Amendment No.1 to Form S-1
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2004

Registration No. 333-111928


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

The Securities Act of 1933

 


 

CUTERA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   3845   77-0492262

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

3240 Bayshore Blvd.

Brisbane, California 94005

(415) 657-5500

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 


 

Kevin P. Connors

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cutera, Inc.

3240 Bayshore Blvd.

Brisbane, California 94005

(415) 657-5500

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 


 

Copies to:

 

David J. Saul

Philip H. Oettinger

WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI, P.C.

650 Page Mill Road

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 493-9300

 

Michael W. Hall

William C. Davisson

LATHAM & WATKINS LLP

135 Commonwealth Drive

Menlo Park, California 94025

(650) 328-4600

 


 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:   As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ¨

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

 

If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box.  ¨

 


 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 



Table of Contents

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the Securities and Exchange Commission declares our registration statement effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated February 27, 2004

 

3,582,000 Shares

 

CUTERA, INC.

LOGO

 

Common Stock

 

$             per share

 


 

Cutera, Inc. is offering 3,100,000 shares and selling stockholders are offering 482,000 shares of common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock sold by the selling stockholders.

 

We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $14.00 and $16.00 per share.
This is our initial public offering and no public market currently exists for our shares.

 

Proposed trading symbol: Nasdaq National Market — CUTR.

 


 

This investment involves risk. See “ Risk Factors” beginning on page 5.

 


     Per Share

   Total

Initial public offering price

   $                 $             

Underwriting discount

   $      $  

Proceeds, before expenses, to Cutera, Inc.

   $      $  

Proceeds, before expenses, to Selling Stockholders

   $      $  

 

The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 465,000 additional shares of common stock from us to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved of anyone’s investment in these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Piper Jaffray

 

SG Cowen

 

RBC Capital Markets

 

The date of this prospectus is              , 2004.

 


Table of Contents

Cutera Artwork — Edgar Descriptions

 

Inside Front Cover

 

Many Procedures. Any Patient. One Platform.

 

[Image of CoolGlide Xeo system with text boxes describing and pointing to various features on the CoolGlide Xeo image, stating: “Clearview Handpiece provides an unobstructed view of the treatment area,” “Ergonomic Handpieces are lightweight to minimize user fatigue,” “Easy-to-use Interface simplifies control while allowing a variety of procedures,” “Long-pulse Nd:YAG Laser lets practitioners treat all skin types and a range of conditions,” and “Advanced Technology allows a wide range of parameters in an upgradeable platform.”]

 

CUTERA

www.cutera.com


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

Summary

   1

Risk Factors

   6

Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

   18

Use of Proceeds

   19

Dividend Policy

   19

Capitalization

   20

Dilution

   21

Selected Consolidated Financial Data

   23

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

   24

Business

   32

Management

   47

Technical Advisory Board

   56

Related Party Transactions

   57

Principal and Selling Stockholders

   58

Description of Capital Stock

   60

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

   63

Underwriting

   65

Legal Matters

   67

Experts

   67

Where You Can Find More Information

   67

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-1

 


 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information. This prospectus is not an offer to sell, nor is it seeking an offer to buy, these securities in any state where the offer or solicitation is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is complete and accurate as of the date on the front cover, but the information may have changed since that date.


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SUMMARY

 

The items in the following summary are described in more detail later in this prospectus. This summary provides an overview of selected information and does not contain all of the information you should consider. Therefore, you should also read the more detailed information set out in this prospectus, including the financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. References in this prospectus to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Cutera, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

 

Our Business

 

We design, develop, manufacture and market the CoolGlide family of laser and other light-based products for aesthetic treatments. Our easy-to-use products enable dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, primary care physicians and other qualified practitioners to offer safe, effective and non-invasive aesthetic procedures to their patients. We commercially launched our first CoolGlide product in March 2000 for hair removal, and every year since then we have introduced at least one new CoolGlide product. Our family of products offers our customers the ability to select the CoolGlide system that best fits their practice. We design our products to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest products, which enables them to add applications to their aesthetic practice and provides us with a source of recurring revenue.

 

Each of our CoolGlide products consists of one or more handpieces and a console that incorporates a universal graphic user interface, a laser or other light-based module, control system software and high voltage electronics. To date, we have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance to market our CoolGlide products for hair removal and the permanent reduction of hair, for the treatment of vascular lesions, including leg and facial veins, for the treatment of wrinkles, and for the treatment of benign pigmented lesions. We currently sell, market and distribute our products in the United States through a 27-person direct sales force supported by a team of technical service specialists. Internationally, we sell our products through a direct sales force of 14 employees in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom, and through distributors in over 25 additional countries. As of December 31, 2003, we had sold over 1,200 systems and over 240 upgrades, including, in some instances, multiple upgrades to the same customer. We have been profitable since 2000.

 

Our Opportunity

 

The market for aesthetic procedures has grown significantly over the past several years. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that its members treated approximately 2.0 million people in 2002, a 95% increase since 1998. We believe there are several factors contributing to the growth in the number of aesthetic procedures, including:

 

  Aging of the U.S. Population.    The large “baby boomer” demographic segment and its desire to retain its youthful appearance.

 

  Broader Range of Safe and Effective Treatments.    Technical developments have improved the effectiveness of aesthetic treatments, while reducing side effects.

 

  Changing Practitioner Economics.    Managed care and government payor reimbursement restrictions are motivating practitioners to expand their elective aesthetic practices with procedures that are paid for directly by patients.

 

There are a number of aesthetic procedures that have been developed to improve the appearance of the skin. Many popular treatments require injections or the use of abrasive agents for the removal of hair, treatment of leg and facial veins, and skin rejuvenation. Alternatively, laser and other light-based procedures can non-invasively affect structures within the skin for similar aesthetic results. According to an industry report, an estimated 2.6 million aesthetic laser procedures were performed in the United States in 2002 and an estimated 4.4 million

 


 

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such procedures will be performed in the United States in 2005. This growth in the demand for aesthetic laser and light-based procedures has resulted in an established and growing market for products and technologies that allow physicians to perform these treatments.

 

Our Products

 

Our unique CoolGlide family of products provides the benefits of laser and other light-based aesthetic procedures, and is designed to allow our customers to expand their aesthetic practices. Key features of our products include:

 

  Multiple Applications Available in a Single System.    Our technology platforms enable our customers to perform multiple aesthetic procedures using a single system. This capability can provide significant economic benefit to our customers.

 

  Technology and Design Leadership.    We believe that we offer innovative and advanced laser and other light-based technologies for the aesthetic market. Our products combine a unique method for cooling with the ability to select the appropriate combination of treatment parameters to customize treatment for each patient or condition.

 

  Upgradeable Platform.    Owners of our systems may cost-effectively upgrade to add applications as their aesthetic practices expand.

 

  Treatments for Broad Range of Skin Types and Conditions.    Our products can remove hair safely and effectively on patients of all skin types and hair thicknesses, and can be used to treat large leg veins and small facial veins.

 

  Ease of Use.    We design our products to be easy to use. Our systems incorporate a universal graphic user interface and one or more ergonomic and lightweight handpieces.

 

Our Strategy

 

Our goal is to become the worldwide leading provider of laser and other light-based systems to the aesthetic market by:

 

  continuing to develop new products and applications;

 

  increasing sales of existing products in the United States;

 

  expanding our international presence;

 

  broadening our customer base;

 

  leveraging our installed base with sales of upgrades; and

 

  acquiring complementary products, technologies and businesses.

 

Our Products and Applications

 

Our CoolGlide family of products consists of a control console and one or more handpieces. Our products allow the practitioner to adjust the combination of energy level, spot size and pulse duration delivered. The ability to manipulate the combination of these parameters allows our customers to treat a broad range of conditions with a single light-based system. These treatments include hair removal, vein treatments, skin rejuvenation and the treatment of pigmented lesions. Additionally, our products are designed to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest products, which provides us with a source of recurring revenue.

 


 

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Corporate Information

 

We were incorporated in Delaware in August 1998 as Acme Medical, Inc. We changed our name to Altus Medical, Inc. in July 1999, and to Cutera, Inc. in January 2004. Our principal executive offices are located at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005. Our telephone number is (415) 657-5500. Our website is located at www.cutera.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus.

 

CoolGlide® and CoolGlide Excel® are registered trademarks and CoolGlide Genesis, CoolGlide Genesis Plus, CoolGlide Vantage, CoolGlide Xeo, CoolGlide Xeo SA and Cutera are trademarks of Cutera, Inc. All other trademarks, tradenames and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

 


 

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The Offering

 

Common stock offered:

 

By us

 

  3,100,000 shares

By Selling Stockholders

 

     482,000 shares

Total

 

  3,582,000 shares

Common stock outstanding after this offering

 

10,088,114 shares

Initial public offering price

 

$             per share

Use of proceeds

  We intend to use the net proceeds received by us from this offering for sales and marketing operations, product research and development, and general corporate purposes, including potential acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Proposed Nasdaq National Market symbol

 

CUTR

 

The number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 6,988,114 shares outstanding as of January 31, 2004, and excludes:

 

  20,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.55 per share;

 

  3,738,625 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of January 31, 2004, under our 1998 Stock Plan at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.85 per share;

 

  1,993,238 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options available for grant subsequent to January 31, 2004, under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan; and

 

  200,000 shares to be reserved for future issuance under our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes:

 

  the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option;

 

  the conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock into 4,725,000 shares of our common stock; and

 

  the adoption of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.

 


 

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Summary Consolidated Financial Data

 

The following table presents summary historical and unaudited pro forma as adjusted financial data. We derived the summary consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, and the summary consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2003 from our audited consolidated financial statements. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the operating results that may be expected in the future. You should read this data together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the information under “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:

                        

Net revenue(1)

   $ 19,328     $ 28,327     $ 39,088  

Cost of revenue(1)

     6,941       9,991       12,317  
    


 


 


Gross profit

     12,387       18,336       26,771  

Operating expenses:

                        

Sales and marketing

     5,693       8,602       13,792  

Research and development

     2,221       2,988       3,448  

General and administrative

     1,963       5,416       4,367  
    


 


 


Total operating expenses(1)

     9,877       17,006       21,607  
    


 


 


Income from operations

     2,510       1,330       5,164  

Interest and other income, net

     171       85       30  
    


 


 


Income before income taxes

     2,681       1,415       5,194  

Provision for income taxes

     (342 )     (755 )     (2,088 )
    


 


 


Net income

   $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106  
    


 


 


Net income per share:

                        

Basic

   $ 1.58     $ 0.36     $ 1.47  
    


 


 


Diluted

   $ 0.27     $ 0.07     $ 0.35  
    


 


 


Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:

                        

Basic

     1,480       1,810       2,106  
    


 


 


Diluted

     8,731       8,811       8,835  
    


 


 


Pro forma net income per share (unaudited):

                        

Basic

                   $ 0.46  
                    


Diluted

                   $ 0.35  
                    


Weighted-average number of shares used in pro forma per share calculations (unaudited):

                        

Basic

                     6,794  
                    


Diluted

                     8,835  
            


 



(1)Includes the following stock-based compensation charges:

                        

Net revenue

   $ 164     $     $  

Cost of revenue

     93       234       240  

Total operating expenses

     495       963       1,184  
    


 


 


     $ 752     $ 1,197     $ 1,424  
    


 


 


 

     As of December 31, 2003

     Actual

   Pro Forma
As Adjusted(1)


     (in thousands)

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

           

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 10,290    51,835

Working capital

     14,205    55,750

Total assets

     24,198    65,743

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

     7,372    —  

Retained earnings

     4,182    4,182

Total stockholders’ equity

     7,875    56,792

(1) On a pro forma as adjusted basis to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of preferred stock into 4,725,000 shares of common stock upon closing of this offering, and to reflect the sale by us of 3,100,000 shares of our common stock in this initial public offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the mid-point of the range on the front cover of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

 


 

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RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below with all of the other information included in this prospectus before making an investment decision. If any of the possible events described below actually occurs, our business, results of operations or financial condition would likely suffer. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our operations.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We have a limited history of operations, which could impair our ability to grow significantly.

 

We were incorporated in 1998 and commercially launched our first product in 2000. Consequently, we have a limited history of operations. The future success of our business will depend on our ability to increase product sales, successfully introduce new products, expand our sales force and distribution network, and control costs, which we may be unable to do. As a result, we may not be able to continue our revenue growth and maintain profitability.

 

Our future revenue and operating results will depend on our ability to manage the anticipated growth of our business. It may be difficult for us to control costs if we significantly expand our manufacturing capacity. Our success in growing our business also will depend upon the ability of our management team to implement improvements in our operational systems, realize economies of scale, manage multiple development projects, and continue to expand, train and manage our personnel worldwide. If we cannot scale and manage our business appropriately, or manage the introduction of new products, we will not experience our projected growth and our financial results will suffer.

 

It is difficult to predict future performance, and our success is dependent on a number of factors over which we have limited control. As a result, our financial results may fluctuate unpredictably.

 

Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to predict future performance. Historically, the demand for our products has varied from quarter to quarter. Due to the high dollar revenue per system sold, variations in unit sales may cause revenue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter. As a result, it is difficult for us to accurately predict sales for subsequent periods. In addition, we base our production, inventory and operating expenditure levels on anticipated orders. If orders are not received when expected in any given quarter, expenditure levels could be disproportionately high in relation to revenue for that quarter. A number of additional factors, over which we have limited control, may contribute to fluctuations in our financial results, such as:

 

  delays in introductions and acceptance of our future products;

 

  delays in, or failure of, delivery of components by our suppliers;

 

  introductions of new and improved products by competitors;

 

  performance of our independent distributors;

 

  increases in the length of our sales cycle;

 

  fluctuations in foreign currency;

 

  changes in our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals; and

 

  reductions in the efficiency of our manufacturing processes.

 

In the event our actual revenue and operating results do not meet our forecasts for a particular period, the market price of our common stock may decline substantially.

 

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Our ability to compete depends upon our ability to innovate, to develop and commercialize new products and product enhancements, and to identify new markets for our technology.

 

We have created products to apply our technology to hair removal, treatment of veins, skin rejuvenation and the treatment of pigmented lesions. Currently, these applications represent the majority of laser and other light-based aesthetic procedures. To be successful in the future, we must develop new and innovative applications of laser and other light-based technology, identify new markets for our existing technology, and develop new technology that is not light-based. To successfully expand our product offerings, we must:

 

  develop or acquire new products that either add to or significantly improve our current products;

 

  convince our target customers that our new products or product upgrades would be an attractive revenue-generating addition to their practices;

 

  sell our products to non-traditional customers;

 

  protect our products with defensible intellectual property; and

 

  satisfy and maintain all regulatory requirements for commercialization.

 

Every year since 2000, we have introduced at least one new product and a corresponding upgrade to our existing products. Historically, these introductions have been a significant component of our financial performance. Our business strategy is based, in part, on our expectation that we will continue to make annual product introductions that we can sell to new customers and to existing customers as upgrades. We may be unable, however, to continue to develop new products and technologies annually, or at all, which could adversely affect our expected growth rate.

 

Our success depends on market acceptance of our products, many of which have been recently introduced.

 

All of our products have been introduced within the last four years. It is difficult for us to predict how successful recently introduced products will be over the long term. Our failure to significantly penetrate current or new markets with our products could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. The market for aesthetic devices is highly competitive and dynamic, and marked by rapid and substantial technological development and product innovations. Demand for our products could be diminished by equivalent or superior products and technologies offered by competitors. Decreases in forecasted demands could leave us with excess inventory, which could become obsolete and have to be written off.

 

We are involved in costly intellectual property litigation with Palomar Medical Technologies that may hurt our competitive position and may prevent us from selling many of our products and generating revenue.

 

We are currently involved in a lawsuit brought by one of our public company competitors, Palomar Medical Technologies, which alleges that the manufacture, use and sale of our products for hair removal infringes a patent it has licensed. In the lawsuit, Palomar is attempting to stop us from selling our products for hair removal and to obtain compensatory and treble damages. We are defending ourselves by claiming that we do not infringe the patent and that the patent is invalid and unenforceable. Although we believe that these defenses are meritorious, litigation is unpredictable and we may not prevail. If we do not prevail, we may be ordered to pay substantial damages for past sales and an ongoing royalty for future sales of products found to infringe. If found liable, we could also be ordered to stop selling any products that perform hair removal, representing approximately 82% of our revenue in 2003. If found liable, we do not know whether we could redesign our products to avoid future infringement. Any public announcement concerning the litigation that is unfavorable to us may result in a decline in our stock price.

 

This litigation has been and will continue to be expensive and protracted, and our intellectual property position may be weakened as a result of an adverse ruling. Whether or not we are successful in this lawsuit, this litigation consumes substantial amounts of our financial resources and diverts management’s attention away from our core

 

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business. Palomar may file additional claims against us, or we may file additional claims against Palomar, which could increase the risk, expense and duration of the litigation. For more information regarding this litigation, see “Business — Litigation.”

 

We may be involved in future costly intellectual property litigation, which could impact our future business and financial performance.

 

Our industry has been characterized by frequent demands for licenses and litigation. As with Palomar, our competitors or other patent holders may assert that our products and the methods we employ are covered by their patents. In addition, we do not know whether our competitors will apply for and obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, sell or import our products. Although we may seek to resolve any potential future claims or actions, we may not be able to do so on reasonable terms, or at all. If, following a successful third-party action for infringement, we cannot obtain a license or redesign our products, we may have to stop manufacturing and marketing our products, and our business would suffer as a result.

 

We may become involved in litigation not only as a result of alleged infringement of a third party’s intellectual property rights but also to protect our own intellectual property. We have and may hereafter become involved in litigation to protect the trademark rights associated with our company name or the names of our products. We have only recently adopted the name “Cutera,” and do not know whether others will assert that our company name infringes their trademark rights. In addition, names we choose for our products, such as CoolGlide, may be claimed to infringe names held by others. If we have to change the name of our company or products, we may experience a loss in goodwill associated with our brand name, customer confusion and a loss of sales.

 

Infringement and other intellectual property claims, with or without merit, can be expensive and time-consuming to litigate, and could divert management’s attention from our core business. We do not know whether necessary licenses would be available to us on satisfactory terms, or whether we could redesign our products or processes to avoid infringement. If we lose this kind of litigation, a court could require us to pay substantial damages, and prohibit us from using technologies essential to our products, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Intellectual property rights may not provide adequate protection for some or all of our products, which may permit third parties to compete against us more effectively.

 

We rely on patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark laws, and confidentiality agreements to protect our technology and products. As of January 31, 2004, we had four issued U.S. patents, mostly covering our ClearView handpiece design and cooling method. Some of our other components, such as our laser module, electronic control system and high-voltage electronics, are not, and in the future may not, be protected by patents. Additionally, our patent applications may not issue as patents or, if issued, may not issue in a form that will be advantageous to us. Any patents we obtain may be challenged, invalidated or legally circumvented by third parties. Consequently, competitors could market products, and use manufacturing processes that are substantially similar to, or superior to, ours. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our technical knowledge or other trade secrets by consultants, vendors, former employees or current employees, despite the existence generally of confidentiality agreements and other contractual restrictions. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures of our intellectual property is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be effective. Moreover, the laws of many foreign countries will not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.

 

The absence of complete intellectual property protection exposes us to a greater risk of direct competition. Competitors could purchase one of our products and attempt to replicate some or all of the competitive advantages we derive from our development efforts, design around our protected technology, or develop their own competitive technologies that fall outside of our intellectual property rights. If our intellectual property is not adequately protected against competitors’ products and methods, our competitive position could be adversely affected, as could our business.

 

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We compete against companies that have longer operating histories, more established products and greater resources, which may prevent us from achieving significant market penetration or increased operating results.

 

Our products compete against similar products offered by public companies, such as Candela, Laserscope, Lumenis and Palomar Medical Technologies, as well as other smaller, specialized private companies. Competition with these companies could result in price-cutting, reduced profit margins and loss of market share, any of which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also face competition from medical products, such as Botox, an injectable compound used to reduce wrinkles, and collagen injections. Other alternatives to the use of our products include sclerotherapy, a procedure involving the injection of a solution into the vein to collapse it, electrolysis, a procedure involving the application of electric current to eliminate hair follicles, and chemical peels. We may also face competition from manufacturers of pharmaceutical and other products that have not yet been developed. Our ability to compete effectively depends upon our ability to distinguish our company and our products from our competitors and their products, and includes such factors as:

 

  product performance;

 

  product pricing;

 

  intellectual property protection;

 

  quality of customer support;

 

  success and timing of new product development and introductions; and

 

  development of successful distribution channels, both domestically and internationally.

 

Some of our competitors have more established products and customer relationships than we do, which could inhibit our market penetration efforts. For example, we have encountered, and expect to continue to encounter, situations where, due to pre-existing relationships, potential customers decided to purchase additional products from our competitors. Potential customers also may need to recoup the cost of expensive products that they have already purchased from our competitors and may decide not to purchase our products, or to delay such purchases. If we are unable to achieve continued market penetration, we will be unable to compete effectively and our business will be harmed.

 

In addition, some of our current and potential competitors have significantly greater financial, research and development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing resources than we have. Our competitors could utilize their greater financial resources to acquire other companies to gain enhanced name recognition and market share, as well as new technologies or products that could effectively compete with our existing product lines. For example, ESC Medical purchased Coherent’s medical business in 2001 and the surviving company, Lumenis, incorporated competitive product lines and technologies of the predecessor companies into its current products. Given the relatively few competitors currently in the market, any business combination could exacerbate any existing competitive pressures, which could harm our business.

 

Competition among providers of laser and other light-based devices for the aesthetic market is characterized by rapid innovation, and we must continuously develop new products or our revenues may decline.

 

While we attempt to protect our products through patents and other intellectual property, there are few barriers to entry that would prevent new entrants or existing competitors from developing products that compete directly with ours. For example, while our CoolGlide product was the first long-pulse Nd:YAG, or long wavelength, laser system cleared by the FDA for permanent hair reduction on all skin types, competitors have subsequently introduced systems that utilize Nd:YAG lasers, and received FDA clearances to market these products as treating all skin types. We expect that any competitive advantage we may enjoy from other current and future innovations, such as combining multiple handpieces in a single system to treat a variety of applications, may diminish over time, as companies successfully respond to our, or create their own, innovations. Consequently, we

 

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believe that we will have to continuously innovate and improve our products and technology to compete successfully. If we are unable to innovate successfully, our products could become obsolete and our revenue will decline as our customers purchase our competitors’ products.

 

To successfully market and sell our products internationally, we must address many issues with which we have little or no experience.

