Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-226595 
| PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT | (To prospectus dated August 14, 2018) | 
8,000,000 Shares
 
 
Common stock
We are offering 8,000,000 shares of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SNNA.” On February 19, 2019, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was $2.99 per share.
| Per share | Total | |||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 2.50 | $ | 20,000,000 | ||||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | $ | 0.15 | $ | 1,200,000 | ||||
| Proceeds to Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. before expenses | $ | 2.35 | $ | 18,800,000 | ||||
| (1) | See “Underwriting” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters. | 
We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of our common stock.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk factors” beginning on page S-8 of this prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock to purchasers on or about February 22, 2019.
| Cowen | BMO Capital Markets | |
February 20, 2019
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of common stock and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus dated August 14, 2018, included in our registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-226595), along with the documents incorporated by reference, which provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or in any document incorporated by reference that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), before the date of this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a “shelf” registration statement that we filed with the SEC. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time various securities, of which this offering of shares of our common stock is a part. Such registration statement also includes exhibits that provide more detail on the matters discussed in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference, the exhibits filed with the SEC, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, along with the information contained in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering is accurate only as of the respective dates of those documents, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties and covenants were accurate only as of the date when made; therefore, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurate representations of the current state of our affairs.
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When we refer to “Sienna,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus supplement, we mean Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the holders of common stock of the Company.
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals®, Sienna®, Topical by Design™, Topical Photoparticle Therapy™ and our logo are some of our trademarks used in this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement also includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Solely for convenience, our trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus supplement may appear without the ® and ™ symbol, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
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MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA
This prospectus supplement, including the information incorporated by reference herein, contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business, and the markets for certain drugs, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. In some cases, we do not expressly refer to the sources from which this data is derived. In that regard, when we refer to one or more sources of this type of data in any paragraph, you should assume that other data of this type appearing in the same paragraph is derived from the same sources, unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
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This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and selected information contained elsewhere in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. For a more complete understanding of our company and this offering, we encourage you to read and consider carefully the more detailed information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes and the other information incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and the information included in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, including the information referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement beginning on page S-8 and in the documents incorporated herein by reference.
Company Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing unconventional scientific innovations to patients whose lives remain compromised by their disease. We draw upon our knowledge and experience in immunology and inflammation as we build a unique, diversified, multi-asset portfolio of targeted therapies, with an initial focus on one of the most important immune tissues, the skin. Utilizing our novel technology platform, Topical by Design™, we apply a scientific design process to create potent targeted pharmacologically active molecules that are specifically and selectively directed toward a target tissue and a disease pathway, and with minimal to no systemic exposure. Our lead candidate from this platform, SNA-120, is expected to be a first-in-class inhibitor of TrkA for which we intend to initiate two Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis, as well as the associated pruritus (itch). Our second Topical by Design product candidate, SNA-125, is a dual JAK3/TrkA inhibitor for which we intend to initiate Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and pruritus. Additionally, SNA-001, a silver photoparticle technology derived from our Topical Photoparticle Therapy™ platform to be used in conjunction with commonly used commercial lasers, recently completed the last of six pivotal clinical trials for the reduction of unwanted light-pigmented hair and for the treatment of acne. Our current product candidates derived from our two technology platforms are summarized in the chart below. We currently retain global commercial rights to all of our product candidates. We believe our management team is well positioned to execute on our objectives, having served in key executive management roles in the areas of clinical development, regulatory, commercial and business development at several marquee dermatology, aesthetics and biotechnology companies, including Kythera, Amgen, Allergan, Medicis and Celgene.
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| 1. | Regulated as a drug pursuant to a new drug application (NDA) regulatory pathway. | 
| 2. | Regulated as a Class II medical device under 510(k) marketing clearance pathway. | 
| 3. | TrkA = tropomyosin receptor kinase A | 
| 4. | JAK3 = Janus kinase 3 | 
Recent Developments
On December 3, 2018, we announced results from a Phase 2b study of SNA-120. This Phase 2b study, in mild-to-moderate psoriasis patients with at least moderate pruritus, was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of SNA-120 on itch (primary endpoint), as well as the underlying psoriasis (secondary endpoints). On pre-specified, key secondary endpoints related to the clearance of plaques, SNA-120 (0.05%) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement. Specifically, 27% of subjects experienced a 75% reduction in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score from baseline, compared to 13% of subjects treated with vehicle (p=0.045). The study also included an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), in which 29% of patients achieved a two-grade improvement and ‘clear’ or ‘almost clear’ skin, compared to 13% of subjects treated with vehicle (p=0.036). Both the PASI 75 and IGA results remained statistically significant at 14 weeks, two weeks after discontinuation of treatment. The high dose (0.5%) of SNA-120 did not show statistical significance on these study endpoints. Subjects treated with SNA-120 also experienced a meaningful reduction in itch, although the result did not reach statistical significance against vehicle.
The results of the Phase 2b study indicate that SNA-120 was well-tolerated with no serious treatment-related adverse events. Treatment-related adverse events were observed in two patients and included dermatitis (0.5% group) and pain and pruritus (vehicle group).
On January 2, 2019, we announced that we were implementing a corporate restructuring to focus our resources on SNA-120 for psoriasis and pruritus, resulting in a reduction in force to reduce operational costs and preserve capital. The restructuring resulted in an elimination of 20 positions, or approximately 34% of our workforce.
On February 8, 2019, we announced top-line results from our pivotal trials of SNA-001 for light hair removal and final pivotal trial of SNA-001 for the treatment of acne and our plans to seek a strategic partner to maximize the value of SNA-001.
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Corporate Information
We were founded on July 27, 2010 as a Delaware corporation under the name Sienna Labs, Inc. In February 2016, we changed our name to Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. On December 6, 2016, we acquired our Topical by Design platform and related product candidates through our acquisition of Creabilis plc, a company incorporated in England and Wales, which we subsequently converted to Creabilis Holding Limited. Our principal executive offices are located at 30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 140, Westlake Village, California 91362, and our telephone number is (818) 629-2256. Our website address is www.SiennaBio.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SNNA.”
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. We would cease to be an emerging growth company on the date that is the earliest of: (i) December 31, 2022, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.07 billion or more, (iii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the prior June 30th and (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time.
