in the best interests of the Company. Any Trading Plan submitted for approval hereunder should explicitly acknowledge the Company’s right to prohibit transactions in the Company’s securities. Failure to discontinue purchases and sales as directed shall constitute a violation of the terms of this Section 6 and result in a loss of the exemption set forth herein.
Directors, executive officers and employees may adopt Trading Plans with brokers that outline a pre-set plan for trading of the Company’s stock, including the exercise of options. Trades pursuant to a Trading Plan generally may occur at any time after a required cooling-off period described below in Section 6.3, subject to any requirement of the Company to avoid trading during specified days before regular announcements of quarterly results.
In addition, and except as otherwise permitted by Rule 10b5-1, an individual may not (1) have multiple outstanding Trading Plans or (2) during any 12-month period, enter into more than one single-trade Trading Plan. A single-trade Trading Plan is a plan which can result, or does result, in all of the shares subject to the plan being sold, or purchased, in a single trade. Whether a Trading Plan is a single-trade plan is evaluated and determined after the trading under the plan has occurred, not just prospectively.
Pursuant to Rule 10b5-1, an individual may establish a Trading Plan for the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities in the open market, as follows:
(a) When not aware of any material non-public information concerning the Company, and provided that the individual has not terminated a Trading Plan in the prior 180 days (see Section 6.4) the individual enters into a binding contract to purchase or sell the securities, provides instructions to another person to sell or purchase the securities or adopts a written plan for trading the securities that is the Trading Plan.
(b) the Trading Plan must either:
(c) any purchase or sale must occur pursuant to the Trading Plan and the individual must not enter into a corresponding hedging transaction or alter or deviate from the Trading Plan.
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(d) Trading Plans adopted by Directors and executive officers and employees of the Company are required to include representations by the respective director, executive officer or employee certifying that such director, executive officer or employee:
Rule 10b5-1 and the Company require a cooling-off period between the establishment of a Trading Plan and commencement of any transactions under such plan.
Termination of or amendments to Trading Plans should occur only in unusual circumstances. Effectiveness of any such termination or amendment will be subject to the prior review and approval of an Authorizing Officer. Once a Trading Plan has been terminated, the participant should wait at least 30 days before trading outside of a Trading Plan and 180 days before establishing a new Trading Plan (and, in any event, the participant must comply with the cooling-off period requirements described above in connection with the adoption or modification of a Trading Plan, including any modification of a Trading Plan deemed to be the termination of such plan and the adoption of a new plan as described below). Termination of a Trading Plan can result in the loss of an affirmative defense for past or future transactions under a Trading Plan. Participants should consult with their own legal counsel before deciding to terminate a Trading Plan. In any event, participants should not assume that compliance with the 180-day bar will protect them from possible adverse legal consequences of a Trading Plan termination.
A person acting in good faith may amend an existing Trading Plan so long as such amendment is made outside of a blackout period and at a time when the Trading Plan participant does not possess material non-public information. A modification or change to a Trading Plan that impacts the amount, price, or timing of the purchase or sale of the securities (or a modification or change to a written formula or algorithm, or computer program that affects the amount, price, or timing of the purchase or sale of the securities) thereunder is deemed a
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termination of the original plan and the adoption of a new plan, subject to a new cooling-off period.
Under certain circumstances, a Trading Plan must be terminated. This may include circumstances such as the announcement of a merger or the occurrence of an event that would cause the transaction either to violate the law or to have an adverse effect on the Company. The Authorizing Officer or administrator of the Company’s stock plans is authorized to notify the broker in such circumstances, without any action of the participant.
Although non-discretionary Trading Plans are preferred, discretionary Trading Plans, where the discretion or control over trading is transferred to a broker, are permitted only if pre‑approved by the Authorizing Officer.
The Authorizing Officer must pre-approve any Trading Plan, arrangement or trading instructions, etc., involving potential sales or purchases of the Company’s stock , including but not limited to, blind trusts, discretionary accounts with banks or brokers, or limit orders. The actual transactions effected pursuant to a pre-approved Trading Plan will not be subject to further pre-clearance for transactions in the Company’s stock once the Trading Plan or other arrangement has been pre-approved.
Exercises of options for cash may be executed at any time. A “cashless exercise” of an option involves the sale of all or a portion of the underlying shares, which may be effected pursuant to a Trading Plan. If a broker is required to execute a cashless exercise in accordance with a Trading Plan, then the Company must have exercise forms attached to the Trading Plan that are signed, undated and with the number of shares to be exercised left blank. Once a broker determines to exercise the option and dispose of the shares in accordance with the Trading Plan, the broker will notify the Company in writing and the administrator of the Company’s stock plans will fill in the number of shares and the date of exercise on the previously signed exercise form. The participant should not be involved with this part of the exercise.
During an open trading window, trades differing from Trading Plan instructions that are already in place are allowed as long as the Trading Plan continues to be followed.
The Company may make a public announcement that Trading Plans are being implemented in accordance with Rule 10b5-1. It will consider in each case whether a public announcement of a particular Trading Plan should be made. It may also make public announcements or respond to inquiries from the media as transactions are made under a Trading Plan. In addition, the Company will provide the disclosures required pursuant to Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K regarding the adoption or termination of trading plans (whether or not they
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satisfy the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 and including any modification of a Trading Plan deemed to be a termination of such plan and the adoption of a new Trading Plan) by directors and executive officers and the material terms of these plans including, without limitation: (i) the name and title of the Director or executive officer (including the principal accounting officer) adopting the plan; (ii) the date of adoption or termination of the plan; (iii) the duration of the plan; and (iv) the aggregate number of securities to be sold or purchased under the plan. The Company will also provide the disclosures required pursuant to Item 408(b) of Regulation S-K regarding this policy and, when required, will file a copy of this policy as an exhibit to its Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The transactions prohibited under Sections 2.3 and 2.4 of this policy, including without limitation short sales and hedging transactions, may not be carried out through a Trading Plan or other arrangement or trading instruction involving potential sales or purchases of the Company’s securities.
Violation of any of the foregoing rules is grounds for disciplinary action by the Company, including termination of employment.
Limitation on Liability. None of the Company, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Authorized Officer, or the Company’s other employees will have any liability for any delay in reviewing, or refusal of, a request to allow a pledge submitted pursuant to Section 2.3, a request for pre-clearance submitted pursuant to Section 3.3(a) or a Trading Plan submitted pursuant to Section 6. Notwithstanding any pre-clearance of a transaction pursuant to Section 3.3(a) or review of a Trading Plan pursuant to Section 6, none of the Company, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or the Company’s other employees assumes any liability for the legality or consequences of such transaction or Trading Plan to the person engaging in or adopting such transaction or Trading Plan.
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After reading this policy, all officers and employees should execute and return to the Company’s Human Resources Department, and all Directors should execute and return to the Company’s General Counsel, the Certification of Compliance form attached hereto as Attachment A.
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Attachment A
Certification of Compliance
Return By [ ]
TO: [NAME], [TITLE]
FROM:
RE: SECURITIES TRADING POLICY OF ENANTA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
I have received, reviewed and understand the above-referenced Securities Trading Policy and undertake, as a condition to my present and continued employment (or, if I am not an employee, affiliation with) Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to comply fully with the policies and procedures contained therein.
I hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that during the calendar year ending December 31, 20[__], I have complied fully with all policies and procedures set forth in the above-referenced Securities Trading Policy.
SIGNATURE DATE
TITLE
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