 

In the future, we expect our revenue from international operations to comprise a growing percentage of overall revenue. We currently depend on third-party distributors and a relatively new direct sales operation to sell our products internationally, and if these distributors or direct sales personnel underperform we may be unable to increase or maintain our level of international revenue. We will need to attract additional distributors to grow our business and expand the territories in which we sell our products. Distributors may not commit the necessary resources to market and sell our products to the level of our expectations. If current or future distributors do not perform adequately, or we are unable to locate distributors in particular geographic areas, we may not realize expected international revenue growth. Additionally, we expect to expand our direct sales force in Europe and Asia. If we are unable to do so successfully, our revenue from international operations will be adversely affected.

 

International sales accounted for 19% of our revenue for 2002 and 23% of our revenue for 2003. We believe that an increasing percentage of our future revenue will come from international sales as we expand our overseas operations and develop opportunities in additional international territories. International sales are subject to a number of risks, including:

 

  difficulties in staffing and managing our foreign operations;

 

  difficulties in penetrating markets in which our competitors’ products are more established;

 

  reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;

 

  export restrictions, trade regulations and foreign tax laws;

 

  fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates;

 

  foreign certification and regulatory requirements;

 

  lengthy payment cycles and difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;

 

  customs clearance and shipping delays;

 

  political and economic instability; and

 

  preference for locally-produced products.

 

If one or more of these risks were realized, it could require us to dedicate significant resources to remedy the situation, and if we are unsuccessful at finding a solution, our revenue may decline.

 

The expense and potential unavailability of insurance coverage for our customers and our company could adversely affect our ability to sell our products and our financial condition.

 

Some of our customers and prospective customers have had difficulty in procuring or maintaining liability insurance to cover their operation and use of our products. Medical malpractice carriers are withdrawing coverage in certain states or substantially increasing premiums. If this trend continues or worsens, our customers may discontinue using our products and, industry-wide, potential customers may opt against purchasing laser and other light-based products due to the cost and inability to procure insurance coverage.

 

We have been experiencing steep increases in our product liability insurance premiums. If our premiums continue to rise, we may no longer be able to afford adequate insurance coverage. If we are unable to maintain adequate coverage, potential product liability claims would be paid out of cash reserves, harming our financial condition, operating results and profitability.

 

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If we fail to obtain and maintain necessary U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearances for our products and indications, if clearances for future products and indications are delayed or not issued, or if there are federal or state level regulatory changes, our commercial operations would be harmed.

 

Our products are medical devices that are subject to extensive regulation in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for manufacturing, labeling, sale, promotion, distribution and shipping. Before a new medical device, or a new use of or claim for an existing product, can be marketed in the United States, it must first receive either 510(k) clearance or premarketing approval from the FDA, unless an exemption applies. Either process can be expensive and lengthy. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from three to twelve months, but it can last longer. The process of obtaining premarketing approval is much more costly and uncertain than the 510(k) clearance process and it generally takes from one to three years, or even longer, from the time the application is filed with the FDA.

 

Medical devices may be marketed only for the indications for which they are approved or cleared. We have obtained 510(k) clearance for the current treatments for which we offer our products. However, our clearances can be revoked if safety or effectiveness problems develop. We also are subject to Medical Device Reporting regulations, which require us to report to the FDA if our products cause or contribute to a death or serious injury, or malfunction in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. Our products are also subject to state regulations, which are, in many instances, in flux. Changes in state regulations may impede sales. For example, federal regulations allow our products to be sold to, or on the order of, “licensed practitioners,” as determined on a state-by-state basis. As a result, in some states, non-physicians may legally purchase and operate our products. However, a state could change its regulations at any time disallowing sales to particular types of end users. We cannot predict the impact or effect of future legislation or regulations at the federal or state levels.

 

The FDA and state authorities have broad enforcement powers. Our failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in enforcement action by the FDA or state agencies, which may include any of the following sanctions:

 

  warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;

 

  repair, replacement, refunds, recall or seizure of our products;

 

  operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

 

  refusing our requests for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products, new intended uses, or modifications to existing products;

 

  withdrawing 510(k) clearance or premarket approvals that have already been granted; and

 

  criminal prosecution.

 

If any of these events were to occur, they could harm our business.

 

If we modify one of our FDA approved devices, we may need to seek reapproval, which, if not granted, would prevent us from selling our modified products or cause us to redesign our products.

 

Any modifications to an FDA-cleared device that would significantly affect its safety or effectiveness or that would constitute a major change in its intended use would require a new 510(k) clearance or possibly a premarket approval. We may not be able to obtain additional 510(k) clearances or premarket approvals for new products or for modifications to, or additional indications for, our existing products in a timely fashion, or at all. Delays in obtaining future clearances would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our revenue and future profitability. We have made modifications to our devices in the past and may make additional modifications in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional clearances or approvals. If the FDA disagrees, and requires new clearances or approvals for the modifications, we may be required to recall and to stop marketing the modified devices, which could harm our operating results and require us to redesign our products.

 

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If we fail to comply with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation and laser performance standards, our manufacturing operations could be halted, and our business would suffer.

 

We are currently required to demonstrate and maintain compliance with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR. The QSR is a complex regulatory scheme that covers the methods and documentation of the design, testing, control, manufacturing, labeling, quality assurance, packaging, storage and shipping of our products. Because our products involve the use of lasers, our products also are covered by a performance standard for lasers set forth in FDA regulations. The laser performance standard imposes specific record-keeping, reporting, product testing and product labeling requirements. These requirements include affixing warning labels to laser products, as well as incorporating certain safety features in the design of laser products. The FDA enforces the QSR and laser performance standards through periodic unannounced inspections. We have been, and anticipate in the future to be, subject to such inspections. Our failure to take satisfactory corrective action in response to an adverse QSR inspection or our failure to comply with applicable laser performance standards could result in enforcement actions, including a public warning letter, a shutdown of our manufacturing operations, a recall of our products, civil or criminal penalties, or other sanctions, such as those described in the preceding paragraph, which would cause our sales and business to suffer.

 

We may be unable to obtain or maintain international regulatory qualifications or approvals for our current or future products and indications, which could harm our business.

 

Sales of our products outside the United States are subject to foreign regulatory requirements that vary widely from country to country. In addition, exports of medical devices from the United States are regulated by the FDA. Complying with international regulatory requirements can be an expensive and time-consuming process and approval is not certain. The time required to obtain clearance or approvals, if required by other countries, may be longer than that required for FDA clearance or approvals, and requirements for such clearances or approvals may significantly differ from FDA requirements. We may be unable to obtain or maintain regulatory qualifications, clearances or approvals in other countries. We may also incur significant costs in attempting to obtain and in maintaining foreign regulatory approvals or qualifications. If we experience delays in receiving necessary qualifications, clearances or approvals to market our products outside the United States, or if we fail to receive those qualifications, clearances or approvals, we may be unable to market our products or enhancements in international markets effectively, or at all.

 

Because we do not require training for users of our products, and sell our products to non-physicians, there exists an increased potential for misuse of our products, which could harm our reputation and our business.

 

Federal regulations allow us to sell our products to or on the order of “licensed practitioners.” The definition of “licensed practitioners” varies from state to state. As a result, our products may be purchased or operated by physicians with varying levels of training, and in many states by non-physicians, including nurse practitioners, chiropractors and technicians. Outside the United States, many jurisdictions do not require specific qualifications or training for purchasers or operators of our products. We do not supervise the procedures performed with our products, nor do we require that direct medical supervision occur. We, and our distributors, offer but do not require purchasers or operators of our products to attend training sessions. In addition, we sometimes sell our systems to companies that rent our systems to third parties and that provide a technician to perform the procedure. The lack of training and the purchase and use of our products by non-physicians may result in product misuse and adverse treatment outcomes, which could harm our reputation and expose us to costly product liability litigation.

 

Product liability suits could be brought against us due to a defective design, material or workmanship, or misuse of our products and could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation, payment of substantial damages and an increase in our insurance rates.

 

If our products are defectively designed, manufactured or labeled, contain defective components or are misused, we may become subject to substantial and costly litigation by our customers or their patients. Misusing our

 

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products or failing to adhere to operating guidelines could cause significant eye and skin damage, and underlying tissue damage. In addition, if our operating guidelines are found to be inadequate, we may be subject to liability. We have been involved, and may in the future be involved, in litigation related to the use of our products. Product liability claims could divert management’s attention from our core business, be expensive to defend and result in sizable damage awards against us. We may not have sufficient insurance coverage for all future claims. We may not be able to obtain insurance in amounts or scope sufficient to provide us with adequate coverage against all potential liabilities. Any product liability claims brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our product liability insurance rates or prevent us from securing continuing coverage, could harm our reputation in the industry and reduce product sales. Product liability claims in excess of our insurance coverage would be paid out of cash reserves harming our financial condition and reducing our operating results.

 

Our manufacturing operations are dependent upon third-party suppliers, making us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations, which could harm our business.

 

Many of the components and materials that comprise our products are currently manufactured by a limited number of suppliers. A supply interruption or an increase in demand beyond our current suppliers’ capabilities, could harm our ability to manufacture our products until a new source of supply is identified and qualified. Our reliance on these suppliers subjects us to a number of risks that could harm our business, including:

 

  interruption of supply resulting from modifications to or discontinuation of a supplier’s operations;

 

  delays in product shipments resulting from uncorrected defects, reliability issues or a supplier’s variation in a component;

 

  a lack of long-term supply arrangements for key components with our suppliers;

 

  inability to obtain adequate supply in a timely manner, or on commercially reasonable terms;

 

  difficulty locating and qualifying alternative suppliers for our components in a timely manner;

 

  production delays related to the evaluation and testing of products from alternative suppliers, and corresponding regulatory qualifications;

 

  delay in delivery due to our suppliers prioritizing other customer orders over ours; and

 

  fluctuation in delivery by our suppliers due to changes in demand from us or their other customers.

 

Any interruption in the supply of components or materials, or our inability to obtain substitute components or materials from alternate sources at acceptable prices in a timely manner, could impair our ability to meet the demand of our customers, which would have an adverse effect on our business.

 

Components used in our products are complex in design, and any defects may not be discovered prior to shipment to customers, which could result in warranty obligations, reducing our revenue and increasing our cost.

 

In manufacturing our products, we depend upon third parties for the supply of various components. Many of these components require a significant degree of technical expertise to produce. If our suppliers fail to produce components to specification, or if the suppliers, or we, use defective materials or workmanship in the manufacturing process, the reliability and performance of our products will be compromised.

 

If our products contain defects that cannot be repaired easily and inexpensively, we may experience:

 

  loss of customer orders and delay in order fulfillment;

 

  damage to our brand reputation;

 

  increased cost of our warranty program due to product repair or replacement;

 

  inability to attract new customers;

 

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  diversion of resources from our manufacturing and research and development departments into our service department; and

 

  legal action.

 

The occurrence of any one or more of the foregoing could materially harm our business.

 

We forecast sales to determine requirements for components and materials used in our products and if our forecasts are incorrect, we may experience either delays in shipments or increased inventory costs.

 

We keep limited materials and components on hand. To manage our manufacturing operations with our suppliers, we forecast anticipated product orders and material requirements to predict our inventory needs up to six months in advance and enter into purchase orders on the basis of these requirements. Our limited historical experience may not provide us with enough data to accurately predict future demand. If our business expands, our demand for components and materials would increase and our suppliers may be unable to meet our demand. If we overestimate our component and material requirements, we will have excess inventory, which would increase our expenses. If we underestimate our component and material requirements, we may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt, delay or prevent delivery of our products to our customers. Any of these occurrences would negatively affect our financial performance and the level of satisfaction our customers have with our business.

 

If there is not sufficient demand for the procedures performed with our products, practitioner demand for our products could be inhibited, resulting in unfavorable operating results.

 

Most procedures performed using our products are not reimbursable through government or private health insurance and are therefore elective procedures, the cost of which must be borne by the patient. The decision to utilize our products may therefore be influenced by a number of factors, including:

 

  the cost of procedures performed using our products;

 

  the cost, safety and effectiveness of alternative treatments;

 

  the success of our sales and marketing efforts; and

 

  consumer confidence, which may be impacted by economic and political conditions.

 

If, as a result of these factors, there is not sufficient demand for the procedures performed with our products, practitioner demand for our products could be reduced, resulting in unfavorable operating results.

 

We depend on skilled and experienced personnel to operate our business effectively. If we are unable to recruit, hire and retain these employees, our ability to manage and expand our business will be harmed, which would impair our future revenue and profitability.

 

Our success largely depends on the skills, experience and efforts of our officers and other key employees. We do not have employment contracts with any of our officers or other key employees. Any of our officers and other key employees may terminate their employment at any time. In addition, we do not maintain “key person” life insurance policies covering any of our employees. The loss of any of our senior management team members could weaken our management expertise and harm our business.

 

Our ability to retain our skilled labor force and our success in attracting and hiring new skilled employees will be a critical factor in determining whether we will be successful in the future. We may not be able to meet our future hiring needs or retain existing personnel. We will face particularly significant challenges and risks in hiring, training, managing and retaining engineering and sales and marketing employees, as well as independent distributors, most of whom are geographically dispersed and must be trained in the use and benefits of our products. Failure to attract and retain personnel, particularly technical and sales and marketing personnel, would materially harm our ability to compete effectively and grow our business.

 

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Any acquisitions that we make could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.

 

We expect to evaluate potential strategic acquisitions of complementary businesses, products or technologies. We may also consider joint ventures and other collaborative projects. We may not be able to identify appropriate acquisition candidates or strategic partners, or successfully negotiate, finance or integrate any businesses, products or technologies that we acquire. Furthermore, the integration of any acquisition and management of any collaborative project may divert management’s time and resources from our core business and disrupt our operations. We do not have any experience with acquiring companies or products. If we decide to expand our product offerings beyond laser and other light-based products, we may spend time and money on projects that do not increase our revenue. Any cash acquisition we pursue would diminish the proceeds from this offering available to us for other uses, and any stock acquisition would be dilutive to our stockholders. While we from time to time evaluate potential collaborative projects and acquisitions of businesses, products and technologies, and anticipate continuing to make these evaluations, we have no present understandings, commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions or collaborative projects.

 

Our recent name change may lead to customer confusion and increased marketing expense, which would affect our operating results.

 

Our recent name change from Altus Medical, Inc. to Cutera, Inc. may confuse customers and potential customers who associate our products with our former name. If our customers are confused by the name change, they may not order our products and our operating results would suffer. In addition, we will incur marketing costs in order to promote our new name, which will reduce our overall operating results in the near term.

 

Risks Related to This Offering

 

Our common stock has not been publicly traded, and we expect that the price of our common stock will fluctuate substantially.

 

Before this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. An active public trading market may not develop after completion of this offering or, if developed, may not be sustained. The price of the common stock sold in this offering will not necessarily reflect the market price of our common stock after this offering. The market price for our common stock after this offering will be affected by a number of factors, including:

 

  the announcement of new products or service enhancements by us or our competitors;

 

  quarterly variations in our or our competitors’ results of operations;

 

  announcements related to litigation;

 

  changes in earnings estimates, investors’ perceptions, recommendations by securities analysts or our failure to achieve analysts’ earning estimates;

 

  developments in our industry; and

 

  general market conditions and other factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors.

 

In addition, the stock prices of many companies in the medical device industry have experienced wide fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of those companies. These factors and price fluctuations may materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

New investors in our common stock will experience immediate and substantial dilution after this offering.

 

The initial public offering price will be substantially higher than the book value per share of our common stock. If you purchase common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of $9.40 in net tangible book value per share of common stock, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share. In addition, the number of shares available for issuance under our stock option and employee stock purchase plans

 

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will automatically increase annually without further stockholder approval. Investors will incur additional dilution upon the exercise of stock options and warrants. See “Dilution.”

 

A sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline.

 

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after this offering, including shares issued upon the exercise of options or warrants, the market price of our common stock could decline. There will be approximately 6,506,114 shares of common stock eligible for sale beginning 180 days after the date of this prospectus upon the expiration of lock-up arrangements between our stockholders and underwriters. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

 

Our directors, officers and principal stockholders have significant voting power and may take actions that may not be in the best interests of our other stockholders.

 

After this offering, our officers, directors and principal stockholders each holding more than 5% of our common stock collectively will control approximately 57% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, these stockholders, if they act together, will be able to control the management and affairs of our company and most matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and might adversely affect the market price of our common stock. This concentration of ownership may not be in the best interests of our other stockholders.

 

We have broad discretion in the use of proceeds of this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

The net proceeds of this offering will be allocated to sales and marketing operations, research and development, and general corporate purposes, as well as potential acquisitions of complementary businesses, products or technologies. Within those categories, we have not determined the specific allocation of the net proceeds of this offering. Our management will have broad discretion over the use and investment of the net proceeds of this offering within those categories, and accordingly investors in this offering will need to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of proceeds, with only limited information concerning management’s specific intentions.

 

Anti-takeover provisions in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, and Delaware law, contain provisions that could discourage a takeover.

 

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, and Delaware law, contain provisions that might enable our management to resist a takeover, and might make it more difficult for an investor to acquire a substantial block of our common stock. These provisions include:

 

  a classified board of directors;

 

  advance notice requirements to stockholders for matters to be brought at stockholder meetings;

 

  a supermajority stockholder vote requirement for amending certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws;

 

  limitations on stockholder actions by written consent; and

 

  the right to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquiror.

 

These provisions might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or a change in our management. The existence of these provisions could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common

 

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stock and limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. See “Description of Capital Stock.”

 

We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the future, and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our stock.

 

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as our board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.

 

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INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Some of the statements under “Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business” and elsewhere in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed, implied or inferred by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things, those listed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform them to actual results.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of 3,100,000 shares of common stock that we are selling in this offering will be approximately $41.5 million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the mid-point of the range on the front cover of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, we estimate that we will receive net proceeds of approximately $48.0 million.

 

Of the net proceeds that we will receive from the offering, we expect to use approximately:

 

  $15.0 million for our sales and marketing operations; and

 

  $5.0 million for product research and development.

 

We intend to use the remainder of the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. We may use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire complementary products, technologies or businesses; however, we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transactions and are not involved in negotiations to do so. The timing and amount of our actual expenditures will be based on many factors, including cash flows from operations and the anticipated growth of our business. Pending these uses, we intend to invest the net proceeds of this offering primarily in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.

 

DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have never declared or paid any dividends on our capital stock. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Therefore, we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, prospects and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2003:

 

  on an actual basis; and

 

  on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock into 4,725,000 shares of common stock, and the sale by us of 3,100,000 shares of common stock at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the mid-point of the range on the front cover of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

 

     As of December 31, 2003

 
     Actual

    Pro Forma
As Adjusted
(unaudited)


 
     (in thousands, except
share data)
 

Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 4,784,000 shares authorized, 4,725,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

   $ 7,372     $  
    


 


Stockholders’ equity:

                

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized, 2,229,514 shares issued and outstanding, actual; and 10,054,514 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

     2       10  

Additional paid-in capital

     7,579       56,488  

Deferred stock-based compensation

     (3,888 )     (3,888 )

Retained earnings

     4,182       4,182  
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     7,875       56,792  
    


 


Total capitalization

   $ 15,247     $ 56,792  
    


 


 

The table above excludes, as of January 31, 2004:

 

  20,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.55 per share;

 

  3,738,625 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of January 31, 2004 under our 1998 Stock Plan at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.85 per share;

 

  1,993,238 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options available for grant subsequent to January 31, 2004, under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan; and

 

  200,000 shares to be reserved for future issuance under our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

The table should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

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DILUTION

 

If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2003 was $7.4 million. Our pro forma net tangible book value per share set forth below represents our total tangible assets less total liabilities and redeemable convertible preferred stock, divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31, 2003, and assumes the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding shares of preferred stock into 4,725,000 shares of our common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering.

 

Dilution per share to new investors represents the difference between the amount per share paid by new investors who purchase shares of common stock in this offering and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately after the completion of this offering. Giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock offered by us at the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the range on the front cover of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma net tangible as adjusted book value as of December 31, 2003, would have been approximately $56.3 million. This amount represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of $3.47 per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of $9.40 per share to new investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share

           $ 15.00

Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2003

   $ 3.33        

Decrease per share due to assumed conversion of all shares of preferred stock

     (1.20 )      
    


     

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2003

     2.13        

Increase per share attributable to new investors

     3.47        
    


     

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering

             5.60
            

Dilution per share to new investors

           $ 9.40
            

 

The following table sets forth, on a pro forma as adjusted basis, as of December 31, 2003, the differences between the number of shares of common stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid, and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders and new investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share.

 

     Shares Purchased

    Total Consideration

    Average Price
Per Share


     Number

   Percent

    Amount

   Percent

   

Existing stockholders

   6,954,514    69 %   $ 7,739,000    14 %   $ 1.11

New investors

   3,100,000    31 %     46,500,000    86 %   $ 15.00
    
  

 

  

     

Total

   10,054,514    100 %   $ 54,239,000    100 %      
    
  

 

  

     

 

Assuming the exercise in full of all options and warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2003, the number of shares purchased by existing stockholders would be increased by 3,811,913 shares to 10,766,427 shares, total consideration paid by them would be increased by approximately $10,762,114 to $18,501,114 and the average price per share paid by them would be increased by $0.61 per share to $1.72 per share.

 

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the percentage of shares of common stock held by existing stockholders will decrease to approximately 66% of the total number of shares of our common stock

 

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outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares held by new investors will be increased to 3,565,000, or approximately 34% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering.

 

The tables above exclude, as of December 31, 2003:

 

  20,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.55 per share;

 

  3,791,913 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2003, under our 1998 Stock Plan at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.83 per share;

 

  1,973,550 shares of common stock to be reserved for future issuance upon the exercise of options available for future grant subsequent to December 31, 2003, under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan; and

 

  200,000 shares to be reserved for future issuance under our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

The exercise of options and warrants, all of which have an exercise price less than the assumed initial public offering price would increase the dilution to new investors an additional $0.76 per share, to $10.16 per share.

 

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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The selected consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, and the related notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in this prospectus. We derived the consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 1999 and 2000 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 1999, 2000 and 2001 from our audited consolidated financial statements not included in this prospectus. We derived the consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2002 and 2003, from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of future operating results.