We use various trademarks and trade names in our business, including without limitation our corporate name and logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.
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| Common stock offered by us | 8,000,000 shares (or 9,200,000 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). | 
| Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering | 29,140,101 shares (or 30,340,101 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). | 
| Option to purchase additional shares | We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement to purchase up to 1,200,000 additional shares of our common stock. | 
| Use of proceeds | To fund the advancement of SNA-120 Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis. We will require additional resources to achieve top line results for these trials. | 
| Risk factors | Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk factors” beginning on page S-8 of this prospectus supplement, as well as those “Risk factors” incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, for a discussion of factors you should consider carefully before deciding to purchase any shares of our common stock. | 
| Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol | “SNNA” | 
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 21,140,101 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and includes 383,714 shares of unvested restricted common stock at September 30, 2018, and excludes, in each case as of September 30, 2018:
| ∎ | 2,171,096 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.56 per share; | 
| ∎ | 1,122,762 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2017 Incentive Award Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; | 
| ∎ | 375,798 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; and | 
| ∎ | $18.0 million in our common stock that will be issuable to the former Creabilis shareholders upon commencement of our Phase 3 clinical trial of SNA-120. | 
In addition, unless we specifically state otherwise, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of outstanding stock options subsequent to September 30, 2018.
Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of our common stock.
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors described below and the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering before acquiring any of our common stock. These risks could have a material and adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects, which may cause the trading price of our common stock to decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Equity Securities and This Offering
Our management team may invest or spend the proceeds of this offering in ways with which you may not agree or in ways which may not yield a significant return.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from this offering. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the advancement of SNA-120 Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis. We will require additional resources to achieve top line results for these trials. Our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. The net proceeds may be used for corporate purposes that do not increase our operating results or enhance the value of our common stock.
Based on our current operating plans and capital resources, we are substantially dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, SNA-120.
On January 2, 2019, we implemented a corporate restructuring to focus our resources on our lead product candidate, SNA-120 for psoriasis and pruritus, resulting in a reduction in force to reduce operational costs and preserve capital. On February 8, 2019, we announced top-line results from our pivotal trials of SNA-001 for light hair removal and our plans to seek a strategic partner for SNA-001. In addition, we expect to devote a substantial portion of our current capital resources, as well as the net proceeds from this offering, to fund the Phase 3 clinical trials of SNA-120. As a result, we are substantially dependent on the success of SNA-120. The success of our business, including our ability to finance our company and generate any revenue in the future, will primarily depend on the successful development, regulatory approval or clearance and commercialization of SNA-120. In the future, we may also become dependent on other product candidates that we may develop or acquire. The clinical and commercial success of our product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including the following:
| ∎ | the ability to raise any additional required capital on acceptable terms, or at all; | 
| ∎ | timely completion of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, which may be significantly slower or cost more than we currently anticipate and will depend substantially upon the performance of third-party contractors; | 
| ∎ | whether we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, or similar foreign regulatory agencies to conduct additional clinical trials or other studies beyond those planned to support the approval and commercialization of our product candidates or any future product candidates; | 
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| ∎ | acceptance of our proposed indications and primary endpoint assessments relating to the proposed indications of our product candidates by the FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities; | 
| ∎ | our ability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities the safety, efficacy and acceptable risk to benefit profile of SNA-120 or any other product candidates; | 
| ∎ | the prevalence, duration and severity of potential side effects or other safety issues experienced with our product candidates or future approved products, if any; | 
| ∎ | the timely receipt of necessary marketing approvals or clearances from the FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities; | 
| ∎ | achieving and maintaining, and, where applicable, ensuring that our third-party contractors achieve and maintain, compliance with our contractual obligations and with all regulatory requirements applicable to SNA-120 or any other product candidates or approved products, if any; | 
| ∎ | our ability to find a strategic partner to further develop SNA-001; | 
| ∎ | the ability of third parties upon which we rely to manufacture clinical trial and commercial supplies of our product candidates or any future product candidates, remain in good standing with regulatory agencies and develop, validate and maintain commercially viable manufacturing processes that are compliant with current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP; | 
| ∎ | our ability to successfully develop a commercial strategy and thereafter commercialize our product candidates or any future product candidates in the United States and internationally, if approved or cleared for marketing, reimbursement, sale and distribution in such countries and territories, whether alone or in collaboration with others; | 
| ∎ | acceptance by physicians, payors and patients of the benefits, safety and efficacy of our product candidates or any future product candidates, if approved or cleared, including relative to alternative and competing treatments; | 
| ∎ | patient demand for our product candidates, if approved or cleared; | 
| ∎ | our ability to establish and enforce intellectual property rights in and to our product candidates or any future product candidates; and | 
| ∎ | our ability to avoid third-party patent interference, intellectual property challenges or intellectual property infringement claims. | 
These factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause us to experience significant delays or an inability to obtain regulatory approvals or clearances or commercialize our product candidates. Even if regulatory approvals or clearances are obtained, we may never be able to successfully commercialize any of our product candidates. Accordingly, we cannot provide assurances that we will be able to generate sufficient revenue through the sale of our product candidates or any future product candidates to continue our business.
We will require substantial additional financing to achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development, other operations or commercialization efforts.
Since our inception, we have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in research and development activities and the acquisition of Creabilis plc, or Creabilis. Nonclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates will require substantial funds to complete. As of December 31, 2018, we had capital resources consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $48.5 million. We believe that we will continue to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future in connection with the nonclinical and clinical development of our lead product candidate, SNA-120, and the development of any other product candidates we may choose to pursue. These expenditures will include costs associated with conducting nonclinical studies and clinical trials, obtaining regulatory
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approvals, and manufacturing and supply, as well as marketing and selling any products approved for sale. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the outcome of any nonclinical study or clinical trial is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of SNA-120 and any other product candidates. In addition, we are obligated to make certain milestone payments to former Creabilis shareholders upon the achievement of predetermined milestones, as well as success payments to certain of our existing stockholders if the market price of our common stock meets or exceeds certain specified share price thresholds. These payments, to the extent triggered and payable in cash, will also have an effect on our liquidity and capital needs. To the extent these success payment or milestone payment obligations are satisfied in shares of our common stock, holders of our common stock would be diluted. For instance, upon the commencement of our Phase 3 clinical trial of SNA-120, we become obligated to issue $18.0 million in our stock, less certain offsets if applicable, to the former Creabilis shareholders pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement we entered into in December 2016. The number of shares to be issued would be based on the volume weighted average price of our common stock over the 20-day trading period preceding the commencement of the Phase 3 clinical trial.
We believe our existing cash, together with the net proceeds from this offering, will allow us to fund our operating plan for at least the next twelve months. However, our operating plans may change as a result of many factors currently unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned, through public or private equity or debt financings or other sources, such as strategic collaborations. Such financing may result in dilution to stockholders, imposition of burdensome debt covenants and repayment obligations, or other restrictions that may affect our business. Our ability to obtain debt financing may be limited by covenants we have made under our loan and security agreement with Silicon Valley Bank and our pledge to Silicon Valley Bank of substantially all of our assets, other than our intellectual property, as collateral. The negative pledge in favor of Silicon Valley Bank with respect to our intellectual property under the loan and security agreement could further limit our ability to obtain additional debt financing. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including:
| ∎ | the timing, size and cost associated with our planned Phase 3 trials for SNA-120; | 
| ∎ | the timing of, and the costs involved in, obtaining regulatory approvals or clearances for our lead product candidate or any other product candidates; | 
| ∎ | the number and characteristics of any additional product candidates we develop or acquire; | 
| ∎ | the timing of any cash milestone payments to the former Creabilis shareholders if we successfully achieve certain predetermined milestones; | 
| ∎ | the timing and amount of any success payments we elect to pay in cash to certain of our existing stockholders if the market price of our common stock meets or exceeds certain specified share price thresholds; | 
| ∎ | the cost of manufacturing our lead product candidate or any other product candidates and any products we successfully commercialize, including costs associated with building out our supply chain; | 
| ∎ | the cost of commercialization activities if our lead product candidate or any other product candidates are approved or cleared for sale, including marketing, sales and distribution costs; | 
| ∎ | the cost of building a sales force in anticipation of product commercialization; | 
| ∎ | our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations, licensing or other arrangements, including for SNA-001, and the financial terms of any such agreements that we may enter into; | 
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| ∎ | any product liability or other lawsuits related to our products; | 
| ∎ | the expenses needed to attract and retain skilled personnel; | 
| ∎ | the costs associated with being a public company; | 
| ∎ | the costs associated with maintaining subsidiaries in foreign jurisdictions; | 
| ∎ | the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent claims; and | 
| ∎ | the timing, receipt and amount of sales of any future approved or cleared products, if any. | 
Additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to:
| ∎ | delay, limit, reduce or terminate nonclinical studies, clinical trials or other development activities for SNA-120 or any other product candidate; | 
| ∎ | delay, limit, reduce or terminate our research and development activities; or | 
| ∎ | delay, limit, reduce or terminate our efforts to establish sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize SNA-120 or any other product candidate, or reduce our flexibility in developing or maintaining our sales and marketing strategy. | 
We may be required to repay the outstanding indebtedness in an event of default under our loan and security agreement, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, our operating activities may be restricted as a result of covenants related to the indebtedness.
On June 29, 2018, we entered into a loan and security agreement with Silicon Valley Bank, pursuant to which Silicon Valley Bank funded an aggregate principal amount of $30.0 million. On January 28, 2019, we amended the loan and security agreement with Silicon Valley Bank. The loan and security agreement with Silicon Valley Bank, as amended, provides that if our unrestricted cash at Silicon Valley Bank falls below (a) at all times prior to February 28, 2019, $30.0 million and (b) at all times on and after February 28, 2019, the greater of (i) $30.0 million or (ii) the sum of (x) $15.0 million, plus (y) our six month cash burn, tested monthly as of the last day of each month beginning February 28, 2019, then we have the option to either prepay the term loans in denominations of $15.0 million (plus accrued and unpaid interest and certain fees) or immediately cash secure not less than the lesser of the outstanding balance or $15.0 million of the principal balance of all outstanding indebtedness under the term loans. Accordingly, Silicon Valley Bank may collateralize (or we may choose to prepay) $15.0 million in our existing cash resources if we fail to maintain these minimum liquidity requirements. If the cash is collateralized, we will be required to revise our current operating and clinical plans, including commencing only a single Phase 3 trial, raising additional capital to complete the Phase 3 trials, further restructuring the company and/or entering into various strategic transactions, among other things.
Until we have repaid such indebtedness, the loan and security agreement subjects us to various customary covenants, including requirements as to financial reporting and insurance and restrictions on our ability to dispose of our business or property, to change our line of business, to liquidate or dissolve, to enter into any change in control transaction, to merge or consolidate with any other entity or to acquire all or substantially all the capital stock or property of another entity, to incur additional indebtedness, to incur liens on our property, to pay any dividends or other distributions on capital stock other than dividends payable solely in capital stock, to redeem capital stock, to enter into licensing agreements, to engage in transactions with affiliates, and to encumber our intellectual property. Our business may be adversely affected by these restrictions on our ability to operate our business.
Additionally, we may be required to repay the outstanding indebtedness under the loan facility if an event of default occurs under the loan and security agreement. Under the loan and security agreement,
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an event of default will occur if, among other things, we fail to make payments under the loan and security agreement; we breach any of our covenants under the loan and security agreement, subject to specified cure periods with respect to certain breaches; Silicon Valley Bank determines that a material adverse change has occurred; we or our assets become subject to certain legal proceedings, such as bankruptcy proceedings; we are unable to pay our debts as they become due; or we default on contracts with third parties which would permit Silicon Valley Bank to accelerate the maturity of such indebtedness or that could have a material adverse change on us. We may not have enough available cash or be able to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings to repay such indebtedness at the time any such event of default occurs. In this case, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts or grant to others rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves. Silicon Valley Bank could also exercise its rights as collateral agent to take possession of and to dispose of the collateral securing the term loans, which collateral includes substantially all of our property (excluding intellectual property, which is subject to a negative pledge). Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected as a result of any of these events.
If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares.
Investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the as adjusted book value per share of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities as of September 30, 2018. As a result, investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $2.29 per share based on the public offering price of $2.50 per share. See the section entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase common stock in this offering.
Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock price to fall.
In order to raise additional capital in the future, we expect to offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. We may sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in more than one transaction, investors may be materially diluted by subsequent sales, and the trading price of our common stock could decline. These sales may also result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights superior to our existing stockholders.
In addition, as of September 30, 2018, approximately 3.7 million shares of common stock that are either subject to outstanding options or reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans are eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting schedules and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. If these additional shares of common stock are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and in any such free writing prospectus are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein also contain estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other data about our industry. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the markets in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus supplement and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those under the heading “Risk factors” in this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
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We estimate that we will receive net proceeds of approximately $18.4 million from the sale of 8,000,000 shares of our common stock offered in this offering, based on the public offering price of $2.50 per share, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares in full, we estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the shares in this offering will be approximately $21.3 million.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the advancement of SNA-120 Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis. We will require additional resources to achieve top line results for these trials.
The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend on numerous factors, including the factors described under “Risk factors” in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, as well as the amount of cash used in our operations. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds. Pending the uses described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
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If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. The net tangible book value of our common stock as of September 30, 2018 was approximately $(12.3) million, or approximately $(0.58) per share of common stock, based upon 21,140,101 shares outstanding, including 383,714 shares of restricted common stock that were unvested at September 30, 2018. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets, less our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2018.
Net tangible book value dilution per share to investors participating in this offering represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares of common stock in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately after completion of this offering. After giving effect to the issuance and sale by us of 8,000,000 shares of our common stock at the public offering price of $2.50 per share, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2018 would have been $6.1 million, or $0.21 per share of our common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.79 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $2.29 per share to new investors in this offering.
The following table illustrates this calculation on a per share basis:
| Public offering price per share | $ | 2.50 | ||||||
| Net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2018 | $ | (0.58 | ) | |||||
| Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to the offering | $ | 0.79 | ||||||
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| As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to the offering | $ | 0.21 | ||||||
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| Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering | $ | 2.29 | ||||||
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If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase up to 1,200,000 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price of $2.50 per share, the as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering would be $0.30 per share of our common stock, representing an increase in net tangible book value of $0.88 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $2.20 per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering.
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 21,140,101 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and includes 383,714 shares of unvested restricted common stock at September 30, 2018, and excludes, in each case as of September 30, 2018:
| ∎ | 2,171,096 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.56 per share; | 
| ∎ | 1,122,762 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2017 Incentive Award Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; | 
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| ∎ | 375,798 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; and | 
| ∎ | $18.0 million in our common stock that will be issuable to the former Creabilis shareholders upon commencement of our Phase 3 clinical trial of SNA-120. | 
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The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of September 30, 2018:
| ∎ | on an actual basis; and | 
| ∎ | on an as adjusted basis to give effect to the issuance and sale by us of 8,000,000 shares of our common stock in this offering at the public offering price of $2.50, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. | 
You should read this information together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. For more details on how you can obtain our SEC reports and other information, you should read the section of the prospectus supplement entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
| (unaudited) As of September 30, 2018 | ||||||||
| Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 63,975 | $ | 82,415 | ||||
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| Long-term debt, net | $ | 29,983 | $ | 29,983 | ||||
| Stockholders’ equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, actual and as adjusted; no shares issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted | — | — | ||||||
| Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized, actual and as adjusted; 21,140,101 issued and 20,756,387 outstanding, actual and 29,140,101 issued and 28,756,387 outstanding as adjusted | — | — | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 181,108 | 199,548 | ||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 3,855 | 3,855 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (140,033 | ) | (140,033 | ) | ||||
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 | 
 | |||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 44,930 | 63,370 | ||||||
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 | 
 | |||||
| Total capitalization | $ | 74,913 | $ | 93,353 | ||||
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The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 21,140,101 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and includes 383,714 shares of unvested restricted common stock at September 30, 2018, and excludes, in each case as of September 30, 2018:
| ∎ | 2,171,096 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.56 per share; | 
| ∎ | 1,122,762 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2017 Incentive Award Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; | 
| ∎ | 375,798 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; and | 
| ∎ | $18.0 million in our common stock that will be issuable to the former Creabilis shareholders upon commencement of our Phase 3 clinical trial of SNA-120. | 
S-17
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. The effects of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws, and any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws are not discussed. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial decisions, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), in each case in effect as of the date hereof. These authorities may change or be subject to differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a Non-U.S. Holder. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to that discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.
This discussion is limited to Non-U.S. Holders that hold our common stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a Non-U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income or the alternative minimum tax. In addition, it does not address consequences relevant to Non-U.S. Holders subject to special rules, including, without limitation:
| ∎ | U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; | 
| ∎ | persons holding our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy or as part of a conversion transaction or other integrated investment; | 
| ∎ | banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions; | 
| ∎ | brokers, dealers or traders in securities; | 
| ∎ | “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; | 
| ∎ | partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein); | 
| ∎ | tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations; | 
| ∎ | persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; | 
| ∎ | tax-qualified retirement plans; and | 
| ∎ | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds. | 
If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, partnerships holding our common stock and the partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them.
THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
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Definition of Non-U.S. Holder
For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is any beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a “U.S. person” nor an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any person that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as any of the following:
| ∎ | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; | 
| ∎ | a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; | 
| ∎ | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or | 
| ∎ | a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and all substantial decisions of which are subject to the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes. | 
Distributions
As described in the section entitled “Dividend Policy,” incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. However, if we do make distributions of cash or property on our common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Amounts not treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition.”
Subject to the discussion below regarding effectively connected income, dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividends (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty, provided the Non-U.S. Holder furnishes a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) certifying qualification for the lower treaty rate). A Non-U.S. Holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable tax treaties.
If dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such dividends are attributable), the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the U.S. federal withholding tax described above. To claim the exemption, the Non-U.S. Holder must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a valid IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States.
Any such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected dividends, as adjusted for certain items. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
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Sale or Other Taxable Disposition
Subject to the discussions below regarding backup withholding and FATCA, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock unless:
| ∎ | the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such gain is attributable); | 
| ∎ | the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or | 
| ∎ | our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest (a “USRPI”), by reason of our status as a U.S. real property holding corporation (a “USRPHC”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. | 
Gain described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected gain, as adjusted for certain items.