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     1999

    2000

    2001

    2002

    2003

 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:

                                        

Net revenue(1)

   $ 100     $ 9,531     $ 19,328     $ 28,327     $ 39,088  

Cost of revenue(1)

     413       3,365       6,941       9,991       12,317  
    


 


 


 


 


Gross profit (loss)

     (313 )     6,166       12,387       18,336       26,771  

Operating expenses:

                                        

Sales and marketing(1)

     706       2,794       5,693       8,602       13,792  

Research and development(1)

     1,333       1,539       2,221       2,988       3,448  

General and administrative(1)

     419       989       1,963       5,416       4,367  
    


 


 


 


 


Total operating expenses

     2,458       5,322       9,877       17,006       21,607  
    


 


 


 


 


Income (loss) from operations

     (2,771 )     844       2,510       1,330       5,164  

Interest and other income, net

     57       193       171       85       30  
    


 


 


 


 


Income (loss) before income taxes

     (2,714 )     1,037       2,681       1,415       5,194  

Provision for income taxes

                 (342 )     (755 )     (2,088 )
    


 


 


 


 


Net income (loss)

   $ (2,714 )   $ 1,037     $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106  
    


 


 


 


 


Net income (loss) per share:

                                        

Basic

   $ (3.04 )   $ 0.97     $ 1.58     $ 0.36     $ 1.47  
    


 


 


 


 


Diluted

   $ (3.04 )   $ 0.13     $ 0.27     $ 0.07     $ 0.35  
    


 


 


 


 


Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:

                                        

Basic

     892       1,064       1,480       1,810       2,106  
    


 


 


 


 


Diluted

     892       8,008       8,731       8,811       8,835  
    


 


 


 


 



(1)Includes the following stock-based compensation charges:

                                        

Net revenue

   $     $     $ 164     $     $  

Cost of revenue

                 93       234       240  

Sales and marketing

                 262       366       382  

Research and development

                 113       287       351  

General and administrative

                 120       310       451  
    


 


 


 


 


     $     $     $ 752     $ 1,197     $ 1,424  
    


 


 


 


 


     As of December 31,

 
     1999

    2000

    2001

    2002

    2003

 
     (in thousands)  

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                                        

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 4,184     $ 3,562     $ 6,354     $ 8,276     $ 10,290  

Working capital

     4,180       4,768       7,854       8,896       14,205  

Total assets

     4,913       7,038       12,475       15,426       24,198  

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

     7,272       7,272       7,272       7,272       7,372  

Retained earnings (deficit)

     (2,960 )     (1,923 )     416       1,076       4,182  

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

     (2,958 )     (1,918 )     1,226       3,106       7,875  

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to historical consolidated financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Overview

 

We design, develop, manufacture and market the CoolGlide family of laser and other light-based products for aesthetic treatments. Our products enable our customers to remove hair, treat leg and facial veins, rejuvenate skin and treat pigmented lesions. Our customers consist generally of dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, primary care physicians and other qualified practitioners. From inception in August 1998 through the fourth quarter of 1999, we were principally engaged in developing our first product, CoolGlide CV, for hair removal. Since 2000, we have continued to develop new products and have introduced at least one new CoolGlide product each year, and we have added a new product in 2004. Our products are designed to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest products. As of December 31, 2003, we had sold over 1,200 systems and over 240 upgrades, including, in some instances, multiple upgrades to the same customer. We have been profitable since 2000 and, as of December 31, 2003, had retained earnings of $4.2 million.

 

We derive revenue primarily from the sale of our aesthetic laser and other light-based products and upgrades. For 2001, 2002 and 2003, we derived 97%, 91% and 84%, respectively, of our revenue from product sales, and 3%, 5% and 11%, respectively, of our revenue from product upgrades. The balance of our revenue is derived from product service, which we expect to increase over time as our installed base grows and related warranties expire. As we introduce new products with greater functionality, our revenue tends to shift towards these newer products. Due to the high dollar revenue per system sold, variations in unit sales may significantly impact revenue in a given quarter.

 

We sell our products directly in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and major European markets, and use distributors to sell our products in countries where we do not have a direct presence, or to complement our direct sales force in selected countries. For 2001, 2002 and 2003, we derived 28%, 19% and 23%, respectively, of our revenue from sales of our products outside the United States through a combination of direct and distributor sales. We expect to generate a greater percentage of our revenue from international sales in the future. As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately 40 employees in sales worldwide, and distributors located in more than 25 countries. As our international sales increase, currency fluctuations may affect our international revenue.

 

We incurred net operating losses from inception through 1999. As of December 31, 2001, we had used all of our operating loss carryforwards. We recorded a provision for income taxes during 2001, 2002 and 2003. The effective tax rates during 2001, 2002 and 2003 were 13%, 53% and 40%, respectively.

 

We have a limited history of operations. We anticipate that our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate for the foreseeable future due to several factors, including delays in introduction and acceptance of future products, delays in our manufacturing operations, introduction of new and improved products by competitors, and the performance of our direct sales force and distributors. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the future as a result of increased sales and marketing expenses to promote revenue growth and geographic expansion, continued research and development of new products and technologies, and increased general and administrative expenses to keep pace with our overall growth and the costs of being a public company. Our limited history makes accurate predictions of future operating results difficult.

 

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Results of Operations

 

Years Ended December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2003

 

Net Revenue.    Revenue is derived from the sale of new products and upgrades, and product service. Net revenue increased $10.8 million, from $28.3 million in 2002 to $39.1 million in 2003. Sales in the United States and international sales accounted for $7.2 million and $3.6 million, respectively, of the increase. The increase was primarily attributable to sales resulting from the introduction of our CoolGlide Xeo product in March 2003, including sales of upgrades to our installed base, which together accounted for $17.1 million in net revenue, partially offset by a decrease of $7.2 million in sales of our other products. Revenue shifted from other older products to the new CoolGlide Xeo product that offers our customers maximum functionality. Service revenue increased $858,000 between these two years. The increase in service revenue resulted from sales of annual service contracts to our customers with expired warranties.

 

Cost of Revenue.    Our cost of revenue consists primarily of material, labor and manufacturing overhead expenses. Cost of revenue increased $2.3 million, from $10.0 million in 2002 to $12.3 million in 2003. The increase was primarily attributable to increases of $1.4 million in labor and overhead costs associated with greater sales of our products and $787,000 in higher material costs. As a percentage of net revenue, cost of revenue decreased from 35% in 2002 to 32% in 2003. The improved margin is the result of higher average selling prices of our new products.

 

Sales and Marketing.    Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of personnel costs and costs related to customer-attended workshops, trade shows and advertising. Sales and marketing expenses increased $5.2 million, from $8.6 million in 2002 to $13.8 million in 2003. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $2.4 million in personnel costs and $922,000 in related travel expenses associated with the expansion of our sales force. Promotional costs increased $1.5 million primarily due to our increased number of customer workshops, trade shows and international promotional efforts. The impact of the increased workshops, trade shows and international promotional efforts was $350,000, $200,000 and $600,000, respectively. As a percentage of net revenue, sales and marketing expenses increased from 30% in 2002 to 35% in 2003.

 

Research and Development.    Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, clinical and regulatory costs, and material costs. Research and development expenses increased $460,000, from $3.0 million in 2002 to $3.4 million in 2003. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $278,000 in personnel costs related to hiring additional engineers and $166,000 of higher material costs related to the launch of the CoolGlide Xeo product. As a percentage of net revenue, research and development expenses decreased from 11% in 2002 to 9% in 2003.

 

General and Administrative.    General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, legal and accounting fees, and other general operating expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased $1.0 million, from $5.4 million in 2002 to $4.4 million in 2003. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $1.2 million write-off of costs associated with our withdrawn initial public offering in June 2002, partially offset by $227,000 in higher accounting expenses associated with our planned 2003 initial public offering. As a percentage of net revenue, general and administrative expenses decreased from 19% in 2002 to 11% in 2003.

 

Interest and Other Income, Net.    Interest and other income, net decreased from $85,000 in 2002 to $30,000 in 2003. The decrease was attributable to lower interest rates, partially offset by higher average cash and cash equivalents balances.

 

Provision for Income Taxes.    Provision for income taxes increased $1.3 million, from $755,000 in 2002 to $2.1 million in 2003. The increase was attributable to an increase in pre-tax income resulting from increased net revenue. The effective tax rate for 2003 was approximately 40%, compared to our statutory tax rate of approximately 39%. The effective tax rate for 2002 was approximately 53% primarily due to stock-based compensation charges on incentive stock options that are not tax deductible.

 

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Years Ended December 31, 2001 and December 31, 2002

 

Net Revenue.    Net revenue increased $9.0 million, from $19.3 million in 2001 to $28.3 million in 2002. Sales in the United States increased by $9.1 million, partially offset by a decrease of $54,000 in international sales. The increase was primarily attributable to U.S. sales resulting from the introduction of our CoolGlide Vantage product in March 2002, including sales of upgrades to our installed base, which together accounted for $13.7 million in net revenue, partially offset by a decrease of $5.4 million in sales of our other products. Service revenue increased $704,000 between these two years. The increase in service revenue resulted from sales of annual service contracts to our customers with expired warranties.

 

Cost of Revenue.    Cost of revenue increased $3.1 million, from $6.9 million in 2001 to $10.0 million in 2002. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $2.0 million in labor and overhead costs associated with greater sales of our products and $1.4 million in higher material costs including an increase in inventory reserves as a result of higher inventory levels. As a percentage of net revenue, cost of revenue decreased from 36% in 2001 to 35% in 2002.

 

Sales and Marketing.    Sales and marketing expenses increased $2.9 million, from $5.7 million in 2001 to $8.6 million in 2002. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $1.3 million in personnel costs associated with the expansion of our sales force, $1.2 million in higher promotional expenses and $311,000 in additional travel expenses. As a percentage of net revenue, sales and marketing expenses increased from 29% in 2001 to 30% in 2002.

 

Research and Development.    Research and development expenses increased $767,000, from $2.2 million in 2001 to $3.0 million in 2002. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in consulting service costs of $215,000 and higher material costs of $181,000 related to the development of our CoolGlide Vantage product, deferred stock-based compensation charges of $174,000, and higher personnel costs of approximately $139,000 related to hiring additional engineers and regulatory staff. As a percentage of net revenue, research and development expenses were 11% in each of 2001 and 2002.

 

General and Administrative.    General and administrative expenses increased $3.4 million, from $2.0 million in 2001 to $5.4 million in 2002. The increase was primarily attributable to $1.9 million of higher legal expenses in connection with two lawsuits, and $1.2 million in higher legal, accounting and printing fees associated with our withdrawn initial public offering. As a percentage of net revenue, general and administrative expenses increased from 10% in 2001 to 19% 2002.

 

Interest and Other Income, Net.    Interest and other income, net decreased $86,000, from $171,000 in 2001 to $85,000 in 2002. The decrease was attributable to lower interest rates, partially offset by higher average cash and cash equivalents balances.

 

Provision for Income Taxes.    Provision for income taxes increased $413,000, from $342,000 in 2001 to $755,000 in 2002. During 2001, we fully utilized all of our net operating loss carryforwards and released the $760,000 valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset. The provision for income taxes in 2002 was comprised of a current income tax charge of approximately $1.1 million, offset by a change in our deferred tax asset of $310,000. The effective tax rate for 2002 was approximately 53% compared to our statutory tax rate of approximately 38%. The difference between the effective rate and the statutory rate was primarily due to stock-based compensation charges on incentive stock options that are not tax deductible. The effective tax rate for 2001 was approximately 13% primarily due to a release of the valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset.

 

Deferred Stock-Based Compensation

 

We record deferred stock-based compensation for financial reporting purposes as the difference between the exercise price of options granted to employees and the estimated fair value of our common stock at the time of grant. Deferred stock-based compensation is amortized on a straight-line basis to cost of revenue, sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, and general and administrative expenses. Deferred stock-based compensation recorded through December 31, 2003 was $6.8 million, with accumulated

 

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amortization of $2.9 million. The remaining $3.9 million will be amortized over the vesting periods of the options, generally four years from the date of grant. We currently expect to record amortization expense for employee deferred stock-based compensation as follows:

 

For the Year


   Amount

2004

   $1.5 million

2005

   $1.3 million

2006

   $0.7 million

2007

   $0.4 million

 

Stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options granted to non-employees are recognized as the stock options are earned. The amount of stock-based compensation expenses to be recorded in future periods may decrease if unvested options are subsequently cancelled. Our stock-based compensation expenses will fluctuate as the fair market value of our common stock fluctuates.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Since our inception, we have funded our operations principally from two private placements of preferred stock during 1998 and 1999 that resulted in aggregate net proceeds of $7.3 million, and through cash flow from operations.

 

As of December 31, 2003, we did not have any outstanding or available debt financing arrangements, we had working capital of $14.2 million, and our primary source of liquidity was $10.3 million in cash and cash equivalents.

 

The following table discloses aggregate information about our contractual obligations and the periods in which payments are due as of December 31, 2003, excluding the redeemable convertible preferred stock to be converted into common stock upon completion of this offering:

 

     Payments Due by Period

Contractual Obligations


   Total

   Less Than
1 Year


   1-3 Years

   3-5 Years

   More Than
5 Years


Operating leases

   $ 9,831,000    $ 679,000    $ 1,945,000    $ 2,930,000    $ 4,277,000
    

  

  

  

  

 

The long-term commitments under operating leases shown above consist of payments related to our real estate lease in Brisbane, California, expiring January 2014, and our real estate lease in Burlingame, California.

 

In February 2004, we terminated our Burlingame, California facility lease and incurred a termination charge of $250,000. The termination of this agreement will result in a reduction of our operating lease commitments of $166,000 and $152,000 for 2004 and 2005, respectively.

 

Years Ended December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2003

 

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities.    Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.7 million and $2.6 million for 2002 and 2003, respectively. During 2003, net cash provided by operating activities primarily resulted from $3.1 million of net income, adjusted for non-cash stock-based compensation expenses, an increase in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and deferred revenue, offset by an increase in accounts receivable. The stock-based compensation expense primarily relates to employee stock options granted during 2001 and 2003, at below estimated fair value. The increase in accounts payable is primarily due to increased purchases of raw materials. The increase in accrued liabilities is primarily due to an increase in payroll, income tax and professional fee accruals. The increase in deferred revenue is primarily due to the sale of additional service contracts. The increase in accounts receivable is primarily due to an increase in revenues.

 

 

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Net Cash Used in Investing Activities.    Net cash used in investing activities was $778,000 and $779,000 for 2002 and 2003, respectively. Our investing activities consisted principally of capital expenditures for equipment and machinery relating to manufacturing, research and development, and other operating activities.

 

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities.    Net cash provided by financing activities was $23,000 and $208,000 for 2002 and 2003, respectively. The cash provided by financing activities in these two years was attributable to proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants.

 

Years Ended December 31, 2001 and 2002

 

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities.    Net cash provided by operating activities was $3.2 million in 2001 and $2.7 million in 2002. During 2001 and 2002, net cash provided by operating activities resulted primarily from net income adjusted for stock-based compensation expense, increases in accounts receivable and deferred tax assets and accrued liabilities. The increases in accounts receivable and accrued expenses were primarily due to increases in revenues and warranty reserves, respectively. The increase in our deferred tax asset in 2001 was primarily due to the release of a valuation allowance against the asset.

 

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities.    Net cash used in investing activities was $313,000 in 2001 and $778,000 in 2002. In 2002, we acquired a licensing agreement for our CoolGlide products in the amount of $538,000. Other investing activities consist principally of capital expenditures for equipment and machinery relating to manufacturing, research and development, and other operating activities.

 

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities.    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities was $(65,000) in 2001 and $23,000 in 2002. The cash used by financing activities in 2001 was primarily attributable to repayments of a line of credit.

 

We expect to continue to generate positive cash flows from operations in the future. Our future capital requirements depend on a number of factors, including the rate of market acceptance of our current and future products, the resources we devote to developing and supporting our products, and continued progress of our research and development of new products.

 

We expect to increase capital expenditures consistent with our anticipated growth in manufacturing, infrastructure and personnel. We also may increase our capital expenditures as we expand our product lines or invest to address new markets.

 

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our current cash and investment balances and cash generated from operations, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for working capital and capital expenditures for at least the next 12 months. If existing cash and cash generated from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain an additional credit facility. The sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of debt securities, these securities could have rights senior to those associated with our common stock, and could contain covenants that would restrict our operations. Any additional financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we are unable to obtain this additional financing, we may be required to reduce the scope of our planned product development and marketing efforts.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and disclosures at the date of the financial statements. On a periodic basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to accounts

 

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receivable, inventories, warranty reserve, income taxes and deferred stock-based compensation. We use authoritative pronouncements, historical experience and other assumptions as the basis for making estimates. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Revenue Recognition.    We recognize distributor and non-distributor revenue in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin, or SAB, No. 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements, as amended by SAB Nos. 101A and 101B. SAB No. 101 requires that four basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; the fee is fixed and determinable; and collectibility is reasonably assured. Determination of whether persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists and whether delivery has occurred or services have been rendered are based on management’s judgments regarding the fixed nature of the fee charged for services rendered and products delivered, and the collectibility of those fees. Service revenue is recognized as the services are provided and, for service contracts, is recognized over the period of the applicable contract. Should changes in conditions cause management to determine these criteria are not met for certain future transactions, revenue recognized for any reporting period could be adversely affected.

 

Accounts Receivable.    We perform periodic credit evaluations of our customers and adjust credit limits based upon payment history and the customer’s current creditworthiness, as determined by our review of current credit information. We monitor collections and payments from our customers and maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon our historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified. While our credit losses have historically been within our expectations and the allowance established, we may not continue to experience the same credit loss rates that we have in the past.

 

Warranty Reserve.    We provide for the estimated cost of product warranties at the time revenue is recognized. As we sell new products to our customers, we must exercise considerable judgment in estimating the expected failure rates. Should actual product failure rates, material usage or service delivery costs differ from our estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liability would be required.

 

Inventory.    We state our inventories at the lower of cost or market, computed on a standard cost basis, which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis and market being determined as the lower of replacement cost or net realizable value. Standard costs are monitored on a monthly basis and updated annually and as necessary to reflect changes in raw material costs and labor and overhead rates. Inventory reserves are established when conditions indicate that the selling price could be less than cost due to physical deterioration, usage, obsolescence, reductions in estimated future demand and reductions in selling prices. Inventory reserves are measured as the difference between the cost of inventory and estimated market value. Inventory reserves are charged to cost of revenue and establish a lower cost basis for the inventory. We balance the need to maintain strategic inventory levels with the risk of obsolescence due to changing technology and customer demand levels. Unfavorable changes in market conditions may result in a need for additional inventory reserves that could adversely impact our gross margins. Conversely, favorable changes in demand could result in higher gross margins.

 

Accounting for Income Taxes.    We account for income taxes under the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards, or SFAS, No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based upon the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. The tax consequences of most events recognized in the current year’s financial statements are included in determining income taxes currently payable. However, because tax laws and financial accounting standards differ in their recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, expenses, gains and losses, differences arise between the amount of taxable income and pretax financial income for a year and between the tax bases of assets or liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. Because we

 

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assume that the reported amounts of assets and liabilities will be recovered and settled, respectively, a difference between the tax basis of an asset or a liability and its reported amount in the balance sheet will result in a taxable or a deductible amount in some future years when the related liabilities are settled or the reported amounts of the assets are recovered, giving rise to a deferred tax asset. We then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we believe that recovery is not likely, we establish a valuation allowance.

 

Stock-Based Compensation.    We have stock option plans to reward our employees. We account for these plans under the recognition and measurement principles of Accounting Principles Board, or APB, Opinion No. 25 and related interpretations and apply the disclosure provisions of SFAS No. 123, as amended by SFAS No. 148. We have recorded employee stock-based compensation based upon the difference between the estimated fair value of common stock on the date of grant and the option exercise price. We estimated the fair value of our common stock based upon several factors, including progress and milestones attained in our business, sales of convertible preferred stock, changes in valuations of existing comparable public companies and the expected valuation we would obtain in an initial public offering. We amortize employee stock-based compensation on a straight-line basis over the vesting terms of the underlying options. We issue stock options to non-employees, generally for services, which we account for under the provisions of SFAS No. 123 and Emerging Issues Task Force, or EITF, No. 96-18. These options are valued using the Black-Scholes option valuation model and are subject to periodic adjustment as the underlying options vest. Changes in fair value are amortized over the vesting period on a straight-line basis.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

We invest our excess cash primarily in U.S. government securities and investment-grade marketable debt securities of financial institutions and corporations. These instruments have maturities of three months or less when acquired. We do not utilize derivative financial instruments, derivative commodity instruments or other market risk sensitive instruments, positions or transactions in any material fashion. Accordingly, we believe that, while the instruments we hold are subject to changes in the financial standing of the issuer of such securities, we are not subject to any material risks arising from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity prices or other market changes that affect market risk sensitive instruments.

 

Although substantially all of our sales and purchases are denominated in U.S. dollars, future fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar may affect the price competitiveness of our products. We do not believe, however, that we currently have significant direct foreign currency exchange rate risk and have not hedged exposures denominated in foreign currencies.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued FASB Interpretation No. 46, or FIN 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an Interpretation of ARB No. 51.” FIN 46 requires certain variable interest entities to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of the entity if the equity investors in the entity do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. During December 2003, the FASB issued FIN 46R, a revision to FIN 46. FIN 46R provides a broad deferral of the latest date by which all public entities must apply FIN 46 to certain variable interest entities, to the first reporting period ending after March 15, 2004. We do not expect the adoption of FIN 46 to have a material impact upon our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

 

In May 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity.” SFAS No. 150 establishes standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. It requires that an issuer classify a financial instrument that is within its scope as a liability or an asset in some circumstances. Many of those instruments were previously classified as equity. SFAS No. 150 is effective for financial

 

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instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. It is to be implemented by reporting the cumulative effect of a change in an accounting principle for financial instruments created before the issuance date of SFAS No. 150 and still existing at the beginning of the interim period of adoption. While the effective date of certain elements of SFAS No. 150 has been deferred, we do not expect the adoption of SFAS No. 150 to have a material impact upon our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

 

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BUSINESS

 

Overview

 

We design, develop, manufacture and market our CoolGlide products for aesthetic treatments. Our easy-to-use family of laser and other light-based products enables dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, primary care physicians and other qualified practitioners to perform safe, effective and non-invasive aesthetic procedures for their patients. We commercially launched our first CoolGlide product in March 2000 for hair removal, and every year since then we have introduced at least one new CoolGlide product. To date, we have received FDA clearance to market our CoolGlide products for hair removal and the permanent reduction of hair, for the treatment of vascular lesions, including leg and facial veins, for the treatment of wrinkles, and for the treatment of benign pigmented lesions.