Gain described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty), which may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States), provided the Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
With respect to the third bullet point above, we believe we currently are not, and do not anticipate becoming, a USRPHC. Because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends, however, on the fair market value of our USRPIs relative to the fair market value of our non-U.S. real property interests and our other business assets, there can be no assurance we currently are not a USRPHC or will not become one in the future. Even if we are or were to become a USRPHC, gain arising from the sale or other taxable disposition by a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if our common stock is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, on an established securities market, and such Non-U.S. Holder owned, actually and constructively, 5% or less of our common stock throughout the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale or other taxable disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period.
Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Payments of dividends on our common stock will not be subject to backup withholding, provided the Non-U.S. Holder certifies its non-U.S. status, such as by furnishing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption. However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any dividends on our common stock paid to the Non-U.S. Holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting if the applicable withholding agent receives the certification described above or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of our common stock conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker that does not have certain enumerated relationships with the United States generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.
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Copies of information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of an applicable treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts
Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”)) on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends on, or (subject to the proposed Treasury Regulations discussed below) gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code), unless (1) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” (each as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.
Under the applicable Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance, withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments of dividends on our common stock. While, beginning on January 1, 2019, withholding under FATCA would have applied also to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our common stock, recently proposed Treasury Regulations eliminate FATCA withholding on payments of gross proceeds entirely. Taxpayers generally may rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued.
Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to their investment in our common stock.
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We and the underwriters for the offering named below have entered into an underwriting agreement with respect to the common stock being offered. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase from us the number of shares of our common stock set forth opposite its name below. Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. are the representatives of the underwriters.
| Underwriter | Number of Shares | |||
| Cowen and Company, LLC | 4,800,000 | |||
| BMO Capital Markets Corp. | 3,200,000 | |||
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| Total | 8,000,000 | |||
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The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent and that the underwriters have agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase all of the shares sold under the underwriting agreement if any of these shares are purchased, other than those shares covered by the option to purchase additional shares as described below. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof.
The underwriters are offering the shares, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel and other conditions specified in the underwriting agreement. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares. We have granted to the underwriters an option to purchase up to 1,200,000 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount. This option is exercisable for a period of 30 days. To the extent that the underwriters exercise this option, the underwriters will purchase additional shares from us in approximately the same proportion as shown in the table above.
Discounts and Commissions. The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds, before expenses, to us. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering, excluding underwriting discount and commissions, will be approximately $360,000 and are payable by us. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for up to $30,000 for expenses relating to the clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
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| Total | ||||||||||||
| Per Share | Without Exercise of Option to Purchase Additional Shares | With Full Exercise of Option to Purchase Additional Shares | ||||||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 2.50 | $ | 20,000,000 | $ | 23,000,000 | ||||||
| Underwriting discount | $ | 0.15 | $ | 1,200,000 | $ | 1,380,000 | ||||||
| Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | 2.35 | $ | 18,800,000 | $ | 21,620,000 | ||||||
The underwriters propose to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement. The underwriters may offer the shares of common stock to securities dealers at the public offering price less a concession not in excess of $0.090 per share. If all of the shares are not sold at the public offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and other selling terms.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SNNA.”
Stabilization. In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, overallotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions, penalty bids and purchases to cover positions created by short sales.
| ∎ | Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase shares of common stock so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum, and are engaged in for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock while the offering is in progress. | 
| ∎ | Overallotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of shares of common stock in excess of the number of shares the underwriters are obligated to purchase. This creates a syndicate short position which may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of shares that they may purchase in the overallotment option. In a naked short position, the number of shares involved is greater than the number of shares in the overallotment option. The underwriters may close out any short position by exercising their overallotment option and/or purchasing shares in the open market. | 
| ∎ | Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of shares to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared with the price at which they may purchase shares through exercise of the overallotment option. If the underwriters sell more shares than could be covered by exercise of the overallotment option and, therefore, have a naked short position, the position can be closed out only by buying shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that after pricing there could be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. | 
| ∎ | Penalty bids permit the representatives to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the common stock originally sold by that syndicate member is purchased in stabilizing or syndicate covering transactions to cover syndicate short positions. | 
These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock in the open market may be higher than it would otherwise be in the absence of these transactions. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions
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described above may have on the price of our common stock. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq Stock Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
Passive Market Making. In connection with this offering, underwriters and selling group members may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Stock Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of common stock and extending through the completion of the distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, such bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Lock-Up Agreements. We have agreed that we will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of our common stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any shares of common stock (regardless of whether any of these transactions are to be settled by the delivery of shares of common stock, or such other securities, in cash or otherwise), in each case without the prior written consent of Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. on behalf of the underwriters for a period of 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, other than (i) the shares of common stock to be sold hereunder, (ii) any shares of our common stock issued upon the exercise of options granted under our stock incentive plans, (iii) any options and other awards granted under a stock incentive plan described in the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part, (iv) our filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto relating to a stock incentive plan described in the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part, and (v) shares of common stock or other securities issued in connection with a transaction with an unaffiliated third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship (including joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration agreements or intellectual property license agreements) or any acquisition of assets or acquisition of not less than a majority or controlling portion of the equity of another entity, provided that (x) the aggregate number of shares issued pursuant to clause (v) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the issuance and sale of the common stock in this offering and (y) the recipient of any such shares of stock or securities issued pursuant to clauses (v) during the 60-day restricted period described above shall enter into a lock-up agreement, and (vi) shares of common stock or other securities issued and sold, not earlier than the end of the 30th day after the date of this prospectus supplement, pursuant to that certain Sales Agreement, dated as of August 3, 2018, between us and Cowen and Company, LLC; provided, that the weighted average daily trading price of our common stock for each of the ten consecutive trading days immediately prior to any such sales pursuant to this clause (vi) exceeds 125% of the price to the public of our common stock in this offering.
Our directors and executive officers, and our largest stockholder have entered into lock-up agreements with the underwriters prior to the commencement of this offering pursuant to which each of these persons or entities, with limited exceptions, for a period of 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, may not, without the prior written consent of Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. on behalf of the underwriters (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or
S-24
warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock (including, without limitation, common stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by such directors, executive officers or stockholder in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of our common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock.
The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph do not apply to, among other items:
| ∎ | transfers of shares of our common stock pursuant to existing trading plans established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act; | 
| ∎ | transfers or surrenders to us of shares of our common stock pursuant to any contractual arrangement that provides us with an option to repurchase such shares in connection with the termination of the party subject to the lock-up’s employment or service relationship with us; | 
| ∎ | transfers or surrenders to us of shares of our common stock to cover tax withholdings upon a vesting event of any equity award granted under our stock incentive plans or stock purchase plans; | 
| ∎ | transfers or surrenders to us of shares of our common stock in connection with the party subject to the lock-up’s “cashless” exercise of an option to purchase shares granted under our stock incentive plans or stock purchase plans; or | 
| ∎ | transfers of shares of our common stock by operation of law pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement or other court order; provided that the recipient shall execute and deliver to Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. a lock-up letter in the form of the original lock-up agreement; | 
provided that any filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the circumstances described above and no other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer.
Canada. The common stock may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the common stock must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
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United Kingdom. Each of the underwriters has represented and agreed that:
| ∎ | it has not made or will not make an offer of the securities to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of section 102B of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (FSMA) except to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities or otherwise in circumstances which do not require the publication by us of a prospectus pursuant to the Prospectus Rules of the Financial Services Authority (FSA); | 
| ∎ | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) to persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 or in circumstances in which section 21 of FSMA does not apply to us; and | 
| ∎ | it has complied with and will comply with all applicable provisions of FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. | 
Switzerland. The securities will not be offered, directly or indirectly, to the public in Switzerland and this prospectus does not constitute a public offering prospectus as that term is understood pursuant to article 652a or 1156 of the Swiss Federal Code of Obligations.
European Economic Area. In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) which has implemented the European Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”), an offer of our shares may not be made to the public in a Relevant Member State other than:
| ∎ | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor, as defined in the European Prospectus Directive; | 
| ∎ | to fewer 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the European Prospectus Directive), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant dealer or dealers nominated by us for any such offer, or; | 
| ∎ | in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the European Prospectus Directive, | 
provided that no such offer of our shares shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the European Prospectus Directive or supplement prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the European Prospectus Directive and each person who initially acquires any shares or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with each of the underwriters and with us that it is a “qualified investor” within the meaning of the law in that Relevant Member State implementing Article 2(1)(e) of the European Prospectus Directive.
In the case of any shares being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 3(2) of the European Prospectus Directive, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer or any shares to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant Member State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the representatives has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
For the purposes of this description, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the expression may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the European Prospectus Directive in that member state, and the expression “European Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and
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amendments hereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State) and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State. The expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Israel. In the State of Israel this prospectus shall not be regarded as an offer to the public to purchase shares of common stock under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968, which requires a prospectus to be published and authorized by the Israel Securities Authority, if it complies with certain provisions of Section 15 of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968, including, inter alia, if: (i) the offer is made, distributed or directed to not more than 35 investors, subject to certain conditions (the “Addressed Investors”); or (ii) the offer is made, distributed or directed to certain qualified investors defined in the First Addendum of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968, subject to certain conditions (the “Qualified Investors”). The Qualified Investors shall not be taken into account in the count of the Addressed Investors and may be offered to purchase securities in addition to the 35 Addressed Investors. The company has not and will not take any action that would require it to publish a prospectus in accordance with and subject to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. We have not and will not distribute this prospectus or make, distribute or direct an offer to subscribe for our common stock to any person within the State of Israel, other than to Qualified Investors and up to 35 Addressed Investors.
Qualified Investors may have to submit written evidence that they meet the definitions set out in of the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. In particular, we may request, as a condition to be offered common stock, that Qualified Investors will each represent, warrant and certify to us and/or to anyone acting on our behalf: (i) that it is an investor falling within one of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968; (ii) which of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968 regarding Qualified Investors is applicable to it; (iii) that it will abide by all provisions set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968 and the regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with the offer to be issued common stock; (iv) that the shares of common stock that it will be issued are, subject to exemptions available under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968: (a) for its own account; (b) for investment purposes only; and (c) not issued with a view to resale within the State of Israel, other than in accordance with the provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968; and (v) that it is willing to provide further evidence of its Qualified Investor status. Addressed Investors may have to submit written evidence in respect of their identity and may have to sign and submit a declaration containing, inter alia, the Addressed Investor’s name, address and passport number or Israeli identification number.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary on our behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters and their respective affiliates, with a view to the final placement of the securities as contemplated in this document. Accordingly, no purchaser of the shares, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of shares on our behalf or on behalf of the underwriters.
Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares. A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of shares to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on these websites is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors.
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Other Relationships. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, various investment banking, commercial banking and other financial services for us and our affiliates for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees. We are party to a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC pursuant to which it has acted, and may in the future act, as agent and/or principal in connection with the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings.
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Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP, Menlo Park, California. The underwriters are being represented in connection with this offering by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Menlo Park, California.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Information filed with the SEC by us can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference Room of the SEC at prescribed rates. Further information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.
Our web site address is www.SiennaBio.com. The information on or accessible through our web site, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC and does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided above. Forms of indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. or through the SEC’s website, as provided above.
Incorporation by Reference
The SEC’s rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus supplement, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement modifies or replaces that statement.
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We incorporate by reference our documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, between the date of this prospectus supplement and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus supplement. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed below or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:
| ∎ | Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2018; | 
| ∎ | The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (other than information furnished rather than filed), which was filed with the SEC on April 19, 2018; | 
| ∎ | Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, June 30, 2018 and September 30, 2018, filed with the SEC on May 14, 2018, August 9, 2018 and November 8, 2018; | 
| ∎ | Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 2, 2018, March 22, 2018, June 5, 2018, June 7, 2018, July 2, 2018, July 24, 2018, July 30, 2018, August 2, 2018, August 27, 2018, October 3, 2018, December 3, 2018, December 12, 2018, January 2, 2019, January 30, 2019 and February 8, 2019; and | 
| ∎ | The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on July 18, 2017 under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. | 
Upon request, we will provide, without charge, to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus supplement is delivered, a copy of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings, and any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus supplement, at no cost by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 140
Westlake Village, California 91362
(818) 629-2256
Attention: Investor Relations
You may also access these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.SiennaBio.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed from, our website as part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. We have incorporated exhibits into the registration statement. You should read the exhibits carefully for provisions that may be important to you.