 

Each of our CoolGlide products consists of one or more handpieces and a console that incorporates a universal graphic user interface, a laser or other light-based module, control system software and high voltage electronics. We offer our customers the ability to select the CoolGlide system that best fits their practice. We design our products to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest products, which enables them to add applications to their aesthetic practice and provides us with a source of recurring revenue.

 

Millennium Research Group’s 2002 Aesthetic Lasers Report estimates that over 2.6 million aesthetic laser procedures were performed in the United States in 2002 and an estimated 4.4 million such procedures will be performed in the United States in 2005. This growth in the demand for aesthetic laser and other light-based procedures has resulted in an established and growing market for products and technologies that allow practitioners to perform these treatments.

 

We currently sell, market and distribute our products in the United States through a direct sales force of 27 representatives. Internationally, we sell our products through a direct sales force of 14 employees in seven countries, and through distributors in over 25 additional countries. As of December 31, 2003, we had sold over 1,200 systems and over 240 upgrades, including, in some instances, multiple upgrades to the same customer. We have been profitable since 2000.

 

The Structure of Skin and Conditions that Affect Appearance

 

The skin is the body’s largest organ and is comprised of layers called the epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is the outer layer, and serves as a protective barrier for the body. It contains cells that determine pigmentation, or skin color. The underlying layer of skin, the dermis, contains hair follicles and large and small blood vessels that are found at various depths below the epidermis. Collagen, also found within the dermis, provides strength and flexibility to the skin.

 

Many factors, such as age, sun damage and the human body’s diminished ability to repair and renew itself over time, can result in aesthetically unpleasant changes in the appearance of the skin. These changes can include undesirable hair growth. Additionally, blood vessels can enlarge or swell due to circulatory changes and become visible at the skin’s surface in the form of unsightly veins. Collagen can deteriorate, thereby weakening the skin, leading to wrinkles and looseness. Long-term sun exposure can result in uneven pigmentation, or sun spots. People with undesirable hair growth or the above mentioned skin conditions often seek aesthetic treatments to improve their appearance.

 

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The Market for Aesthetic Procedures

 

The market for aesthetic procedures has grown significantly over the past several years. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that its members treated approximately 2.0 million people in 2002, representing a 95% increase since 1998. We believe there are several factors contributing to the growth of aesthetic procedures, including:

 

  Aging of the U.S. Population.    The “baby boomer” demographic segment, currently ages 39 to 57, represents over 27% of the U.S. population. The size of this aging segment, and its desire to retain a youthful appearance, have driven the growth for aesthetic procedures.

 

  Broader Range of Safe and Effective Treatments.    Technical developments have led to safe, effective, easy-to-use and low-cost treatments with fewer side effects, resulting in broader adoption of aesthetic procedures by practitioners. In addition, technical developments have enabled practitioners to offer a broader range of treatments. Finally, these technical developments have reduced the required treatment and recovery time, which in turn has led to greater patient demand.

 

  Changing Practitioner Economics.    Managed care and government payor reimbursement restrictions in the United States, and similar payment related constraints outside the United States, are motivating practitioners to establish or expand their elective aesthetic practices with procedures that are paid for directly by patients. As a result, in addition to the traditional users such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons, other practitioners, such as gynecologists and primary care physicians, have begun to perform these procedures.

 

Aesthetic Procedures for Improving the Skin’s Appearance and Their Limitations

 

Many alternative therapies are available for treatment of conditions that affect a person’s appearance by treating specific structures within the skin. These procedures utilize injections or abrasive agents to reach different depths of the dermis and the epidermis. In addition, non-invasive treatments have been developed that employ laser and other light-based technologies to achieve similar therapeutic outcomes. Some of these more common therapies and their limitations are described below.

 

Hair Removal.    Techniques for hair removal include waxing, depilatories, tweezing, shaving, electrolysis and laser and other light-based hair removal. The only techniques that provide a long-lasting solution are electrolysis and laser and other light-based hair removal. Electrolysis is usually painful, time-consuming and expensive for large areas, but is the only permanent method for removing light-colored hair. During electrolysis, an electrologist inserts a needle directly into a hair follicle and activates an electric current in the needle. Since electrolysis only treats one hair follicle at a time, the treatment of an area as small as an upper lip may require numerous visits and up to ten hours of treatment. In addition, electrolysis can cause blemishes and infection related to needle use. Despite the time-consuming and painful nature of electrolysis, approximately 1.0 million procedures were performed in the United States in 2001, according to the Millenium Research Group’s 2002 Aesthetic Lasers Report.

 

Leg and Facial Veins.    The current aesthetic treatment methods for leg and facial veins include sclerotherapy and laser-based treatments. With these treatments, patients seek to eliminate visible veins and improve overall skin appearance. Sclerotherapy requires a skilled practitioner to inject a saline or detergent-based solution into the target vein, which breaks down the vessel causing it to collapse and be absorbed into the body. The need to correctly position the needle on the inside of the vein makes it difficult to treat smaller veins, which limits the treatment of facial vessels and small leg veins. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that its members performed over 500,000 sclerotherapy procedures in 2002.

 

Skin Rejuvenation.    Non-light-based skin rejuvenation treatments include a broad range of popular alternatives, including Botox and collagen injections, chemical peels and microdermabrasions. With these treatments, patients hope to improve overall skin tone and texture, reduce pore size, and remove other signs of aging, including mottled pigmentation, diffuse redness and wrinkles. All of these procedures are temporary solutions and must be

 

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repeated within several weeks or months to sustain their effect, thereby increasing the cost and inconvenience to patients. For example, the body absorbs Botox and collagen and patients require supplemental injections every three to six months to maintain the benefits of the treatment.

 

Other skin rejuvenation treatments, such as chemical peels and microdermabrasions, can have undesirable side effects. Chemical peels use acidic or caustic solutions to peel away the epidermis, and microdermabrasion generally utilizes sand crystals to resurface the skin. These techniques can lead to post-procedure stinging, redness, irritation and scabbing. In addition, more serious complications, such as changes in skin color, can result from deeper chemical peels. Patients that undergo these deep chemical peels are also advised to avoid exposure to the sun for several months following the procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that in 2002 its members performed over 1.1 million Botox and over 400,000 collagen injection procedures, over 900,000 chemical peels and over 900,000 microdermabrasion procedures.

 

Laser and Other Light-Based Aesthetic Treatments

 

Laser and other light-based aesthetic treatments can achieve therapeutic results by non-invasively affecting structures within the skin. The development of safe and effective aesthetic treatments has created a well-established and growing market for these procedures. The 2002 Epilation Market Report, published by Michael Moretti, Medical Insight, estimates a $2.4 billion worldwide market for laser and other light-based hair removal procedures in 2002, and projects this market will grow to over $3.3 billion by 2005. Millennium Research Group estimates that over 2.6 million aesthetic laser procedures were performed in the United States in 2002, and estimates that this number will increase to over 4.4 million in 2005, as follows:

 

Laser and Other Light-Based Aesthetic Procedures


   Estimated Procedures

   2002

   2005

Hair Removal

   1,100,000    1,520,000

Non-Ablative Skin Resurfacing

   708,000    1,267,000

Pigmented Lesion or Tattoo Removal

   327,500    386,500

Vascular Lesion Removal

   270,000    300,000

Ablative Skin Resurfacing

   125,500    134,500

Acne Treatment

   92,400    795,600

 

Ablative skin resurfacing is a method of improving the appearance of the skin by removing the outer layers of the skin. Non-ablative skin resurfacing is a method of improving the appearance of the skin by treating the underlying structure of the skin without damaging the outer layers of the skin. Practitioners use laser and other light-based technologies to selectively target hair follicles, veins or collagen in the dermis, as well as cells responsible for pigmentation in the epidermis, without damaging surrounding tissue. Safe and effective laser and other light-based treatments require an appropriate combination of the following four parameters:

 

  Energy Level: the amount of light emitted to heat a target;

 

  Pulse Duration: the time interval over which the energy is delivered;

 

  Spot Size: the diameter of the energy beam, which affects treatment depth and area; and

 

  Wavelength: the color of light, which impacts the effective depth and absorption of the energy delivered.

 

For example, in the case of hair removal, by utilizing the correct combination of these parameters, a practitioner can use a laser to selectively target melanin within the hair follicle to absorb the laser energy and destroy the follicle, without damaging other delicate structures in the surrounding tissue. Wavelength and spot size permit the practitioner to target melanin in the base of the hair follicle, which is found in the dermis. The combination of pulse duration and energy level may vary, depending upon the thickness of the targeted hair follicle. A shorter pulse length with a high energy level is optimal to destroy fine hair, whereas coarse hair is best treated with a

 

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longer pulse length with lower energy levels. If treatment parameters are improperly set, non-targeted structures within the skin may absorb the energy thereby eliminating or reducing the therapeutic effect. In addition, improper setting of the treatment parameters or failure to protect the surface of the skin may cause burns, which can result in blistering, scabbing and skin discoloration.

 

The growth in the demand for aesthetic laser and other light-based procedures has resulted in a significant market for products and technologies that allow practitioners to perform these treatments. However, the most widely-available systems have been, and in many cases remain, single-application devices. Practitioners interested in treating hair, veins and wrinkles have had to incur the expense of purchasing multiple systems and maintaining them in an often confined clinical office space. The need for multiple devices for different applications is primarily a result of technology constraints of most competing systems. Most competing systems cannot combine the wide range of energy levels, pulse durations and spot sizes with an effective wavelength to perform a broad variety of aesthetic laser and other light-based applications using a single system.

 

Our Products

 

Our unique CoolGlide family of products provides the long-lasting benefits of laser and other light-based aesthetic procedures. Our technology combines the widest variety of applications available in a single system. Key features of our solution include:

 

  Multiple Applications Available in a Single System.    Our technology platforms enable practitioners to perform multiple aesthetic procedures using a single device. These procedures include hair removal, treatment of unsightly veins, skin rejuvenation and treatment of pigmented lesions. Because practitioners can use our systems for multiple indications, the cost of a unit may be spread across a potentially greater number of patients and procedures, and therefore may be more rapidly recovered.

 

  Technology and Design Leadership.    We offer innovative and advanced laser and other light-based solutions for the aesthetic market. Our technology combines long wavelength, adjustable energy levels, variable spot sizes and a wide range of pulse durations, allowing our users to customize treatments for each patient and condition. Our proprietary handpieces for the treatment of pigmented lesions, optimize the wavelength used for treatments and incorporate a monitoring system to increase safety.

 

  Upgradeable Platform.    We design our products to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest products, which provides our customers the option to add additional applications to their existing systems and provides us with a source of recurring revenue. We believe that product upgradeability is a competitive advantage because it allows our users to take advantage of our latest product offerings and provide additional treatment options to their patients, thereby expanding the opportunities for their aesthetic practices.

 

  Treatments for Broad Range of Skin Types and Conditions.    Our products remove hair safely and effectively on patients of all skin types, including harder-to-treat patients with dark or tanned skin. In addition, the wide parameter range of our systems allows practitioners to effectively treat patients with both fine and coarse hair. Practitioners may also use our products to treat spider and reticular veins, which are unsightly small veins in the leg, as well as small facial veins. The ability to customize treatment parameters enables our customers to offer safe and effective therapy to a broad base of their patients.

 

  Ease of Use.    We design our products to be easy to use. Our proprietary handpieces are lightweight and ergonomic, minimizing user fatigue. Our ClearView handpiece allows practitioners to view an area as it is being treated, reducing the possibility of unintended damage to the skin and increasing the speed of application. Our control console contains a universal graphic user interface with three simple, independently adjustable controls from which to select a wide range of treatment parameters to suit each patient’s profile.

 

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Risks involved in the use of our products include risks common to laser and other light-based aesthetic procedures, including the risk of burns, blistering and skin discoloration. As compared to products offered by some of our competitors, our products do not treat acne, and because our company is relatively young, our products do not have the name recognition associated with our larger competitors.

 

Strategy

 

Our goal is to become the worldwide leading provider of laser and other light-based medical devices to the aesthetic market by:

 

  Continuing to Develop New Products.    We have introduced at least one new CoolGlide product every year since 2000. Our products are currently marketed for hair removal, treatment of veins, skin rejuvenation and the treatment of pigmented lesions, and we are developing our existing technology platforms to treat additional conditions.

 

  Increasing Sales of Existing Products in the United States.    We believe there is significant growth potential for our current products in the United States, and we plan to continue to expand our domestic sales force to capitalize on this opportunity.

 

  Expanding our International Presence.    We believe the size of the international market is comparable to the U.S. market, and we are focused on increasing our market penetration overseas and building global brand-recognition. For 2003, approximately 23% of our revenue originated outside of the United States. We intend to add international direct sales employees, distributors and support staff to increase sales and strengthen customer relationships in international markets.

 

  Broadening our Customer Base.    We believe we have an opportunity for significant growth targeting non-traditional aesthetic practitioners. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons have generally been regarded as the traditional customers for laser and other light-based aesthetic equipment. For 2003, however, we derived over half of our revenue from sales of our products to gynecologists, primary care physicians and other qualified practitioners. We plan to continue to focus sales and marketing efforts on this broader customer base.

 

  Leveraging our Installed Base with Sales of Upgrades.    Each time we have introduced a new product, we have designed it so existing customers may upgrade their previously purchased systems to offer additional capabilities. As of December 31, 2003, we had sold over 240 upgrades, including in some instances, multiple upgrades to the same customer. We believe the ability to provide upgrades to our existing installed base of customers represents a significant opportunity for recurring revenue. We also believe that our upgrade program aligns our interest in generating revenue with our customers’ interest in improving the return on their investment by expanding the range of applications they can perform.

 

  Acquiring Complementary Products, Technologies or Businesses.    We intend to pursue opportunities to expand our core business, offering a broad range of laser and other light-based products for the aesthetic market, by acquiring complementary products, technologies or businesses.

 

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Products

 

Our CoolGlide family of products allows for the delivery of multiple laser and other light-based aesthetic applications from a single system. The following table lists our CoolGlide products and the aesthetic applications that can be performed by each.

 

     Year
Introduced


   Hair
Removal


   Vein
Treatment


   Skin
Rejuvenation


   Pigmented
Lesion
Treatment


CoolGlide CV

   2000    X               

CoolGlide Excel

   2001    X    X          

CoolGlide Vantage

   2002    X    X    X     

CoolGlide Genesis

   2002              X     

CoolGlide Genesis Plus

   2003              X    X

CoolGlide Xeo

   2003    X    X    X    X

CoolGlide Xeo SA

   2004                   X

 

Each of our products consists of a control console and one or more handpieces, depending on the model.

 

Control Console

 

Our control console includes a universal graphic user interface, a 1064-nanometer Nd:YAG, or long wavelength, laser module, control system software and high voltage electronics, except for the CoolGlide Xeo SA which does not have a laser in its control console. The interface allows the practitioner to set the appropriate laser or flashlamp parameters for each procedure through a user-friendly format. Our laser or other light-based module consists of electronics, a visible aiming beam, a focusing lens and a flashlamp or an Nd:YAG laser that functions at a wavelength that permits penetration over a wide range of depths and is effective across all skin types. The control system software ensures that the operator’s instructions are properly communicated from the graphic user interface to the other components within the system. Our high voltage electronics produce over 10,000 watts of peak laser energy, which permits therapeutic effects at short pulse durations.

 

Handpieces

 

ClearView Handpiece.    Our patented ClearView handpiece delivers laser energy to the treatment area for hair removal, leg and facial vein treatment, and skin rejuvenation procedures. The ClearView handpiece consists of an energy-delivery component, consisting of an optical fiber and lens, and a copper cooling plate with imbedded temperature monitoring. The handpiece weighs approximately 14 ounces, which is light enough to be held with one hand. The lightweight nature and ergonomic design of the handpiece allows the operation of the device without user fatigue. Its patented design allows the practitioner an unobstructed view of the treatment area, which reduces the possibility of unintended damage to the skin and can increase the speed of treatment. The ClearView handpiece also incorporates our patented cooling system, providing integrated pre- and post-cooling of the treatment area through a temperature-controlled copper plate to protect the outer layer of the skin. The handpiece is available in either a fixed 10 millimeter spot size, for our CoolGlide CV, or a user-controlled variable 3, 5, 7 and 10 millimeter spot size, for our other models.

 

OPS 600 and LP 560 Handpieces.    The OPS 600 and LP 560 handpieces are designed to produce a pulse of light over a wavelength spectrum to treat pigmented lesions, such as age and sun spots. The handpieces consist of a custom flashlamp, proprietary wavelength filter, closed-loop power control and embedded temperature monitor, and weigh approximately 13 ounces. The filter in the OPS 600 eliminates long and short wavelengths, transmitting only the therapeutic range required for safe and effective treatment, while the filter in the LP 560 eliminates short wavelengths, allowing longer wavelengths to be transmitted to the treatment area. Our power control includes a monitoring system to ensure that the desired energy level is delivered. Since cooling of the dermis is not necessary for treating pigmented lesions, the handpieces do not contain the same cooling features as the ClearView handpiece, but protect the epidermis by regulating the temperature of the handpiece window

 

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through the embedded temperature monitor. The OPS 600 handpiece is offered with the CoolGlide Genesis Plus, the CoolGlide Xeo and CoolGlide Xeo SA. The LP 560 handpiece is offered with the CoolGlide Xeo SA.

 

CoolGlide Applications and Procedures

 

Our products are designed to allow the practitioner to select an appropriate combination of energy level, spot size and pulse duration. The ability to manipulate the combinations of these parameters allows our customers to treat the broadest range of conditions available with a single light-based system.

 

Hair Removal.    Our CoolGlide technology allows our customers to treat all skin types and hair thicknesses. Our Nd:YAG laser permits energy to safely penetrate through the epidermis of any skin type and into the dermis where the hair follicle is located. Using the universal graphic user interface on our control console, the practitioner sets parameters to deliver therapeutic energy with a large spot size and variable pulse durations, allowing the practitioner to treat fine or coarse hair.

 

To remove hair, the treatment site on the skin is first cleaned and shaved. The practitioner applies a thin layer of gel to allow the ClearView handpiece to glide across the skin. The practitioner next applies the ClearView handpiece directly to the skin to cool the area to be treated and then delivers a laser pulse to the pre-cooled area. Delivery of the energy destroys the hair follicles and prevents hair regrowth. This procedure is then repeated at the next treatment site on the body, and can be done in a gliding motion to increase treatment speed. Patients receive on average three to six treatments. Each treatment can take between five minutes and one hour depending on the size of the area and the condition being treated. On average, there are six to eight weeks between treatments.

 

Leg and Facial Veins.     Our CoolGlide technology allows our customers to treat the widest range of aesthetic vein conditions, including spider and reticular veins and small facial veins. Our ClearView handpiece’s adjustable spot size of 3, 5, 7 or 10 millimeters allows the practitioner to control treatment depth to target different sized veins. Selection of the appropriate energy level and pulse duration ensures effective treatment of the intended target.

 

The vein treatment procedure is performed in a substantially similar manner to the hair removal procedure. In addition to pre-cooling the area to be treated, the handpiece is also used to cool the treatment area after the practitioner applies the laser pulse. The delivered energy damages the vein and, over time, it is absorbed by the body. Patients receive on average between one and six treatments, with six weeks or longer between treatments.

 

Skin Rejuvenation.     Our CoolGlide technology allows our customers to perform non-invasive treatments that improve facial skin tone and texture by reducing redness and pore size, and treating other aesthetic conditions. Our products deliver a combination of high laser energy and a very short pulse duration to affect the desired target, minimizing risk of damage to the surrounding tissue.

 

To perform a skin rejuvenation procedure, cooling is not applied and the handpiece is held directly above the skin. A large number of pulses are directed at the treatment site, repeatedly covering an area, such as the cheek. By delivering many pulses of laser light to a treatment area, a gentle heating of the dermis occurs and collagen growth is stimulated to rejuvenate the skin and reduce wrinkles. Patients typically receive four to six treatments for this procedure. The treatment typically takes less than a half hour and there are typically two to four weeks between treatments.

 

Pigmented Lesions.     The initial application of our flashlamp technology platform safely and effectively treats pigmented lesions, such as age spots and sun spots. The practitioner delivers a narrow spectrum of light to the surface of the skin through our OPS 600 or LP 560 pulsed-light handpieces. These handpieces include one of our proprietary wavelength filters, which reduce the energy level required for therapeutic effect and minimize the risk of skin injury.

 

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In treating pigmented lesions, the handpiece is placed directly on the skin and then the light pulse is triggered. The cells forming the pigmented lesion absorb the light energy and will darken and then flake off over the course of two to three weeks. Several treatments may be required to completely remove the lesion. The treatment takes a few minutes per area treated and there are typically three to four weeks between treatments.

 

Product Upgrades

 

Our products are designed to allow our customers to cost-effectively upgrade to our newest technologies, which provides our customers the option to add applications to their CoolGlide system and provides us with a source of recurring revenue. When we introduce a new product, we notify our customers of the upgrade opportunity through a sales call or mailing. In most cases, a field service representative can install the upgrade at the customer site in a matter of hours, which results in very little downtime for practitioners. In a few cases, where substantial upgrades are necessary, the customer will receive a fully-refurbished system before sending their prior system back to our headquarters.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

We sell, market and distribute our products in the United States through a direct sales force supported by a team of technical service specialists. Our strategy to increase U.S. market penetration relies on selling directly to our historic customer base of plastic surgeons and dermatologists. In addition, we are targeting a newer aesthetic practice opportunity consisting of gynecologists, primary care physicians and other qualified practitioners. As of January 31, 2004, we had a 27-person U.S. direct sales force, three of whom were regional managers. We plan to continue hiring additional sales representatives. In addition, we recently entered into a distribution arrangement with PSS World Medical, an organization of over 700 U.S. medical product sales representatives covering a wide range of medical specialties. The arrangement is scheduled to continue until December 2005, but will automatically be renewed for successive one-year terms, unless earlier terminated. PSS sales representatives work in coordination with our sales force to locate additional customers for our products.

 

As of January 31, 2004, we had a direct sales force of 14 employees in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom, and distributors in over 25 additional countries. We require our distributors to invest in service training and equipment, to attend certain exhibitions and industry meetings, and in some instances, to commit to minimum sales amounts to gain or retain exclusivity.