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PROSPECTUS
 
 
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
$250,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
We may offer and sell up to $250,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” on page 5 of this prospectus and any similar section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement concerning factors you should consider before investing in our securities.
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SNNA.” On August 1, 2018, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market was $15.15 per share.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is August 14, 2018.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $250,000,000 as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. In addition, the market and industry data and forecasts that may be included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus may involve estimates, assumptions and other risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.
When we refer to “Sienna,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals®, Sienna®, Topical by Design™, Topical Photoparticle Therapy™ and our logo are some of our trademarks used in this prospectus. This prospectus also includes trademarks, tradenames, and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Solely for convenience, our trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Available Information
We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Information filed with the SEC by us can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference Room of the SEC at prescribed rates. Further information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.
Our website address is www.SiennaBio.com. The information on our website, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement or documents incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. or through the SEC’s website, as provided above.
Incorporation by Reference
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.
We incorporate by reference our documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act” in this prospectus, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed below or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any Compensation Committee report and performance graph or any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2018; | 
| • | the information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 19, 2018; | 
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| • | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on May 14, 2018; | 
| • | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 2, 2018, March 22, 2018, June 5, 2018, June 7, 2018, July 2, 2018, July 24, 2018, July 30, 2018 and August 2, 2018; and | 
| • | the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on July 18, 2017, including any amendments or reports filed with the SEC for the purposes of updating this description. | 
All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.
You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 140
Westlake Village, California 91362
(818) 629-2256
Attention: Investor Relations
Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
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We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovations in biotechnology to the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class, targeted, topical products in medical dermatology and aesthetics.
We were founded on July 27, 2010 as a Delaware corporation under the name Sienna Labs, Inc. In February 2016, we changed our name to Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. On December 6, 2016, we acquired our Topical by Design platform and related product candidates through our acquisition of Creabilis plc, a company incorporated in England and Wales, which we subsequently converted to Creabilis Holding Limited. Our principal executive offices are located at 30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 140, Westlake Village, California 91362, and our telephone number is (818) 629-2256.
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Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
Our earnings have been inadequate to cover fixed charges and preferred stock dividends. The following table sets forth the dollar amount of the deficiency to cover fixed charges for the three-month period ended March 31, 2018 and each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. We have derived the deficiency of earnings to cover combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends from our historical consolidated financial statements. The following should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference herein. See Exhibit 12.1 hereto for additional detail regarding the computation of the deficiency of earnings to cover combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends.
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges | $ | 17.1 | $ | 50.8 | $ | 21.2 | $ | 11.3 | ||||||||
For the periods indicated above, we had no outstanding shares of preferred stock with required dividend payments. Therefore, the deficiency of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends is identical to the deficiency presented in the table above.
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The following summary describes our capital stock and the material provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, investor rights agreements to which we and certain of our stockholders are parties and of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Because the following is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. For a complete description, you should refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws, amended and restated investor rights agreement and registration rights agreement, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 300,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share. As of June 30, 2018, there were outstanding:
| • | 20,799,794 shares of our common stock, on an as-converted basis, held by approximately 92 stockholders of record; and | 
| • | 2,102,911 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options. | 
The actual number of stockholders is greater than the number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.
The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws are summaries of material terms and provisions and are qualified by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC and are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the voting shares are able to elect all of the directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of holders of 66-2/3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding voting stock will be required to take certain actions, including amending certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, such as the provisions relating to amending our amended and restated bylaws, the classified board and director liability.
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds.
Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
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Rights and Preferences
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These rights, preferences and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting, or the designation of, such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon our liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company or other corporate action.
Registration Rights
Under our amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2018, the holders of approximately 4.6 million shares of common stock, or their transferees, have the right to require us to register their shares under the Securities Act so that those shares may be publicly resold, and the holders of approximately 4.7 million shares of common stock, or their transferees, have the right to include their shares in any registration statement we file, in each case as described below.
Demand Registration Rights
Based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2018, the holders of approximately 4.6 million shares of our common stock, or their transferees, will be entitled to certain demand registration rights. The holders of at least 50% of these shares can request that we register all or a portion of their shares if the aggregate price to the public of the shares offered is at least $10.0 million.
Form S-3 Registration Rights
Based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2018, the holders of approximately 4.6 million shares of our common stock (on an as-converted basis), or their transferees, will be entitled to certain Form S-3 registration rights. The holders of any of at least 20% of these shares can make a written request that we register their shares on Form S-3 if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3 and if the aggregate price to the public of the shares offered is at least $5.0 million net of certain expenses related to the sale of the shares. These stockholders may make an unlimited number of requests for registration on Form S-3, but in no event shall we be required to file more than two registrations on Form S-3 in any given calendar year.
Piggyback Registration Rights
Based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2018, in the event that we determine to register any of our securities under the Securities Act (subject to certain exceptions), either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, the holders of approximately 4.7 million shares of our common stock (on an as-converted basis), or their transferees, will be entitled to certain “piggyback” registration rights allowing the holders to include their shares in such registration, subject to certain marketing and other limitations. As a result, whenever we propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act, other than with respect to a
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registration related to employee benefit plans, the offer and sale of debt securities, or corporate reorganizations or certain other transactions, the holders of these shares are entitled to notice of the registration and have the right, subject to limitations that the underwriters may impose on the number of shares included in the registration, to include their shares in the registration. In an underwritten offering, the managing underwriter, if any, has the right, subject to specified conditions, to limit the number of shares such holders may include.
Expenses of Registration
We will pay the registration expenses of the holders of the shares registered pursuant to the demand, piggyback and Form S-3 registration rights described above, including the expenses of one counsel for the selling holders.