 

The percentage of our revenues from customers located outside the United States was approximately 28%, 19% and 23% in fiscal 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. The percentages of our revenue by region are presented in the below table:

 

     Years Ended
December 31,


 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

United States

   72 %   81 %   77 %

Canada

   8 %   3 %   4 %

Asia

   12 %   7 %   10 %

Europe

   7 %   8 %   8 %

Latin America

   1 %   1 %   1 %
    

 

 

Total

   100 %   100 %   100 %
    

 

 

 

Revenues are attributed to regions based on the shipping location of external customers. Our long-lived assets maintained outside the United States are insignificant.

 

Our backlog consists of unshipped customer orders with signed purchase agreements, including those with unconfirmed delivery dates or subject to credit approval. As of December 31, 2003, our ending backlog totaled $3.9 million.

 

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We seek to establish strong ongoing relationships with our customers through the upgradeability of our products and through ongoing training and support. We primarily target our marketing efforts to practitioners through office visits, workshops, trade shows and trade journals. We also market to potential patients through brochures and our website. We offer clinical forums with recognized expert panelists to promote advanced treatment techniques using the CoolGlide family of products to further enhance customer loyalty and uncover new sales opportunities.

 

Competition

 

Our industry is subject to intense competition. Our products compete against conventional non-light-based treatments, such as electrolysis, Botox and collagen injections, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and sclerotherapy. Our products also compete against laser and other light-based products offered by public companies, such as Candela, Laserscope, Lumenis and Palomar Medical Technologies, as well as several smaller specialized private companies.

 

Competition among providers of laser and other light-based devices for the aesthetic market is characterized by extensive research efforts and technological progress. While we attempt to protect our products through patents and other intellectual property rights, there are few barriers to entry that would prevent new entrants or existing competitors from developing products that would compete directly with ours. There are many companies, both public and private, that are developing innovative devices that use both light-based and alternative technologies. Many of these competitors have significantly greater financial and human resources than we do and have established reputations, as well as worldwide distribution channels that are more effective than ours. Additional competitors may enter the market, and we are likely to compete with new companies in the future. To compete effectively, we have to demonstrate that our products are attractive alternatives to other devices and treatments by differentiating our products on the basis of performance, brand name, reputation and price. We have encountered and expect to continue to encounter potential customers who, due to existing relationships with our competitors, are committed to, or prefer the products offered by these competitors. We expect that competitive pressures may result in price reductions and reduced margins over time for our products.

 

Research and Development

 

Our research and development group develops new products to address unmet or underserved market needs. The major focus of this group is to leverage our existing technology platforms for new aesthetic applications. We are currently developing a product based on a new entry-level platform for non-ablative skin rejuvenation that still offers the ability to upgrade and add applications. We are also targeting new clinical applications, including a light-based approach to tissue tightening and facial laxity. As of January 31, 2004, our research and development activities were conducted by a staff of 14 employees with a broad base of experience in lasers and optoelectronics. We have developed relationships with outside contract engineering and design consultants, giving our team additional technical and creative breadth. We work closely with thought leaders and customers, both individually and through our sponsored seminars, to understand unmet needs and emerging applications in aesthetic medicine. Research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003 were $2.2 million, $3.0 million and $3.4 million, respectively.

 

Services and Support

 

Our products are engineered to enable quick and efficient service and support. There are several separate components of our products, each of which can easily be removed and replaced. We believe that quick and effective delivery of service is important to our customers. We strive to respond to service calls within 48 hours to minimize disruptions for our customers. As of January 31, 2004, we had seven domestic service engineers, each of whom covers various regions of the United States. Internationally, we provide direct service support in combination with distributors and third-party service providers.

 

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We provide initial warranties on our products to cover parts and service and offer extended warranty packages that vary by the type of product and the level of service desired. Our base warranty covers parts and service for a period of one to two years. Customers are notified before their initial warranty expires and are able to choose from two different extended warranty plans covering preventative maintenance and replacement parts and labor. One plan allows the customer to pay only for time and materials at a reduced rate and a second provides yearly preventative maintenance for a fixed fee. In the event one of our customers declines an additional warranty, we will still service our products and charge for time and materials.

 

Manufacturing

 

We manufacture our products with components and subassemblies supplied by vendors. We assemble and test each of our products at our Brisbane, California facility. Quality control, cost reduction and inventory management are top priorities of our manufacturing operations.

 

We purchase certain components and subassemblies from a limited number of suppliers. We have flexibility with our suppliers to adjust the number of components and subassemblies as well as the delivery schedules. The forecasts we use are based on historical demands. Lead times for components and subassemblies may vary significantly depending on the size of the order, time required to fabricate and test the components or subassemblies, specific supplier requirements and current market demand for the components and subassemblies. We reduce the potential for disruption of supply by maintaining sufficient inventory and identifying additional suppliers. The time required to qualify new suppliers for some components, or to redesign them, could cause delays in our manufacturing. To date, we have not experienced significant delays in obtaining any of our components or subassemblies.

 

We use small quantities of common cleaning products in our manufacturing operations, which are lawfully disposed of through a normal waste management program. We do not forecast any material costs due to compliance with environmental laws or regulations.

 

We are required to manufacture our products in compliance with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR. The QSR covers the methods and documentation of the design, testing, control, manufacturing, labeling, quality assurance, packaging, storage and shipping of our products. The FDA enforces the QSR through periodic unannounced inspections. We were inspected by the FDA in 2000 and again in 2001. There were no significant findings as a result of these audits and our responses have been accepted by the FDA. Our failure to maintain compliance with the QSR requirements could result in the shut down of our manufacturing operations and the recall of our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. In the event that one of our suppliers fails to maintain compliance with our quality requirements, we may have to qualify a new supplier and could experience manufacturing delays as a result. We have opted to maintain quality assurance and quality management certifications to enable us to market our products in the member states of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and countries which have entered into Mutual Recognition Agreements with the European Union. In February 2000, our former facility was awarded the ISO 9001 and EN 46001 certification. In March 2003, we received our ISO 9001 updated certification as well as our certification for ISO 13485 which replaced our EN 46001 certification. We are in the process of transferring these certifications to our new facility and are currently able to conduct our manufacturing activities in the normal course.

 

Patents and Proprietary Technology

 

We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and confidentiality and invention assignment agreements to protect our intellectual property rights. As of January 31, 2004, we had four issued U.S. patents primarily covering our ClearView handpiece design and cooling method, three of which expire in 2019 and one of which expires in 2020, eleven pending U.S. patent applications and three pending foreign patent applications. We intend to file for additional patents to strengthen our intellectual property rights. CoolGlide is a registered trademark in the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan. CoolGlide Excel is a registered trademark in the United States. Our other trademarks include CoolGlide Genesis, CoolGlide Genesis Plus, CoolGlide Vantage, CoolGlide Xeo, CoolGlide Xeo SA and Cutera.

 

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All employees and technical consultants are required to execute confidentiality agreements in connection with their employment and consulting relationships with us. We also require them to agree to disclose and assign to us all inventions conceived in connection with the relationship. We cannot provide any assurance that employees and consultants will abide by the confidentiality or assignability terms of their agreements. Despite measures taken to protect our intellectual property, unauthorized parties may copy aspects of our products or obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary.

 

Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, and we cannot assure you that any patents that issue will protect our intellectual property rights. Any patents issued to us may be challenged by third parties as invalid or parties may independently develop similar or competing technology or design around any of our patents. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States.

 

Government Regulation

 

Our products are medical devices subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as other regulatory bodies. FDA regulations govern the following activities that we perform and will continue to perform to ensure that medical products distributed domestically or exported internationally are safe and effective for their intended uses:

 

  product design and development;

 

  product testing;

 

  product manufacturing;

 

  product safety;

 

  product labeling;

 

  product storage;

 

  recordkeeping;

 

  premarket clearance or approval;

 

  advertising and promotion;

 

  production; and

 

  product sales and distribution.

 

FDA’s Premarket Clearance and Approval Requirements

 

Unless an exemption applies, each medical device we wish to commercially distribute in the United States will require either prior 510(k) clearance or premarket approval from the FDA. The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes. Devices deemed to pose lower risks are placed in either class I or II, which requires the manufacturer to submit to the FDA a premarket notification requesting permission to commercially distribute the device. This process is generally known as 510(k) clearance. Some low risk devices are exempted from this requirement. Devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device, are placed in class III, requiring premarket approval. All of our current products are class II devices.

 

510(k) Clearance Pathway

 

When a 510(k) clearance is required, we must submit a premarket notification demonstrating that our proposed device is substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 for which the FDA has not yet called for the submission of premarket approval

 

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applications, or PMA. By regulation, the FDA is required to clear or deny a 510(k), premarket notification within 90 days of submission of the application. As a practical matter, clearance often takes significantly longer. The FDA may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence.

 

Laser devices used for aesthetic procedures, such as hair removal, have generally qualified for clearance under 510(k) procedures. We received FDA clearance to market our CoolGlide products for the treatment of vascular lesions in June 1999, for hair removal in March 2000, and for permanent hair reduction in January 2001. In addition, in June 2002, we received FDA clearance to market our CoolGlide products for the treatment of benign pigmented lesions, for the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, and for the reduction of red pigmentation in scars. In October 2002, we received FDA clearance to market our CoolGlide products for the treatment of wrinkles, which we have utilized to market our products for skin rejuvenation. In March 2003, we received FDA clearance to market our CoolGlide pulsed-light handpiece for the treatment of pigmented lesions.

 

Premarket Approval Pathway

 

A PMA must be submitted to the FDA if the device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) process. A PMA must be supported by extensive data, including but not limited to, technical, preclinical, clinical trials, manufacturing and labeling to demonstrate to the FDA’s satisfaction the safety and effectiveness of the device.

 

No device that we have developed has required premarket approval, nor do we currently expect that any future device or indication will require premarket approval.

 

Product Modifications

 

We have modified aspects of our CoolGlide products since receiving regulatory clearance, but we believe that new 510(k) clearances are not required for these modifications. After a device receives 510(k) clearance or a PMA, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, will require a new clearance or approval. The FDA requires each manufacturer to make this determination initially, but the FDA can review any such decision and can disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with our determination not to seek a new 510(k) clearance or PMA, the FDA may retroactively require us to seek 510(k) clearance or premarket approval. The FDA could also require us to cease marketing and distribution and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or premarket approval is obtained. Also, in these circumstances, we may be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.

 

Clinical Trials

 

When FDA approval of a class I, class II or class III device requires human clinical trials, and if the device presents a “significant risk,” as defined by the FDA, to human health, the device sponsor is required to file an investigational device exemption, or IDE, application with the FDA and obtain IDE approval prior to commencing the human clinical trial. If the device is considered a “non-significant” risk, IDE submission to the FDA is not required. Instead, only approval from the Institutional Review Board overseeing the clinical trial is required. Human clinical studies are generally required in connection with approval of class III devices and may be required for class I and II devices. The IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory testing results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE must be approved in advance by the FDA for a specified number of patients. Clinical trials for a significant risk device may begin once the application is reviewed and cleared by the FDA and the appropriate institutional review boards at the clinical trial sites. Future clinical trials of our products may require that we submit and obtain clearance of an IDE from the FDA prior to commencing clinical trials. The FDA, and the Institutional Review Board at each institution at which a clinical trial is being performed, may suspend a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk.

 

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We have conducted a clinical trial to support regulatory submissions to the FDA. We evaluated the performance of our CoolGlide products in a hair removal clinical trial involving the treatment of 25 subjects. We followed the subjects for 15 months. Short-term adverse effects were observed, which included infrequent blistering and change in pigmentation of the skin. There were no long-term adverse effects observed.

 

Pervasive and Continuing Regulation

 

After a device is placed on the market, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include:

 

  quality system regulations, which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all aspects of the manufacturing process;

 

  labeling regulations and FDA prohibitions against the promotion of products for uncleared, unapproved or “off-label” uses;

 

  medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur; and

 

  post-market surveillance regulations, which apply when necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device.

 

The FDA has broad post-market and regulatory enforcement powers. We are subject to unannounced inspections by the FDA and the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Health Services, or CDHS, to determine our compliance with the QSR and other regulations, and these inspections may include the manufacturing facilities of our subcontractors. In the past, our prior facility has been inspected, and observations were noted. There were no findings that involved a material violation of regulatory requirements. Our responses to these observations have been accepted by the FDA and CDHS, and we believe that we are in substantial compliance with the QSR. Our current manufacturing facility has not been inspected by the FDA or CDHS.

 

We are also regulated under the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act, which requires laser products to comply with performance standards, including design and operation requirements, and manufacturers to certify in product labeling and in reports to the FDA that their products comply with all such standards. The law also requires laser manufacturers to file new product and annual reports, maintain manufacturing, testing and sales records, and report product defects. Various warning labels must be affixed and certain protective devices installed, depending on the class of the product.

 

Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following sanctions:

 

  fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;

 

  recall or seizure of our products;

 

  operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

 

  refusing our requests for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products or new intended uses;

 

  withdrawing 510(k) clearance or premarket approvals that are already granted; and

 

  criminal prosecution.

 

The FDA also has the authority to require us to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device that we have manufactured or distributed. If any of these events were to occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

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We are also subject to a wide range of federal, state and local laws and regulations, including those related to the environment, health and safety, land use and quality assurance. We believe that compliance with these laws and regulations as currently in effect will not have a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, earnings and competitive and financial position.

 

International

 

International sales of medical devices are subject to foreign governmental regulations, which vary substantially from country to country. The time required to obtain clearance or approval by a foreign country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA clearance or approval, and the requirements may be different.

 

The primary regulatory environment in Europe is that of the European Union, which consists of fifteen countries encompassing most of the major countries in Europe. Three member states of the European Free Trade Association have voluntarily adopted laws and regulations that mirror those of the European Union with respect to medical devices. Other countries, such as Switzerland, have entered into Mutual Recognition Agreements and allow the marketing of medical devices that meet European Union requirements. The European Union has adopted numerous directives and European Standardization Committees have promulgated voluntary standards regulating the design, manufacture, clinical trials, labeling and adverse event reporting for medical devices. Devices that comply with the requirements of a relevant directive will be entitled to bear CE conformity marking, indicating that the device conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable directives and, accordingly, can be commercially distributed throughout the member states of the European Union, the member states of the European Free Trade Association and countries which have entered into a Mutual Recognition Agreement. The method of assessing conformity varies depending on the type and class of the product, but normally involves a combination of self-assessment by the manufacturer and a third-party assessment by a Notified Body, an independent and neutral institution appointed by a country to conduct the conformity assessment. This third-party assessment may consist of an audit of the manufacturer’s quality system and specific testing of the manufacturer’s device. An assessment by a Notified Body in one member state of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association or one country which has entered into a Mutual Recognition Agreement is required in order for a manufacturer to commercially distribute the product throughout these countries. ISO 9001 and ISO 13845 certification are voluntary harmonized standards. Compliance establishes the presumption of conformity with the essential requirements for a CE Marking. In February 2000, our facility was awarded the ISO 9001 and EN 46001 certification. In March 2003, we received our ISO 9001 updated certification as well as our certification for ISO 13485 which replaced our EN 46001 certification.

 

Employees

 

As of January 31, 2004, we had 112 employees, with 48 employees in sales and marketing, 18 employees in technical service, 20 employees in manufacturing operations, 14 employees in research and development, 12 employees in general and administrative, and 6 employees in clinical, regulatory and quality control. We believe that our future success will depend in part on our continued ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel. None of our employees is represented by a labor union, and we believe our employee relations are good.

 

Facilities

 

In January 2004, we moved to a 66,000 square foot facility in Brisbane, California, under a ten-year lease. In addition, we have offices located in Germany and Japan where we lease facilities of approximately 1,500 square feet and 1,800 square feet, respectively. The remaining terms on each of these leases are less than two years.

 

Litigation

 

In February 2002, Palomar Medical Technologies filed a lawsuit against us in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts. The plaintiff alleges that by making, using, selling or offering for sale our CoolGlide CV, CoolGlide Excel, CoolGlide Vantage and CoolGlide Xeo products, we are willfully and deliberately

 

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infringing U.S. Patent No. 5,735,844. This patent concerns a method and apparatus for removing hair with light energy. Massachusetts General Hospital, or MGH, later joined the lawsuit as an additional plaintiff, since Palomar is the exclusive licensee, and MGH is the owner, of the patent at issue in the lawsuit. Palomar and MGH are seeking to enjoin us from selling products found to infringe the patent, and to obtain compensatory and treble damages, reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees, and other relief as the court deems just and proper. We are defending the action vigorously, claiming that our products do not infringe the patent, and that the patent is invalid and unenforceable. Additionally, we have filed a counterclaim alleging that the patent should be declared unenforceable because of inappropriate actions taken by the plaintiffs during that patent’s prosecution with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The litigation is currently active and we are awaiting a ruling from the judge on a claims construction, or “Markman,” hearing held in June 2003 involving disputed claims terms of the patent. We believe that we have meritorious defenses of non-infringement and invalidity in this action. However, litigation is unpredictable and we may not prevail in successfully defending or asserting our position. If we do not prevail, we may be ordered to pay substantial damages for past sales and an ongoing royalty for future sales of products found to infringe. We could also be ordered to stop selling any products that perform hair removal, currently representing substantially all our revenues.

 

In April 2002, Allied Health Association, a privately-held distributor of healthcare and beauty products, filed a lawsuit against us in the United States District Court, District of Colorado. The plaintiff claims that we wrongfully terminated a contract providing for the plaintiff to act as the exclusive U.S. distributor for our CoolGlide product to non-physician markets, by terminating the contract and distributing the products directly to the non-physician U.S. market. The plaintiff also claims unjust enrichment. We have filed counterclaims, alleging fraud and breach of contract. The litigation is currently in an active discovery phase. We estimate that Allied Health is claiming approximately $700,000 in actual damages plus punitive damages. We believe the plaintiff’s claims are without merit and intend to defend the action vigorously.

 

In addition, we are subject to legal proceedings, claims and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of these matters is currently not determinable, we do not expect that the ultimate costs to resolve these matters will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Executive Officers and Directors

 

The following table sets forth certain information concerning our executive officers and directors, as of January 31, 2004:

 

Name


   Age

  

Position


Kevin P. Connors(1)

   42   

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Ronald J. Santilli

   44   

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration

David A. Gollnick

   39   

Vice President of Research and Development and Director

Michael J. Levernier

   42   

Vice President of Clinical Development

Kathleen A. Maynor

   50   

Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance

David B. Apfelberg, M.D.(2)

   62   

Director

Annette J. Campbell-White(1)(2)

   57   

Director

Guy P. Nohra(1)(2)

   43   

Director


(1) Member of audit committee.
(2) Member of compensation committee.

 

Kevin P. Connors has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors since our inception in August 1998. From May 1996 to June 1998, Mr. Connors served as President and General Manager of Coherent Medical Group, a unit of Coherent, and manufacturer of lasers, optics and related accessories.

 

Ronald J. Santilli has served as our Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration since September 2001. From April 2001 to August 2001, Mr. Santilli served as Senior Director of Financial Planning and Accounting at Lumenis, a manufacturer of medical lasers. From May 1993 to March 2001, Mr. Santilli held several positions at Coherent, including Sales Operations Manager, Controller of the Medical Group and, most recently, Director of Finance and Administration. Mr. Santilli holds a B.S. in Business Administration from San Jose State University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Golden Gate University.

 

David A. Gollnick has served as our Vice President of Research and Development and as a member of our board of directors since our inception in August 1998. From June 1996 to July 1998, Mr. Gollnick was Vice President of Research and Development at Coherent Medical Group. Mr. Gollnick holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fresno State University.

 

Michael J. Levernier has served as our Vice President of Clinical Development since December 2001. From September 1998 to December 2001, Mr. Levernier served as our Director of Clinical Development. From June 1996 to September 1998, Mr. Levernier served as manager of the photorefractive development program at Coherent Medical Group. Mr. Levernier holds a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

 

Kathleen A. Maynor has served as our Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance since August 2001. From November 1997 to August 2001, Ms. Maynor served as Vice President of Regulatory, Quality and Clinical of Coherent Medical Group. From January 1997 to November 1997, Ms. Maynor served as the Regulatory and Quality Assurance Manager of Cavro, Inc., a manufacturer of medical pumps and robots. Ms. Maynor holds a B.A. in Natural Sciences, Chemistry from the University of South Florida and a J.D. from Lincoln University School of Law.

 

David B. Apfelberg, M.D. has served as a member of our board of directors since November 1998. Dr. Apfelberg has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center since 1980.

 

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Since 1987, Dr. Apfelberg has also been a consultant for individual entrepreneurs, venture capital companies and attorneys, with special expertise in the area of lasers in medicine. From June 1991 to May 2001, Dr. Apfelberg was Director of the Plastic Surgery Center in Atherton, California. Dr. Apfelberg holds both a B.M.S., Bachelor of Medical Science, and an M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School.

 

Annette J. Campbell-White has served as a member of our board of directors since November 1998. Since May 1986, Ms. Campbell-White has been the Managing General Partner of MedVenture Associates I-IV, which are venture partnerships investing primarily in early stage businesses in the healthcare field. Ms. Campbell-White currently serves on the boards of a number of privately-held companies. Ms. Campbell-White holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Chemistry, both from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Guy P. Nohra has served as a member of our board of directors since November 1999. Since February 1996, Mr. Nohra has been a partner at Alta Partners, a venture partnership that invests in information technology and life science companies. Mr. Nohra currently serves as a director on the boards of several privately-held companies. Mr. Nohra holds a B.A. in History from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

 

Executive Officers

 

Our executive officers are elected by, and serve at the discretion of, our board of directors. There are no family relationships among our directors and officers.

 

Board of Directors

 

Our authorized number of directors is seven. We are actively searching for qualified candidates to add to our board of directors or to replace current members. We have not determined whether a majority of our directors are independent, but we plan to comply with the Nasdaq rules that require a majority of the directors to be independent within one year after the completion of this offering. One of our directors is a general partner of a venture capital fund which owns a substantial amount of our stock prior to this offering. See “Principal and Selling Stockholders.” We expect the board of directors to consider her stock ownership percentage at the time of determination, as a factor in assessing whether or not she is independent. Upon completion of this offering, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each with staggered three-year terms. As a result, 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. Messrs. Connors and Gollnick have been designated as Class I directors, whose terms expire at the 2005 annual meeting of stockholders. Dr. Apfelberg and Mr. Nohra have been designated as Class II directors, whose terms expire at the 2006 annual meeting of stockholders. Ms. Campbell-White has been designated as a Class III director whose term expires at the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders. This classification of the board of directors may delay or prevent a change in control of our company or our management. See “Description of Capital Stock—Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.”

 

Board Committees

 

Our board of directors has an audit committee and a compensation committee.