Expiration of Registration Rights
The demand, piggyback and Form S-3 registration rights described above will expire, with respect to any particular stockholder, upon the earlier of five years after the consummation of our IPO in July 2017 or when that stockholder can sell all of its shares under Rule 144 of the Securities Act during any three-month period.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware Law
Some provisions of Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly-held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
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Special Stockholder Meetings
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called by our board of directors, or our President or Chief Executive Officer.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals
Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors.
No Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws preclude stockholder action by written consent without a meeting.
Classified Board; Election and Removal of Directors; Filling Vacancies
Our board of directors is divided into three classes. The directors in each class will serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders, with staggered three-year terms. Only one class of directors will be elected at each annual meeting of our stockholders, with the other classes continuing for the remainder of their respective three-year terms. Because our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights, our stockholders holding a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for the removal of any of our directors only for cause and requires a stockholder vote by the holders of at least a 66-2/3% of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock. Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of the board, may only be filled by a resolution of the board of directors unless the board of directors determines that such vacancies shall be filled by the stockholders. This system of electing and removing directors and filling vacancies may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.
Choice of Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for: any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains the choice of forum provision described above, it is possible that a court could find that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.
Amendment of Charter Provisions
The amendment of any of the above provisions, except for the provision making it possible for our board of directors to issue undesignated preferred stock, would require approval by a stockholder vote by the holders of at least a 66-2/3% of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock.
The provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common
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stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Limitations of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that limit the liability of our directors for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Consequently, our directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duties as directors, except liability for:
| • | any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; | 
| • | any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; | 
| • | unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law; or | 
| • | any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. | 
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we may, and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we are required to, indemnify our directors and officers, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we may and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we are required to, to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, advance expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of any action or proceeding; provided that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of such any action or proceeding may be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified. Furthermore, if a claim for indemnification following the final disposition of such action or proceeding or advancement of expenses is not paid in full within 60 days after a written claim therefor has been received by us, the claimant may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, will be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law and we will have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law. Our amended and restated bylaws allow us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of ours, or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust enterprise or non-profit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL. We have entered and expect to continue to enter into agreements to indemnify our directors, executive officers and other employees as determined by our board of directors. With specified exceptions, these agreements provide for indemnification for related expenses including, among other things, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breach of their fiduciary duty. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. Further, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage.
The Nasdaq Global Select Market Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SNNA.”
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is EQ Shareowner Services (formerly Wells Fargo Shareholder Services). The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
As used in this section only, “Sienna,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. excluding our subsidiaries, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.2) The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. (Section 2.1) We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
| • | the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions); | 
| • | the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities; | 
| • | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; | 
| • | the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable; | 
| • | the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; | 
| • | the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered; | 
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| • | the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities; | 
| • | any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and in the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; | 
| • | the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations; | 
| • | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; | 
| • | whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities; | 
| • | the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount; | 
| • | the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be United States Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency; | 
| • | the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made; | 
| • | if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined; | 
| • | the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index; | 
| • | any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities; | 
| • | any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; | 
| • | any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; | 
| • | any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities; | 
| • | the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange; | 
| • | any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and | 
| • | whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees. (Section 2.2) | 
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We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. (Section 2.4) No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange. (Section 2.7)
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities. (Article IV)
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
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Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:
| • | we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than Sienna) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and | 
| • | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing. | 
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us. (Section 5.1)
Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
| • | default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period); | 
| • | default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity; | 
| • | default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or Sienna and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture; | 
| • | certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Sienna; | 
| • | any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement. (Section 6.1) | 
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. (Section 6.1) The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof. (Section 6.1)
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any
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declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. (Section 6.2) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. (Section 7.1(e)) Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. (Section 6.12)
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
| • | that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and | 
| • | the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days. (Section 6.7) | 
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment. (Section 6.8)
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.3) If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.5)
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
| • | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; | 
| • | to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”; | 
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| • | to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities; | 
| • | to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series; | 
| • | to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture; | 
| • | to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series; | 
| • | to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary; | 
| • | to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities; | 
| • | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture; | 
| • | to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or | 
| • | to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. (Section 9.1) | 
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
| • | reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; | 
| • | reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security; | 
| • | reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities; | 
| • | reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity; | 
| • | waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); | 
| • | make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security; | 
| • | make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or | 
| • | waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. (Section 9.3) | 
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. (Section 9.2) The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that
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the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration. (Section 6.13)
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred. (Section 8.3)
Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
| • | we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and | 
| • | any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series (“covenant defeasance”). | 
The conditions include:
| • | depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and | 
| • | delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred. (Section 8.4) | 
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No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Stockholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or stockholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.
The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum. (Section 10.10)
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We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.
The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:
| • | the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise; | 
| • | the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock; | 
| • | the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a debt warrant and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property; | 
| • | the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable; | 
| • | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; | 
| • | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; | 
| • | United States Federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and | 
| • | any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants. | 
Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled:
| • | to vote, consent or receive dividends; | 
| • | receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or | 
| • | exercise any rights as stockholders of Sienna. | 
Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any
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other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.
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We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.
The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.
If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:
| • | the title of the series of units; | 
| • | identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units; | 
| • | the price or prices at which the units will be issued; | 
| • | the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable; | 
| • | a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and | 
| • | any other terms of the units and their constituent securities. | 
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Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or “DTC”, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC has advised us that it is:
| • | a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law; | 
| • | a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law; | 
| • | a member of the Federal Reserve System; | 
| • | a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and | 
| • | a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. | 
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
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So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and if not otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.
Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.
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As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:
| • | DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be; | 
| • | we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or | 
| • | an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities, | 
we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.
Euroclear and Clearstream
If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A., which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.
Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.
Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.
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Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.
Other
The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.
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We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:
| • | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; | 
| • | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; | 
| • | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or | 
| • | at negotiated prices. | 
Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.
Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.
Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.
Any common stock that we issue and sell will be listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the
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securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.
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Latham & Watkins LLP will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby on behalf of Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. Latham & Watkins LLP and certain attorneys and investment funds affiliated with the firm collectively own an aggregate of 12,528 shares of our common stock.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as set forth in their report which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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8,000,000 shares
 
 
Common stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
| Cowen | BMO Capital Markets | |
February 20, 2019