 

Audit Committee.    The audit committee of our board of directors recommends the appointment of our independent auditors, reviews our internal accounting procedures and financial statements, and consults with and reviews the services provided by our independent auditors, including the results and scope of their audit. The audit committee currently consists of Ms. Campbell-White and Messrs. Connors and Nohra. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and SEC and Nasdaq rules require that the members of the audit committee satisfy specified independence tests, which only Mr. Nohra currently satisfies. We plan to appoint new independent directors to the audit committee upon their appointment to the board of directors to replace any non-independent members, as required by applicable law. As a result, within 90 days after completion of this offering we plan to have two independent audit committee members, and all three members will be independent within one year after completion of this offering.

 

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Compensation Committee.    The compensation committee of our board of directors reviews and recommends to our board of directors the compensation and benefits for all of our executive officers, administers our stock plans, and establishes and reviews general policies relating to compensation and benefits for our employees. The compensation committee is currently comprised of Ms. Campbell-White, Dr. Apfelberg and Mr. Nohra.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

None of the members of our compensation committee has, at any time, been one of our officers or employees. None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors or compensation committee.

 

Director Compensation

 

Our non-employee directors are reimbursed for certain of their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending board and committee meetings, but they are not compensated for their services as board members. We have in the past granted directors options to purchase our common stock pursuant to the terms of our 1998 Stock Plan. Non-employee directors may receive additional cash compensation from time to time as the board of directors may determine. Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan provides for the automatic grant of options to our non-employee directors. See “—Employee Benefit Plans.”

 

Executive Compensation

 

The following table sets forth the compensation of our chief executive officer and each of the other four most highly compensated executive officers for the past three years. We refer to these persons as our named executive officers elsewhere in this prospectus. None of our named executive officers received any other compensation required to be disclosed by law or in excess of 10% of their total annual compensation.

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

    

Year


   Annual Compensation

  

Long-term

Compensation

(Securities
Underlying
Options)


Name and Position


      Salary

   Bonus

  

Kevin P. Connors

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

   2003
2002
2001
   $
 
 
223,934
207,210
201,083
   $
 
 
87,244
71,576
113,535
   40,000
40,000
40,000

Ronald J. Santilli(1)

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration

   2003
2002
2001
   $
 
 
145,750
128,354
41,565
   $
 
 
79,606
49,029
349
   50,000
23,125
140,000

David A. Gollnick

Vice President of Research and Development and Director

   2003
2002
2001
   $
 
 
144,082
139,904
135,078
   $
 
 
75,143
38,121
42,257
   20,000
23,125
23,400

Kathleen A. Maynor(2)

Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance

   2003
2002
2001
   $
 
 
132,443
117,049
46,007
   $
 
 
74,253
47,166
801
   20,000
18,500
110,000

Michael J. Levernier

Vice President of Clinical Development

   2003
2002
2001
   $
 
 
126,481
116,824
118,700
   $
 
 
55,252
33,465
37,178
   20,000
13,875
11,700

(1) Mr. Santilli’s employment with us began in September 2001.
(2) Ms. Maynor’s employment with us began in August 2001.

 

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Option Grants in Last Fiscal Year

 

In 2003, we granted options to purchase an aggregate of 944,500 shares of our common stock to our employees and consultants. These options generally vest at the rate of 25% after one year of service from the date of grant, and monthly thereafter, in equal amounts, generally over 36 additional months. These options have a term of ten years, but may terminate before their expiration dates if the optionee’s status as an employee is terminated, or upon the optionee’s death or disability. See “—Employee Benefit Plans” for more details regarding these options.

 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to stock options granted to each of our named executive officers during 2003.

 

2003 Option Grants

 

     Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
Granted


   Percent of
Total Net
Options
Granted to
Employees


    Exercise
Price
Per Share


   Expiration
Date


  

Potential Realizable

Value at Assumed

Annual Rates of Stock
Price Appreciation
for Option Term


Name


              5%

   10%

Kevin P. Connors

   40,000    4.2 %   $ 4.25    8/13/13    $ 807,337    $ 1,386,245

Ronald J. Santilli

   50,000    5.3       4.25    8/13/13      1,009,171      1,732,807

David A. Gollnick

   20,000    2.1       4.25    8/13/13      403,668      693,123

Michael J. Levernier

   20,000    2.1       4.25    8/13/13      403,668      693,123

Kathleen A. Maynor

   20,000    2.1       4.25    8/13/13      403,668      693,123

 

With respect to the amounts disclosed in the column captioned “Potential Realizable Value at Assumed Annual Rates of Stock Price Appreciation for Option Term,” the 5% and 10% assumed annual rates of compounded stock price appreciation are mandated by rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and do not represent our estimate or projection of our future common stock prices. The potential realizable values are calculated based on an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00, and assume that the common stock appreciates at the indicated rate for the entire term of the option, and that the option is exercised at the exercise price and sold on the last day of the option term at the appreciated price. Actual gains, if any, on stock option exercises are dependent on the future performance of our common stock and overall stock market conditions. The amounts reflected in the table may not necessarily be achieved.

 

Aggregated Option Exercises in 2003 and Year-End Option Values

 

The following table sets forth certain information concerning the number, and value, of unexercised options held by each of the named executive officers, as of December 31, 2003. No options were exercised by the named executive officers in 2003. The value of in-the-money stock options represents the positive spread between the exercise price of stock options and the fair market value of the options, based upon the assumed initial public offering price minus the exercise price per share.

 

2003 Aggregated Option Exercises and Year-End Values

 

     Number of
Securities Underlying
Unexercised Options at
December 31, 2003


  

Value of Unexercised

In-The-Money Options

at December 31, 2003


Name


   Exercisable

   Unexercisable

   Exercisable

   Unexercisable

Kevin P. Connors

   843,750    86,250    $ 12,432,125    $ 976,875

Ronald J. Santilli

   87,422    125,703      841,349      1,274,745

David A. Gollnick

   445,172    46,353      6,553,224      525,370

Michael J. Levernier

   229,716    35,559      3,376,625      399,312

Kathleen A. Maynor

   71,104    77,396      748,326      820,549

 

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Employee Benefit Plans

 

1998 Stock Plan

 

Our sole director at the time adopted our 1998 Stock Plan in August 1998, and our stockholders approved our 1998 Plan in November 1998. Our board of directors has determined not to grant any additional awards under the 1998 Plan after the completion of this offering. However, the 1998 Plan will continue to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding awards granted under the 1998 Plan.

 

A total of 4,650,000 shares of our common stock are authorized for issuance under the 1998 Plan. As of January 31, 2004, options to purchase a total of 3,738,625 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding, and a total of 668,137 shares of our common stock had been issued upon the exercise of options and stock purchase rights granted under the 1998 Plan.

 

Our 1998 Plan provides for the grant of options and stock purchase rights to our service providers. Stock purchase rights and nonstatutory stock options may be granted to our employees, directors and consultants, and incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code may be granted only to our employees. Our compensation committee administers the 1998 Plan. The administrator has the authority to determine the terms and conditions of the options and stock purchase rights granted under the 1998 Plan, and may reduce the exercise price of an option to the then current fair market value of our common stock or institute a program whereby outstanding options are exchanged for options with a lower exercise price.

 

Our 1998 Plan does not allow for the transfer of awards other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and only the recipient of an award may exercise such award during his or her lifetime.

 

Our 1998 Plan provides that in the event of our merger with or into another corporation, or a sale of substantially all of our assets, the successor corporation or its parent or subsidiary will assume or substitute each stock purchase right and option. If the outstanding stock purchase rights or options are not assumed or substituted, they will become fully vested and exercisable for a 15-day period from the date the administrator provides notice of such transaction and shall terminate at the end of such 15-day period.

 

2004 Equity Incentive Plan

 

Our board of directors adopted, and our stockholders approved, our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan in January 2004. The 2004 Equity Incentive Plan became effective upon its adoption by our board of directors, but is not expected to be utilized until shortly prior to the completion of this offering. Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code, to our employees and for the grant of nonstatutory stock options, stock purchase rights, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, performance units and performance shares to our employees, directors and consultants.

 

As of January 2004, a total of 1,750,000 shares of our common stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, of which no options were issued and outstanding. In addition, the shares reserved for issuance under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan include (a) shares reserved but unissued under the 1998 Plan as of the effective date of the first registration statement filed by us and declared effective with respect to any class of our securities, (b) shares returned to the 1998 Plan as the result of termination of options or the repurchase of shares, and (c) annual increases in the number of shares available for issuance on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in 2005, equal to the lesser of:

 

  5% of the outstanding shares of common stock on the first day of such year;

 

  2,000,000 shares; or

 

  an amount our board of directors may determine.

 

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The compensation committee of our board of directors administers our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. The compensation committee consists of at least two or more “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code so that options granted under the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan qualify as “performance based compensation.” Under Section 162(m) of the Code, the annual compensation paid to our named executive officers will only be deductible to the extent it does not exceed $1,000,000. However, we can preserve our deduction with respect to income recognized pursuant to options if the conditions for performance based compensation under Section 162(m) are met, which requires, among other things, that options be granted by a committee consisting of at least two “outside directors.” The administrator has the power to determine the terms of the awards, including the exercise price, the number of shares subject to each such award, the exercisability of the awards and the form of consideration, if any, payable upon exercise. The administrator also has the authority to amend existing awards to reduce their exercise price and to institute an exchange program by which outstanding awards may be surrendered in exchange for awards with a lower exercise price.

 

The administrator determines the exercise price of options granted under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, but with respect to nonstatutory stock options intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code and all incentive stock options, the exercise price must at least be equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. The term of an incentive stock option may not exceed ten years, except that with respect to any participant who owns 10% of the voting power of all classes of our outstanding stock, the term must not exceed five years and the exercise price must equal at least 110% of the fair market value on the grant date. The administrator determines the term of all other options.

 

No optionee may be granted an option to purchase more than 500,000 shares in any year. However, in connection with his or her initial service, an optionee may be granted an additional option to purchase up to 500,000 shares.

 

After termination of service of an employee, director or consultant, he or she may exercise his or her option for the period of time stated in the option agreement. Generally, if termination is due to death or disability, the option will remain exercisable for 12 months. In all other cases, the option will generally remain exercisable for three months following termination of service. However, in no event may an option be exercised later than the expiration of its term.

 

Stock appreciation rights may be granted under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Stock appreciation rights allow the recipient to receive the appreciation in the fair market value of our common stock between the exercise date and the date of grant. The administrator determines the terms of stock appreciation rights, including when such rights become exercisable and whether to pay the increased appreciation in cash or with shares of our common stock, or a combination thereof.

 

Restricted stock may be granted under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Restricted stock awards are grants of shares of our common stock that vest in accordance with terms and conditions established by the administrator. The administrator will determine the number of shares of restricted stock granted to any employee, director or consultant. The administrator may impose whatever conditions to vesting it determines to be appropriate. For example, the administrator may set restrictions based on the achievement of specific performance goals. Shares of restricted stock that do not vest are subject to our right of repurchase or forfeiture.

 

Performance units and performance shares may be granted under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Performance units and performance shares are awards that will result in a payment to a participant only if performance goals established by the administrator are achieved or the awards otherwise vest. The administrator will establish organizational or individual performance goals in its discretion, which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or the value of performance units and performance shares to be paid out to participants. Performance units shall have an initial dollar value established by the administrator prior to the grant date. Performance shares shall have an initial value equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date.

 

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Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan also provides for the automatic grant of options to our non-employee directors. Each non-employee director appointed to the board of directors after the completion of this offering, except for those directors who become non-employee directors by ceasing to be employee directors, will receive an initial option to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock upon such appointment. In addition, beginning in 2005, non-employee directors who have been directors for at least the preceding six months will receive a subsequent option to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock immediately following each annual meeting of our stockholders. All options granted under the automatic grant provisions will have a term of ten years and an exercise price equal to fair market value on the date of grant. Each option to purchase 30,000 shares will become exercisable as to one-third of the shares subject to the option on each anniversary of its date of grant, provided the non-employee director remains a director on such dates. Each option to purchase 10,000 shares will become exercisable as to 100% of the shares subject to the option on the third anniversary of its date of grant, provided the non-employee director remains a director on such date.

 

Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan generally does not allow for the transfer of awards and only the recipient of an award may exercise an award during his or her lifetime.

 

Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan provides that in the event of our “change in control,” the successor corporation or its parent or subsidiary will assume or substitute an equivalent award for each outstanding award. If there is no assumption or substitution of outstanding awards, the administrator will provide notice to the recipient that he or she has the right to exercise the option and stock appreciation right as to all of the shares subject to the award, all restrictions on restricted stock will lapse, and all performance goals or other vesting requirements for performance shares and units will be deemed achieved, and all other terms and conditions met. The award will terminate upon the expiration of the period of time the administrator provides in the notice. In the event the service of an outside director is terminated on or following a change in control, other than pursuant to a voluntary resignation, his or her options will fully vest and become immediately exercisable.

 

Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan will automatically terminate in 2014, unless we terminate it sooner. In addition, our board of directors has the authority to amend, suspend or terminate the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan provided such action does not impair the rights of any participant.

 

2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

Our board of directors adopted, and our stockholders approved, our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in January 2004. The 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan will become effective soon after the completion of this offering.

 

A total of 200,000 shares of our common stock will be made available for sale. In addition, our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan provides for annual increases in the number of shares available for issuance under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in 2005, equal to the lesser of:

 

  2% of the outstanding shares of our common stock on the first day of such year;

 

  600,000 shares; and

 

  such other amount as may be determined by our board of directors.

 

Our compensation committee administers the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Our compensation committee has full and exclusive authority to interpret the terms of the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and determine eligibility to participate.

 

All of our employees are eligible to participate if they are employed by us, or any participating subsidiary, for at least 20 hours per week and more than 5 months in any calendar year. However, an employee may not be granted an option to purchase stock under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan if such employee:

 

  immediately after grant owns stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of our capital stock; or

 

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  whose rights to purchase stock under all of our employee stock purchase plans accrues at a rate that exceeds $25,000 worth of stock for each calendar year.

 

Our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code and provides for consecutive, overlapping 12-month offering periods. Each offering period includes two 6-month purchase periods. The offering periods generally start on the first trading day on or after May 1 and November 1 of each year, except for the first such offering period which will commence on the first trading day on or after completion of this offering and will end on the first trading day on or after May 1, 2005.

 

Our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan permits participants to purchase common stock through payroll deductions of up to 15% of their eligible compensation, which includes a participant’s base salary, wages, overtime pay, commissions, bonuses and other remuneration paid directly to the employee. A participant may purchase a maximum of 2,500 shares during a 6-month purchase period.

 

Amounts deducted and accumulated by the participant are used to purchase shares of our common stock at the end of each six-month purchase period. The purchase price is 85% of the lower of the fair market value of our common stock at the beginning of an offering period or on the end date of a purchase period within such offering period. If the fair market value of our common stock at the end of a purchase period is less than the fair market value at the beginning of the offering period, participants will be withdrawn from the current offering period following their purchase of shares on the purchase date and will be automatically re-enrolled in a new offering period. Participants may end their participation at any time during an offering period, and will be paid their accrued payroll deductions that have not yet been used to purchase shares of common stock. Participation ends automatically upon termination of employment with us.

 

A participant may not transfer rights granted under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or as otherwise provided under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

If the successor corporation refuses to provide for the continuation or substitution of each outstanding right, the offering period then in progress will be shortened upon at least ten business days written notice to participants, and will terminate at the end of the shortened offering period.

 

Our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan will automatically terminate in 2014, unless we terminate it sooner. Our board of directors has the authority to amend or terminate our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, except that, subject to certain exceptions described in the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, no such action may adversely affect any outstanding rights to purchase stock under our 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

Limitations on Liability and Indemnification

 

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and executive officers, and may indemnify our other officers, employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Under our Bylaws, we are also empowered to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and officers and to purchase insurance on behalf of any person whom we are required or permitted to indemnify. We have procured and intend to maintain a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy that insures such persons against the costs of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment under certain circumstances.

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors, executive officers and others. Under these agreements, we are required to indemnify them against all expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any actual or threatened proceeding, if any of them may be made a party to such proceeding because he or she is or was one of our directors or officers. We are obligated to pay these amounts only if the officer or director acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests. With respect to any criminal proceeding, we

 

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are obligated to pay these amounts only if the officer or director had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. The indemnification agreements also set forth procedures that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification thereunder.

 

In addition, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed in connection with this offering provides that the liability of our directors for monetary damages shall be eliminated to the fullest extent permissible under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. This provision in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation does not eliminate a director’s duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies such as an injunction or other forms of non-monetary relief would remain available. Each director will continue to be subject to liability for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us and for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law. This provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or other state or federal laws.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable.

 

There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.

 

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TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD

 

The members of our technical advisory board, none of whom are our officers or employees, consult with us to provide advice, assistance and consultation in the field of dermatology and plastic surgery. Other than nondisclosure agreements, we do not have any agreements with our technical advisory board. We consider our advisory board members to be opinion leaders in their respective fields, and they offer us advice and feedback regarding the following:

 

  unmet needs and opportunities;

 

  clinical feedback on existing products;

 

  assessment of new technologies and their applications; and

 

  assessment of new clinical applications.

 

As of January 31, 2004, our Technical Advisory Board consisted of the following members:

 

Name


  

Position and Affiliation


R. Rox Anderson, M.D.

   Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Research Director, Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine

A. Jay Burns, M.D.

   Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Christine Dierickx, M.D.

   Director of the Boom Laser Clinic, Belgium; University of Ghent, Belgium

Donald Groot, M.D.

   Medical Director, Groot DermaSurgery Centre; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Alberta

Melanie Grossman, M.D.

   Dermatologist, private practice, New York, New York

Suzanne L. Kilmer, M.D.

   Director, Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Northern California; Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, Davis

Bruce Russell, M.D.

   Dermatologist, private practice, Beaverton, Oregon

David Trost

   Consultant in fields of optics, mechatronics and system engineering

Jay Walsh, Ph.D.

   Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University

 

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

On September 27, 1999, we issued and sold to MedVenture Associates III, LP a warrant to purchase 47,960 shares of Series B preferred stock and MedVen Affiliates III, LP a warrant to purchase 2,040 shares of Series B preferred stock, both at an exercise price of $2.00 per share. On September 10, 2003, we issued and sold to MedVenture Associates III, LP 47,960 shares of Series B preferred stock and MedVen Affiliates III, LP 2,040 shares of Series B preferred stock upon their exercise of the warrants and payment of $95,920 and $4,080, respectively. Upon completion of this offering, all shares of Series B preferred stock will be converted into shares of common stock. One of our board members, Ms. Campbell-White, is a member of MedVentures Associates Management III Co., LLC, which is the general partner of MedVentures Associates III, LP and MedVen Affiliates III, LP.

 

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PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to beneficial ownership of our common stock, as of January 31, 2004, by:

 

  each beneficial owner of 5% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock;

 

  each of our directors;

 

  each of our executive officers;

 

  all of our executive officers and directors as a group; and

 

  each selling stockholder.

 

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of common stock subject to options held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004 are deemed outstanding, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Percentage of beneficial ownership is based upon 6,988,114 shares of common stock outstanding as of January 31, 2004. To our knowledge, except as set forth in the footnotes to this table and subject to applicable community property laws, each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares set forth opposite such person’s name. Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each of the persons in this table is c/o Cutera, Inc., 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005.

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner


   Shares Beneficially Owned
Prior to Offering


    Shares to be
Sold in the
Offering


   Shares Beneficially Owned
After the Offering


 
   Number

    Percent

       Number

   Percent

 

Entities affiliated with MedVenture Associates

5980 Horton Street, Suite 390 Emeryville, CA 94608

   2,960,471 (1)   42.5 %   —      2,960,471    29.3 %

Funds Affiliated with Alta Partners

One Embarcadero Center

Suite 4050

San Francisco, CA 94111

   1,375,000 (2)   19.8     375,000    1,000,000    9.9  

John Connors

351 Upper Lake Road

Westlake Village, CA 91361

   53,083     *     50,000    3,083    *  

Joe Davin

174 Georgetown Rd

Boxford, MA 01921-1610

   25,000     *     5,000    20,000    *  

Clare Meister

63 Fishermans Cove

Sawgrass Country Club

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

   25,000     *     10,000    15,000    *  

Gerard Furbershaw Revocable Trust

537 Hamilton Ave.

Palo Alto, CA 94301

   20,000 (3)   *     10,000    10,000    *  

Jeff Smith

182 Warren Rd.

San Mateo, CA 94401

   20,000     *     10,000    10,000    *  

Richard G. Caro Trust

2522 Octavia Street #2

San Francisco, CA 94123

   20,000     *     10,000    10,000    *  

Lunar Fund LLC

537 Hamilton Ave.

Palo Alto, CA 94301

   20,000 (4)   *     10,000    10,000    *  

 

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Name and Address of Beneficial Owner


   Shares Beneficially Owned
Prior to Offering


   Shares to be
Sold in the
Offering


   Shares Beneficially Owned
After the Offering


   Number

    Percent

      Number

   Percent

Ann Marie Fitzpatrick

288 Marich Way

Los Altos, CA 94022-1402

   6,000     *    2,000    4,000    *

Annette J. Campbell-White

   2,960,471 (1)   42.5       2,960,471    29.3

Guy P. Nohra

   1,375,000 (2)   19.8    375,000    1,000,000    9.9

David B. Apfelberg, M.D.(5)

   55,000     *       55,000    *

Kevin P. Connors(6)

   1,256,315     16.0       1,256,315    11.5

David A. Gollnick(7)

   717,639     9.7       717,639    6.8

Michael J. Levernier(8)

   511,765     7.1       511,765    5.0

Ronald J. Santilli(9)

   98,099     1.4       98,099    *

Kathleen A. Maynor(10)

   79,521     1.1       79,521    *

All executive officers and directors as a group (8 persons)(11)

   7,053,810     97.7       6,678,810    56.6

 * Indicates ownership of less than 1%.
(1) Includes 2,839,683 shares held by MedVenture Associates III, LP and 120,788 shares held by MedVen Affiliates III, LP (collectively “MedVenture Associates”). Ms. Campbell-White is a member of MedVentures Associates Management III Co., LLC, which is the general partner of MedVenture Associates III, LP and MedVen Affiliates III, LP. Ms. Campbell-White disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of her pecuniary interest therein. Ms. Campbell-White and Mr. George Choi, both general partners of MedVenture Associates, share voting and investment control in MedVen Affiliates III, LP and MedVentures Associates III, LP.
(2) Includes 1,357,846 shares held by Alta California Partners II, LP. and 17,154 shares held by Alta Embarcadero Partners II, LLC. Mr. Nohra is a general partner of Alta California Partners II, LP and Alta Embarcadero Partners II, LLC and disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by such entities except to the extent of his proportionate partnership interest therein. Jean Deleage, Garrett Gruener, Guy Nohra, Daniel Janney and Alix Marduel are general partners of Alta California Partners II, LP and share voting and investment control with regard to shares held by Alta California Partners II, LP. Jean Deleage, Garrett Gruener and Guy Nohra are managing members of Alta Embarcadero Partners II, LLC and share voting and investment control with regard to shares held by Alta Embarcadero Partners II, LLC.
(3) Gerard Furbershaw and Michelle Furbershaw share voting and investment control with regard to the shares held by the Gerard Furbershaw Revocable Trust.
(4) Gerard Furbershaw and Jeff Smith share voting and investment control with regard to the shares held by Lunar Fund LLC.
(5) Includes 20,000 shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(6) Includes 854,583 shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(7) Includes 421,132 shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(8) Includes 233,513 shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(9) Represents shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(10) Represents shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.
(11) Includes 1,706,848 shares subject to options exercisable within 60 days of January 31, 2004.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following information describes our common stock and preferred stock, as well as options to purchase our common stock and provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. This description is only a summary. You should also refer to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to our registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Upon the completion of this offering, we will be authorized to issue up to 55,000,000 shares of capital stock, $0.001 par value, to be divided into two classes designated common stock and preferred stock. Of such authorized shares, 50,000,000 shares will be designated as common stock, and 5,000,000 shares will be designated as preferred stock.

 

Common Stock

 

As of January 31, 2004, there were 6,988,114 shares of common stock outstanding that were held of record by 53 stockholders, assuming conversion of all shares of preferred stock into 4,725,000 shares of common stock. After giving effect to the sale of common stock offered in this offering, there will be 10,088,114 shares of common stock outstanding. As of January 31, 2004, there were outstanding options to purchase a total of 3,738,625 shares of our common stock under our 1998 Stock Plan.

 

The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the shares voting are able to elect all of the directors. Subject to preferences that may be granted to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably only those dividends as may be declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefore. See “Dividend Policy.” In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all of our assets remaining after we pay our liabilities and distribute the liquidation preference of any then outstanding preferred stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive or other subscription or conversion rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

 

Preferred Stock

 

Upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors will have the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 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 any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of 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 liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in our control or other corporate action. Upon completion of this offering, no shares of preferred stock will be outstanding, and we have no present plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.

 

Warrants

 

As of January 31, 2004, there were outstanding warrants to purchase 9,000 shares of our Series A convertible preferred stock, originally issued on February 11, 1999, and a warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of our Series B convertible preferred stock, originally issued on May 24, 2000, at an exercise price of $1.00 and $2.00 per share, respectively. Assuming conversion of Series A and Series B convertible preferred stock into common stock upon completion of this offering, the warrant to purchase Series A preferred stock will be exercisable for 9,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 per share, and the warrant to purchase Series B preferred stock will be exercisable for 11,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share. The warrant to

 

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purchase 9,000 shares of Series A preferred stock is exercisable at any time prior to February 2004, and the warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of Series B preferred stock is exercisable at any time prior to May 2007. We issued the warrants to Silicon Valley Bank in connection with a line of credit.

 

Registration Rights

 

After the closing of this offering, the holders of approximately 4,263,000 shares of our common stock, including 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of the outstanding warrants described above, will be entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of such shares under the Securities Act. In the event that we propose to register any of our securities under the Securities Act, either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, these holders are entitled to notice of such registration and are entitled to include their common stock in such registration, subject to certain marketing and other limitations. Beginning six months after the closing of this offering, the holders of at least 50% of these securities have the right to require us, on not more than two occasions, to file a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act in order to register the resale of their shares of common stock. We may, in certain circumstances, defer such registrations and the underwriters have the right, subject to certain limitations, to limit the number of shares included in such registrations. Further, these holders may require us to register the resale of all or a portion of their shares on Form S-3, subject to certain conditions and limitations.

 

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

 

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, to be effective upon completion of this offering, will provide for our board of directors to be divided into three classes, 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 representing 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 and Bylaws, to be effective upon completion of this offering, will provide that all stockholder action must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by a consent in writing, and that only our board of directors, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer) may call a special meeting of stockholders. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, to be effective upon completion of this offering, will require a 66 2/3% stockholder vote for the amendment, repeal or modification of certain provision of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws relating to the absence of cumulative voting, the classification of our board of directors, the requirement that stockholder actions be effected at a duly called meeting, and the designated parties entitled to call a special meeting of the stockholders.

 

The combination of the classification of our board of directors, the lack of cumulative voting and the 66 2/3% stockholder voting requirements will make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Since our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of 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 our control.

 

These provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in our control or management. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies they implement, and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of our control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management.

 

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Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware

 

We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, with the following exceptions:

 

  before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested holder;

 

  upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction began, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

 

  on or after such date, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

In general, Section 203 defines business combination to include the following:

 

  any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

  any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation involving the interested stockholder;

 

  subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

  any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock or any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

  the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loss, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits by or through the corporation.

 

In general, Section 203 defines interested stockholder as an entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation or any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.

 

Nasdaq National Market Listing

 

Our common stock has been approved for quotation on The Nasdaq National Market, subject to notice of issuance.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, Inc. Its address is 350 Indiana Street, Suite 800, Golden, Colorado 80401, and its telephone number is (303) 262-0600.

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

 

We will have 10,088,114 shares of common stock outstanding after the completion of this offering (10,553,114 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full). Of those shares, the 3,582,000 shares of common stock sold in the offering (4,047,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be freely transferable without restriction, unless purchased by persons deemed to be our “affiliates” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Any shares purchased by an affiliate may not be resold except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration, including an exemption under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act. The remaining 6,506,114 shares (6,971,114 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of common stock to be outstanding immediately following the completion of this offering are “restricted,” which means they were originally sold in offerings that were not registered under the Securities Act. These restricted shares may only be sold through registration under the Securities Act or under an available exemption from registration, such as provided through Rule 144.

 

All of our officers, directors and security holders have entered into lock-up agreements pursuant to which they have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to offer or sell any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of common stock for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of Piper Jaffray & Co. See “Underwriting.” After the 180-day lock-up period, these shares may be sold, subject to applicable securities laws.

 

After the offering, the holders of approximately 4,263,000 shares of our common stock (including 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants) will be entitled to registration rights. For more information on these registration rights, see “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights.”

 

In general, under Rule 144, as currently in effect, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated), including an affiliate, who has beneficially owned shares of our common stock for one year or more, may sell in the open market within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of:

 

  one percent of the then outstanding shares of our common stock (approximately 100,881 shares immediately after the offering); or

 

  the average weekly trading volume in the common stock on the Nasdaq National Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the sale.

 

Sales under Rule 144 are also subject to certain limitations on the manner of sale, notice requirements and the availability of our current public information. A person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is deemed not to have been our affiliate at any time during the 90 days preceding a sale by him and who has beneficially owned his shares for at least two years, may sell the shares in the public market under Rule 144(k) without regard to the volume limitations, manner of sale provisions, notice requirements or the availability of current public information we refer to above.

 

Any of our employees, officers, directors or consultants who purchased his or her shares before the completion of this offering or who holds options as of that date pursuant to a written compensatory plan or contract is entitled to rely on the resale provisions of Rule 701, which permits non-affiliates to sell their Rule 701 shares without having to comply with the public information, holding period, volume limitation or notice provisions of Rule 144 and permits affiliates to sell their Rule 701 shares without having to comply with Rule 144’s holding-period restrictions, in each case commencing 90 days after completion of this offering. Neither Rule 144 nor Rule 701 supersedes the contractual obligations of our security holders set forth in the lock-up agreements described above.

 

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Subject to the lock-up agreements, the shares of our common stock that were outstanding on January 31, 2004 that will become eligible for sale without registration pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 701 under the Securities Act are as follows:

 

  1,271,548 shares will be immediately eligible for sale in the public market without restriction pursuant to Rule 144(k); and

 

  5,716,566 shares will be eligible for sale in the public market under Rule 144 or Rule 701 beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to volume, manner of sale, and other limitations under those rules.

 

Upon completion of this offering, we intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 1998 Stock Plan, the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, thus permitting the resale of such shares by non-affiliates in the public market without restriction under the Securities Act. Such registration statement will become effective immediately upon filing.

 

Prior to the completion of this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and any sale of substantial amounts in the open market may adversely affect the market price of our common stock offered hereby.

 

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UNDERWRITING

 

The underwriters named below have agreed to buy, subject to the terms of the purchase agreement, the number of shares listed opposite their names below. Piper Jaffray & Co. is acting as book-running manager for this offering and, together with SG Cowen Securities Corporation and RBC Dain Rauscher Inc., is acting as representative of the underwriters. The underwriters are committed to purchase and pay for all of the shares if any are purchased, other than those shares covered by the over-allotment option described below.

 

Underwriters


   Number of
Shares


Piper Jaffray & Co.

    

SG Cowen Securities Corporation

    

RBC Dain Rauscher Inc.

    
    

Total

    
    

 

The underwriters have advised us and the selling stockholders that they propose to offer the shares to the public at $         per share. The underwriters propose to offer the shares to certain dealers at the same price less a concession of not more than $             per share. The underwriters may allow and the dealers may reallow a concession of not more than $             per share on sales to certain other brokers and dealers. After the offering, these figures may be changed by the underwriters.

 

We have granted to the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 465,000 shares of common stock from us at the same price to the public, and with the same underwriting discount, as set forth above. The underwriters may exercise this option any time during the 30-day period after the date of this prospectus, but only to cover over-allotments, if any. To the extent the underwriters exercise the option, each underwriter will become obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase approximately the same percentage of the additional shares as it was obligated to purchase under the purchase agreement.

 

The following table shows the underwriting fees to be paid to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the over-allotment option.

 

     No Exercise

   Full Exercise

Per share

   $                 $             

Total to be paid by us

   $      $  

Total to be paid by the selling stockholders

   $      $  

 

We and the selling stockholders have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

The underwriters have informed us that neither they, nor any other underwriter participating in the distribution of the offering, will make sales of the common stock offered by this prospectus to accounts over which they exercise discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the customer.

 

The offering of our shares of common stock is made for delivery when, as and if accepted by the underwriters and subject to prior sale and to withdrawal, cancellation or modification of the offering without notice. The underwriters reserve the right to reject an order for the purchase of shares in whole or part.

 

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We and each of our directors, executive officers and stockholders, including the selling stockholders, have agreed to certain restrictions on the ability to sell shares of our common stock for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus. We have also agreed not to directly or indirectly offer for sale, sell, contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise issue or dispose of, any shares of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or any related security or instrument, without the prior written consent of Piper Jaffray & Co. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus. The agreement provides exceptions for sales to the underwriters pursuant to the purchase agreement, the granting of options to purchase shares under our existing stock option plan and other common exceptions.

 

Prior to the offering, there has been no established trading market for our common stock. The initial public offering price for the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be negotiated by us and the underwriters. The factors considered in determining the initial public offering price include:

 

  the history of and the prospects for the industry in which we compete;

 

  our past and present operations;

 

  our historical results of operations;

 

  our prospects for future earnings;

 

  the recent market prices of securities of generally comparable companies; and

 

  the general condition of the securities markets at the time of the offering and other relevant factors.

 

There can be no assurance that the initial public offering price of the common stock will correspond to the price at which the common stock will trade in the public market subsequent to this offering or that an active public market for the common stock will develop and continue after this offering.

 

To facilitate the offering, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the common stock during and after the offering. Specifically, the underwriters may over-allot or otherwise create a short position in the common stock for their own account by selling more shares of common stock than have been sold to them by us and the selling stockholders. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering. “Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares in the offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. “Naked” short sales are sales in excess of this option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

 

In addition, the underwriters may stabilize or maintain the price of the common stock by bidding for or purchasing shares of common stock in the open market and may impose penalty bids. If penalty bids are imposed, selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers participating in the offering are reclaimed if shares of common stock previously distributed in the offering are repurchased, whether in connection with stabilization transactions or otherwise. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. The imposition of a penalty bid may also effect the price of the common stock to the extent that it discourages resales of the common stock. The magnitude or effect of any stabilization or other transactions is uncertain. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq National Market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby has been passed upon for Cutera by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Palo Alto, California. Certain members of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Palo Alto, California maintain beneficial ownership of 114,000 shares of our common stock. Latham & Watkins LLP, Menlo Park, California, is counsel for the underwriters in connection with this offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

The financial statements as of December 31, 2002 and 2003, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, included in this Prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC for the stock we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement. You should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits for additional information. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are not necessarily complete and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document. When we complete this offering, we will also be required to file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC.

 

You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities.

 

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CUTERA, INC.

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page

Report of Independent Auditors

   F-2

Consolidated Balance Sheets

   F-3

Consolidated Statements of Operations

   F-4

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

   F-5

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

   F-6

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-7

 

 

F-1


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Cutera, Inc.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying index on page F-1 present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Cutera, Inc. and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule appearing under Item 16(b) on page II-4 presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, which require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/S/    PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

 

San Jose, California

February 20, 2004

 

 

F-2


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

     December 31,

   

Pro Forma
Stockholders’
Equity at
December 31,

2003


 
     2002

    2003

   
                 (unaudited)  

Assets

                        

Current assets:

                        

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 8,276     $ 10,290          

Restricted cash

     60       250          

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts in 2002 and 2003 of $140 and $307, respectively

     3,178       7,597          

Inventory

     1,366       2,239          

Current portion of deferred tax asset

     763       1,699          

Other current assets

     301       879          
    


 


       

Total current assets

     13,944       22,954          

Property and equipment, net

     569       734          

Intangibles, net

     507       453          

Deferred tax asset, net of current portion

     406       57          
    


 


       

Total assets

   $ 15,426     $ 24,198          
    


 


       

Liabilities, Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity

                        

Liabilities:

                        

Accounts payable

   $ 925     $ 1,915          

Accrued liabilities

     3,795       5,709          

Deferred revenue

     328       1,125          
    


 


       

Total current liabilities

     5,048       8,749          

Deferred revenue, net of current portion

           202          
    


 


       

Total liabilities

     5,048       8,951          
    


 


       

Commitments and contingencies (Note 5)

                        

Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value:

                        

Authorized: 4,784,000 shares in 2002 and 2003

                        

Issued and outstanding: 4,675,000 and 4,725,000 shares in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and none pro forma (unaudited)

                        

(Liquidation and redemption value: $7,450 in 2003)

     7,272       7,372     $  
    


 


 


Stockholders’ equity:

                        

Common stock, $0.001 par value:

                        

Authorized: 20,000,000 shares;

                        

Issued and outstanding: 1,963,384 and 2,229,514 shares in 2002 and 2003, respectively and 6,954,514 shares pro forma (unaudited)

     2       2       7  

Additional paid-in capital

     4,643       7,579       14,946  

Deferred stock-based compensation

     (2,615 )     (3,888 )     (3,888 )

Retained earnings

     1,076       4,182       4,182  
    


 


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     3,106       7,875     $ 15,247  
    


 


 


Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity

   $ 15,426     $ 24,198          
    


 


       

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-3


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Net revenue(1)

   $ 19,328     $ 28,327     $ 39,088  

Cost of revenue(1)

     6,941       9,991       12,317  
    


 


 


Gross profit

     12,387       18,336       26,771  
    


 


 


Operating expenses:

                        

Sales and marketing(1)

     5,693       8,602       13,792  

Research and development(1)

     2,221       2,988       3,448  

General and administrative(1)

     1,963       5,416       4,367  
    


 


 


Total operating expenses

     9,877       17,006       21,607  
    


 


 


Income from operations

     2,510       1,330       5,164  

Interest and other income, net

     171       85       30  
    


 


 


Income before income taxes

     2,681       1,415       5,194  

Provision for income taxes

     (342 )     (755 )     (2,088 )
    


 


 


Net income

   $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106  
    


 


 


Net income per share:

                        

Basic

   $ 1.58     $ 0.36     $ 1.47  
    


 


 


Diluted

   $ 0.27     $ 0.07     $ 0.35  
    


 


 


Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:

                        

Basic

     1,480       1,810       2,106  
    


 


 


Diluted

     8,731       8,811       8,835  
    


 


 


Pro forma net income per share (unaudited):

                        

Basic

                   $ 0.46  
                    


Diluted

                   $ 0.35  
                    


Weighted-average number of shares used in pro forma per share calculations (unaudited):

                        

Basic

                     6,794  
                    


Diluted

                     8,835  
                    



(1)Includes the following stock-based compensation charges:

                        

Net revenue

   $ 164     $     $  

Cost of revenue

     93       234       240  

Sales and marketing

     262       366       382  

Research and development

     113       287       351  

General and administrative

     120       310       451  
    


 


 


     $ 752     $ 1,197     $ 1,424  
    


 


 


 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

(in thousands, except share amounts)

 

    

Common Stock


  

Additional

Paid-in

Capital


   

Deferred

Stock-Based

Compensation


   

Retained

Earnings

(Deficit)


   

Total

Stockholders’

Equity

(Deficit)


 
     Shares

    Amount

        

Balance at December 31, 2000

   1,688,076     $ 2    $ 3     $     $ (1,923 )   $ (1,918 )

Repurchase of common stock from founders

   (72,349 )                             

Exercise of stock options

   224,427            53                   53  

Deferred stock-based compensation

              4,206       (4,206 )            

Amortization of deferred stock-based compensation

                    487             487  

Non-employee stock-based compensation

              265                   265  

Net income

                          2,339       2,339  
    

 

  


 


 


 


Balance at December 31, 2001

   1,840,154       2      4,527       (3,719 )     416       1,226  

Exercise of stock options

   123,230            23                   23  

Deferred stock-based compensation

              (78 )     78              

Amortization of deferred stock-based

                                             

compensation

                    1,026             1,026  

Non-employee stock-based compensation

              171                   171  

Net income

                          660       660  
    

 

  


 


 


 


Balance at December 31, 2002

   1,963,384       2      4,643       (2,615 )     1,076       3,106  

Exercise of stock options

   266,130            108                   108  

Deferred stock-based compensation

              2,591       (2,591 )            

Amortization of deferred stock-based compensation

                    1,318             1,318  

Tax benefit related to employee stock options

              131                   131  

Non-employee stock-based compensation

              106                   106  

Net income

                          3,106       3,106  
    

 

  


 


 


 


Balance at December 31, 2003

   2,229,514     $ 2    $ 7,579     $ (3,888 )   $ 4,182     $ 7,875  
    

 

  


 


 


 


 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-5


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

                        

Net income

   $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

                        

Depreciation and amortization

     203       382       443  

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

     11       4       35  

Allowance for doubtful accounts

     77       141       333  

Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory

     542       993       139  

Stock-based compensation

     752       1,197       1,424  

Change in deferred tax asset

     (859 )     (310 )     (587 )

Tax benefit related to employee stock options

                 131  

Change in assets and liabilities:

                        

Accounts receivable

     (303 )     (952 )     (4,752 )

Inventory

     (1,290 )     (1,132 )     (1,012 )

Deferred cost of revenue

     56       30        

Other current assets

     (778 )     593       (578 )

Other assets

     9              

Accounts payable

     435       116       990  

Accrued liabilities

     2,154       955       1,914  

Deferred revenue

     (178 )           999  
    


 


 


Net cash provided by operating activities

     3,170       2,677       2,585  
    


 


 


Cash flows from investing activities:

                        

Acquisition of property and equipment

     (213 )     (280 )     (589 )

Acquisition of intangibles

           (538 )      

Change in restricted cash

     (100 )     40       (190 )
    


 


 


Net cash used in investing activities

     (313 )     (778 )     (779 )
    


 


 


Cash flows from financing activities:

                        

Repayments on line of credit

     (118 )            

Proceeds from exercise of warrant

                 100  

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

     53       23       108  
    


 


 


Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     (65 )     23       208  
    


 


 


Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

     2,792       1,922       2,014  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

     3,562       6,354       8,276  
    


 


 


Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

   $ 6,354     $ 8,276     $ 10,290  
    


 


 


Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

                        

Cash paid for interest

   $ 13     $     $  
    


 


 


Cash paid for taxes

   $ 63     $ 997     $ 2,295  
    


 


 


Supplemental disclosure of significant non-cash investing and financing activities:

                        

Deferred stock-based compensation

   $ 4,206     $ (78 )   $ 2,591  
    


 


 


 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION:

 

Formation and business of the Company

 

Cutera, Inc. (the “Company”) designs, develops, manufactures, and markets the CoolGlide family of products for use in laser and other light-based aesthetic applications. The Company’s products enable dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, primary care physicians, and other qualified practitioners to offer non-invasive aesthetic treatments to their patients. The Company was incorporated in Delaware on August 10, 1998 under the name of Acme Medical, Inc. and changed its name to Altus Medical, Inc. in July 1999 and again to Cutera, Inc. in January 2004.

 

NOTE 2 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

 

Pro forma common shares outstanding and pro forma net income per share (unaudited)

 

The pro forma common shares outstanding at December 31, 2003 and the pro forma weighted-average common shares outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2003 reflect the automatic conversion of all shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding into shares of common stock in connection with the Company’s contemplated initial public offering.

 

A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used in the calculation of pro forma net income per share follows (in thousands):

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
2003


Numerator:

      

Net income

   $ 3,106
    

Denominator:

      

Weighted-average number of shares outstanding used in computing basic net income per share

     2,106

Adjustments to reflect the effect of the assumed conversion of the preferred stock from the date of issuance

     4,688
    

Weighted-average number of shares used in computing basic pro forma net income per share

     6,794
    

Weighted-average number of shares used in computing diluted pro forma net income per share

     8,835
    

 

Basis of presentation

 

In 2002, the Company formed wholly-owned subsidiaries in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In 2003, the Company formed wholly-owned subsidiaries in Japan, Canada, Australia and Spain. The purpose of these subsidiaries is to market and sell the Company’s products outside of the United States. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the subsidiaries, and all inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated.

 

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of the accompanying financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the

 

F-7


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

Cash equivalents or short-term financial investments that are readily convertible to cash are stated at cost, which approximates market value. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents.

 

Restricted cash

 

At December 31, 2002 and 2003, cash balances of $60,000 and $250,000, respectively, were restricted from withdrawal and held by a bank in the form of certificates of deposit. These certificates of deposit serve as collateral against merchant accounts and a facility lease.

 

Fair value of financial instruments

 

Carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate their fair values due to their short maturities.

 

Concentration of credit risk and other risks and uncertainties

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are primarily invested in deposits and money market accounts with one major bank in the United States. Deposits in this bank may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits, if any. Management believes that this financial institution is financially sound and, accordingly, minimal credit risk exists. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents. Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and are derived from revenues earned from customers primarily located in the United States. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and maintains reserves for potential credit losses. Historically, such losses have been within management’s expectations.

 

Segment information

 

The Company operates in one business segment, which encompasses the designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing of aesthetic laser systems for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, primary care physicians and other practitioners worldwide. Management uses one measurement of profitability and does not segregate its business for internal reporting. The Company’s long-lived assets maintained outside the United States are insignificant.

 

The following table summarizes revenue by geographic region (in thousands):

 

     Years Ended December 31,

     2001

   2002

   2003

United States

   $ 13,891    $ 22,944    $ 30,102

Canada

     1,562      900      1,572

Asia

     2,225      1,963      3,976

Europe

     1,391      2,286      3,209

Latin America

     259      234      229
    

  

  

Total

   $ 19,328    $ 28,327    $ 39,088
    

  

  

 

F-8


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Revenues are attributed to regions based on the shipping location of external customers.

 

The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the medical device industry, including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, dependence on key suppliers, protection of proprietary technology, product liability and compliance with government regulations. To continue profitable operations, the Company must continue to successfully design, develop, manufacture and market its products. There can be no assurance that current products will continue to be accepted in the marketplace. Nor can there be any assurance that any future products can be developed or manufactured at an acceptable cost and with appropriate performance characteristics, or that such products will be successfully marketed, if at all. These factors could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s future financial results and cash flows.

 

Future products developed by the Company may require approvals from the Food and Drug Administration or international regulatory agencies prior to commercial sales. There can be no assurance that the Company’s products will continue to meet the necessary regulatory requirements. If the Company was denied such approvals or such approvals were delayed, it may have a materially adverse impact on the Company.

 

Inventory

 

Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market, cost being determined on a standard cost basis (which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis) and market being determined as the lower of replacement cost or net realizable value.

 

The Company includes demonstration units within inventory. Demonstration units are carried at cost and amortized over their estimated economic life of two years. Amortization expense related to demonstration units is recorded within cost of goods sold. Proceeds from the sale of demonstration units are recorded within revenues. Prior to the year ended December 31, 2002, the Company classified demonstration units within property and equipment and amortized them over a period of two years. The Company reclassified such units as inventory after establishing a practice of selling demonstration units to customers. The Company believes that the classification of demonstration units within inventory reflects the Company’s intention and practice of making demonstration units available for sale to customers.

 

Property and equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which is generally two to five years. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the remaining lease term or the estimated useful life of the related assets, typically five years. Upon sale or retirement of assets, the costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the balance sheet and the resulting gain or loss is reflected in operations. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred.

 

Intangible assets

 

Intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over their expected useful lives. Intangible assets at December 31, 2002 and 2003 principally comprised a technology license obtained as a result of the settlement of a patent litigation case. The license was acquired during the year ended December 31, 2002 at a cost of $538,000 and with an expected useful life of ten years from the date of purchase. Amortization expense during the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003 was $31,000 and $54,000, respectively. The license had a net carrying amount of $507,000 and $453,000 at December 31, 2002 and 2003, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense for each of the years ended December 31, 2004 through December 31, 2007 is $54,000 per year.

 

F-9


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Impairment of long-lived assets

 

In accordance with the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“SFAS”) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets,” the Company reviews long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. Under SFAS No. 144, an impairment loss would be recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition is less than its carrying amount. Impairment, if any, is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of a long-lived asset exceeds its fair value. Through December 31, 2003, there have been no such impairments.

 

Revenue recognition

 

Product revenue, including upgrade revenue, is recognized when title and risk of ownership has been transferred, provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price is fixed and determinable, remaining obligations are insignificant and collectibility is reasonably assured. Transfer of title and risk of ownership generally occurs when the product is shipped to the customer or when the customer receives the product, depending on the nature of the arrangement. Revenue is recorded net of customer and distributor discounts.

 

The Company generally offers a warranty with its products. The Company provides for the estimated cost to repair or replace products under warranty at the time of sale. Service revenue is recognized as the services are provided and, for service contracts, on a straight-line basis over the period of the applicable service contract. Service revenues were $55,000, $758,000 and $1,096,000 during the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002, 2003, respectively.

 

Research and development expenditures

 

Costs related to research, design and development of products are charged to research and development expense as incurred.

 

Advertising costs

 

Advertising costs are included in sales and marketing expenses and are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense was $405,000, $496,000 and $886,000 for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

 

Stock-based compensation

 

The Company accounts for stock-based employee compensation arrangements in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” and its interpretations and complies with the disclosure provisions of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” Under APB Opinion No. 25, compensation expense is based on the difference, if any, on the date of the grant, between the fair value of the Company’s stock and the exercise price. Employee stock-based compensation is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the underlying options. SFAS No. 123 defines a “fair value” based method of accounting for an employee stock option or similar equity investment. The Company accounts for equity instruments issued to non-employees in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123 and Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services.” Equity instruments issued to non-employees are recorded at their fair value on the measurement date and are subject to periodic adjustment as the underlying equity instruments vest. Non-employee stock-based compensation charges are amortized over the vesting period, on a straight-line basis.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

The following table illustrates the effect on net income if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123 to stock-based employee compensation arrangements (in thousands, except per share data):

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Net income, as reported

   $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106  

Add: Stock-based employee compensation expense included in reported net earnings, net of related tax effects

     487       1,026       1,137  

Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects

     (883 )     (1,998 )     (1,424 )
    


 


 


Pro forma net income (loss)

   $ 1,943     $ (312 )   $ 2,819  
    


 


 


Net income (loss) per share:

                        

Basic — as reported

   $ 1.58     $ 0.36     $ 1.47  
    


 


 


Basic — pro forma

   $ 1.31     $ (0.17 )   $ 1.34  
    


 


 


Diluted — as reported

   $ 0.27     $ 0.07     $ 0.35  
    


 


 


Diluted — pro forma

   $ 0.22     $ (0.17 )   $ 0.32  
    


 


 


 

The value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the minimum value method with the following weighted average assumptions:

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Risk-free interest rate

   5.05 %   2.97 %   2.10 %

Expected life (in years)

   4     4     4  

Dividend yield

            

 

Based on the above assumptions, the weighted-average estimated minimum values of options granted were $3.71, $0.48 and $3.94 per share for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

 

Income taxes

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, measured at tax rates that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.

 

Comprehensive income

 

Comprehensive income is defined as the change in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances other than those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. For the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Company did not have any significant components of comprehensive income other than net income. Therefore, no separate statement of comprehensive income has been presented.

 

F-11


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Foreign currency

 

The U.S. dollar is the functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries. Monetary and non-monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars at period end and historical exchange rates, respectively. Sales and expenses are remeasured at average exchange rates in effect during each period, except for those expenses related to non-monetary assets which are remeasured at historical exchange rates. Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in net income and are insignificant. The effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents was insignificant for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003.

 

Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FASB Interpretation No. 46 (“FIN 46”), “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an Interpretation of ARB No. 51.” FIN 46 requires certain variable interest entities to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of the entity if the equity investors in the entity do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. During December 2003, the FASB issued FIN 46R, a revision to FIN 46. FIN 46R provides a broad deferral of the latest date by which all public entities must apply FIN 46 to certain variable interest entities, to the first reporting period ending after March 15, 2004. The Company does not expect the adoption of FIN 46 to have a material impact upon its financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

 

In May 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity.” SFAS No. 150 establishes standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. It requires that an issuer classify a financial instrument that is within its scope as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances). Many of those instruments were previously classified as equity. SFAS No. 150 is effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. It is to be implemented by reporting the cumulative effect of a change in an accounting principle for financial instruments created before the issuance date of SFAS No. 150 and still existing at the beginning of the interim period of adoption. While the effective date of certain elements of SFAS No. 150 have been deferred, the Company does not expect the adoption of SFAS No. 150 to have a material impact upon its financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

 

NOTE 3 — BALANCE SHEET DETAIL:

 

Inventory

 

Inventory consists of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

     2002

   2003

Raw materials

   $ 482    $ 1,110

Finished goods

     884      1,129
    

  

     $ 1,366    $ 2,239
    

  

 

F-12


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Other current assets

 

Other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

     2002

   2003

Prepaid expenses

   $ 268    $ 361

Deferred public offering costs

     —        225

Other

     33      293
    

  

     $ 301    $ 879
    

  

 

Property and equipment, net

 

Property and equipment, net consists of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

 
     2002

    2003

 

Leasehold improvements

   $ 104     $ 132  

Office equipment and furniture

     778       822  

Machinery and equipment

     385       676  

Construction in progress

     58       220  
    


 


       1,325       1,850  

Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (756 )     (1,116 )
    


 


     $ 569     $ 734  
    


 


 

Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $203,000, $351,000 and $389,000 for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

 

Accrued liabilities

 

Accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

     2002

   2003

Warranty

   $ 1,500    $ 1,700

Income tax

     442      808

Payroll and related expenses

     1,113      1,837

Professional fees

     279      559

Other

     461      805
    

  

     $ 3,795    $ 5,709
    

  

 

F-13


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

NOTE 4 — WARRANTY AND SERVICE CONTRACTS:

 

Warranty

 

The Company has a direct field service organization in the United States that provides service for its products. The Company generally provides a warranty with its products, depending on the type of product. After the warranty period, maintenance and support is provided on a service contract basis or on an individual call basis. On distributor sales, the Company provides a warranty on parts only. The Company currently provides for the estimated cost to repair or replace products under warranty at the time of sale.

 

Warranty reserve (in thousands):

      

Balance, December 31, 2001

   $ 988

Add: Accruals for warranties issued in 2002

     1,462

Less: Settlements made during the period

     950
    

Balance, December 31, 2002

     1,500

Add: Accruals for warranties issued in 2003

     1,444

Less: Settlements made during the period

     1,244
    

Balance, December 31, 2003

   $ 1,700
    

 

Service contracts

 

Service contract revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the period of the applicable service contract.

 

Deferred service contract revenue (in thousands):

      

Balance, December 31, 2001

   $ 328

Add: Payments received

     758

Less: Revenue recognized

     758
    

Balance, December 31, 2002

     328

Add: Payments received

     2,095

Less: Revenue recognized

     1,096
    

Balance, December 31, 2003

   $ 1,327
    

 

Costs incurred under service contracts during the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003 amounted to $408,000 and $780,000, respectively, and are recognized as incurred.

 

F-14


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

NOTE 5 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:

 

Facility lease

 

The Company leases its office and manufacturing facilities under two noncancelable operating leases which expire in 2005 and 2014. The aggregate future minimum rental payments required under the noncancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2003 are as follows (in thousands):

 

Years Ending December 31,


    

2004

   $ 679

2005

     632

2006

     600

2007

     713

2008

     792

2009 and thereafter

     6,415
    

Future minimum rental payments

   $ 9,831
    

 

Rent expense was $183,000, $189,000 and $193,000 for the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

 

On February 17, 2004, the Company terminated one of its facilities operating leases and incurred a termination charge of $250,000. The termination of this agreement resulted in a reduction of the Company’s operating lease commitments of $166,000 and $152,000 for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005, respectively.

 

Contingencies

 

In February 2002, Palomar Medical Technologies (“Palomar”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts. The plaintiff alleges that by making, using, selling or offering for sale the Company’s CoolGlide CV, CoolGlide Excel, CoolGlide Vantage and CoolGlide Xeo products, the Company is willfully and deliberately infringing U.S. Patent No. 5,735,844. This patent concerns a method and apparatus for removing hair with light energy. Massachusetts General Hospital (“MGH”) later joined the lawsuit as an additional plaintiff, since Palomar is the exclusive licensee, and MGH is the owner, of the patent at issue in the lawsuit. Palomar and MGH are seeking to enjoin the Company from selling products found to infringe the patent, and to obtain compensatory and treble damages, reasonable costs and attorney’s fees, and other relief as the court deems just and proper. The Company is defending the action vigorously, claiming that its products do not infringe the patent, and that the patent is invalid and unenforceable. Additionally, the Company has filed a counterclaim alleging that the patent should be declared unenforceable because of inappropriate actions taken by the plaintiffs during that patent’s prosecution with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The litigation is currently active and the Company is awaiting a ruling from the judge and a claims construction, or “Markman,” hearing held in June 2003 involving disputed claims terms of the patent. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses of non-infringement and invalidity in this action. However, litigation is unpredictable and the Company may not prevail in successfully defending or asserting its position. If the Company does not prevail, it may be ordered to pay substantial damages for past sales and an ongoing royalty for future sales of products found to infringe. The Company could also be ordered to stop selling any products that perform hair removal, currently representing substantially all of its revenues.

 

In April 2002, Allied Health Association, a privately-held distributor of healthcare and beauty products, filed a lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court, District of Colorado. The plaintiff claims that

 

F-15


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

the Company wrongfully terminated a contract providing for the plaintiff to act as the exclusive U.S. distributor for the Company’s CoolGlide product to non-physician markets, by terminating the contract and distributing the products directly to the non-physician U.S. market. The plaintiff also claims unjust enrichment. The Company has filed counterclaims, alleging fraud and breach of contract. The litigation is currently in an active discovery phase. The Company estimates that Allied Health is claiming approximately $700,000 in actual damages plus punitive damages. The Company believes the plaintiff’s claims are without merit and intends to defend the action vigorously.

 

From time to time, the Company may become involved in litigation relating to claims arising from the ordinary course of business. Management does not believe the final disposition of these matters will have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

 

NOTE 6 — REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK:

 

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

 

As of December 31, 2002 and 2003, the Company had redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as follows (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

     2002

   2003

Total authorized shares:

     4,784      4,784
    

  

Outstanding shares:

             

Series A

     2,000      2,000

Series B

     2,675      2,725
    

  

Total outstanding shares

     4,675      4,725
    

  

Liquidation and redemption amount:

             

Series A

   $ 2,000    $ 2,000

Series B

     5,350      5,450
    

  

Total liquidation and redemption amount

   $ 7,350    $ 7,450
    

  

Proceeds, net of issuance costs:

             

Series A

   $ 1,945    $ 1,945

Series B

     5,327      5,427
    

  

Total proceeds, net of issuance costs

   $ 7,272    $ 7,372
    

  

 

Dividend rights

 

The holders of shares of Series A and Series B preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends at the rate of $0.08 and $0.16 per share, respectively, per year. Dividends on preferred stock are in preference to and prior to any payment of any dividend on common stock. Such dividends are payable if, when, and as declared by the Board of Directors, and are not cumulative. As of December 31, 2003 no dividends had been declared.

 

Liquidation rights

 

In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of shares of preferred stock are entitled to receive, prior and in preference to any distribution of any of the assets of the Company to the holders of common stock, an amount per share equal to $1.00 and $2.00 for each outstanding share of Series A and Series B preferred stock, respectively (as adjusted for any stock dividends, combinations, or splits) plus any declared but unpaid dividends on such shares. In the event that upon liquidation or dissolution, the assets and funds of the Company are insufficient to permit the payment to preferred stockholders of the full preferential

 

F-16


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

amounts, then the entire assets and funds of the Company legally available for distribution are to be distributed ratably among the holders of the shares of preferred stock in proportion to the full preferential amount each such holder is otherwise entitled to receive.

 

Conversion rights

 

Each share of preferred stock, at the option of the holder, is convertible into a number of fully paid shares of common stock as determined by dividing the respective preferred stock issue price by the conversion price in effect at the time. The initial conversion price per share of Series A and Series B preferred stock is $1.00 and $2.00, respectively, and is subject to adjustment in accordance with conversion provisions contained in the Company’s certificate of incorporation. Conversion is automatic immediately upon closing of a firm commitment underwritten public offering in which the public offering price equals or exceeds $8.00 per share (adjusted to reflect subsequent stock dividends, stock splits or recapitalization) and the aggregate proceeds raised exceed $15,000,000.

 

Voting rights

 

The holder of each share of Series A and Series B preferred stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock into which it could be converted.

 

Redemption rights

 

The holders of the Series A and Series B preferred stock are entitled at any time after November 10, 2004 with the approval of 50% of the then outstanding Series A and Series B preferred stockholders to require the Company to redeem all shares of Series A and Series B preferred stock in three annual installments.

 

The redemption price for Series A and Series B preferred stock is $1.00 and $2.00 per share, respectively, plus an amount equal to declared and unpaid dividends on such shares.

 

As of December 31, 2003, the Company is required, upon approval, to redeem the preferred stock as follows:

 

     Series A

   Series B

   Total

Years Ending December 31,


   Shares

   Amount

   Shares

   Amount

   Shares

   Amount

2004

   666,667    $ 666,667    891,667    $ 1,783,334    1,558,334    $ 2,450,001

2005

   666,667      666,667    891,667      1,783,334    1,558,334      2,450,001

2006

   666,666      666,666    941,666      1,883,332    1,608,332      2,549,998
    
  

  
  

  
  

     2,000,000    $ 2,000,000    2,725,000    $ 5,450,000    4,725,000    $ 7,450,000
    
  

  
  

  
  

 

Stock warrants

 

In February 1999, in connection with a line of credit agreement, the Company issued a warrant to purchase 9,000 shares of Series A preferred stock at $1.00 per share. The warrant may be exercised within five years of the date of grant. The value of the warrant was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and deemed insignificant. The warrant was outstanding at December 31, 2003.

 

In September 1999, the Company issued a warrant to purchase 50,000 shares of Series B preferred stock at $2.00 per share. The warrant may be exercised within four years of the date of grant. The value of the warrant was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and deemed insignificant. The warrant was fully exercised during the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

F-17


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

In May 2000, in connection with an amended line of credit agreement, the Company issued a warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of Series B preferred stock at $2.00 per share. The warrant may be exercised within seven years of the date of grant. The value of the warrant was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and deemed insignificant. The warrant was outstanding at December 31, 2003.

 

NOTE 7 — STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT):

 

Common stock

 

Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. The holders of common stock are also entitled to receive dividends whenever funds are legally available and when declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the prior rights of the preferred stockholders.

 

Shares of common stock were issued to the founders and other key persons under purchase agreements. Some of these agreements contain provisions for the repurchase of unvested shares by the Company upon the termination of employment or services to the Company. The number of shares subject to repurchase is generally reduced by 25% of the initial number issued at the vesting commencement date and 1/36th of the remaining shares each month thereafter that the holder continues to serve as an employee, director or consultant. At December 31, 2003, there were no outstanding shares of common stock subject to repurchase.

 

Stock option plan

 

In 1998, the Company adopted the 1998 Stock Plan (the “1998 Plan”) under which 4,650,000 shares of the Company’s common stock have been reserved for issuance to employees, directors and consultants. Options granted under the 1998 Plan may be incentive stock options or non-statutory stock options. Stock purchase rights may also be granted under the 1998 Plan. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees. The Board of Directors determines the period over which options become exercisable, however, except in the case of options granted to officers, directors and consultants, options shall become exercisable at a rate of no less than 20% per year over five years from the date the options are granted. Options are to be granted at an exercise price not less than the fair market value per share on the grant date for incentive options or 85% of fair market value for nonqualified stock options. For employees holding more than 10% of the voting rights of all classes of stock, the exercise price shall not be less than 110% of the fair market value per share on the grant date. Options granted under the 1998 Plan generally become exercisable 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and an additional 1/48th of the total number of shares subject to the option shares shall become exercisable on the last day of each calendar month thereafter until all of the shares have become exercisable. Unvested options that have been exercised are subject to repurchase upon termination of the holder’s status as an employee, director or consultant. The term of the options is ten years.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Activity under the 1998 Plan is summarized as follows:

 

    

Shares
Available
for Grant


    Options Outstanding

       Number of
Shares


    Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price


Balances, December 31, 2000

   83,500     2,645,750     $ 0.18

Additional shares reserved

   1,100,000            

Options granted

   (1,050,150 )   1,050,150     $ 3.26

Options exercised

       (224,427 )   $ 0.24

Options cancelled

   301,202     (301,202 )   $ 0.61
    

 

     

Balances, December 31, 2001

   434,552     3,170,271     $ 1.33

Additional shares reserved

   800,000            

Options granted

   (809,732 )   809,732     $ 4.25

Options exercised

       (123,230 )   $ 0.19

Options cancelled

   200,107     (200,107 )   $ 4.33
    

 

     

Balances, December 31, 2002

   624,927     3,656,666     $ 1.85

Options granted

   (944,500 )   944,500     $ 6.67

Options exercised

       (266,130 )   $ 0.41

Options cancelled

   543,123     (543,123 )   $ 4.02
    

 

     

Balances, December 31, 2003

   223,550     3,791,913     $ 2.83
    

 

     

 

The following table summarizes information concerning outstanding and exercisable options as of December 31, 2003.

 

     Options Outstanding

   Options Exercisable

Exercise Price


   Number
Outstanding


   Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in years)


   Number
Outstanding


   Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price


$  0.10

   1,547,200    5.67    1,547,200      $  0.10

$  0.20

   26,667    5.89    26,605      $  0.20

$  0.50

   175,792    6.51    154,741      $  0.50

$  0.75

   47,146    7.05    33,844      $  0.75

$  2.50

   205,546    7.41    129,174      $  2.50

$  3.00

   62,000    7.50    39,750      $  3.00

$  4.25

   1,150,562    8.91    275,801      $  4.25

$  4.50

   119,000    7.64    69,417      $  4.50

$  5.50

   140,000    7.73    78,750      $  5.50

$  6.00

   83,000    9.68    3,500      $  6.00

$  6.50

   20,000    7.78    14,042      $  6.50

$  7.25

   5,000    7.90    2,604      $  7.25

$13.80

   210,000    9.93    5,000      $13.80
    
       
      
     3,791,913    7.31    2,380,428    $   1.19
    
       
      

 

As of December 31, 2002, there were 1,979,059 outstanding options that were exercisable.

 

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CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

Stock-based compensation

 

During the years ended December 31, 2001 and 2003, the Company issued options to certain employees and directors under the 1998 Plan with exercise prices below the estimated fair value, determined with hindsight, of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. In accordance with the requirements of APB No. 25, the Company has recorded deferred stock-based compensation for the difference between the exercise price of the stock options and the estimated fair value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. This deferred stock-based compensation is being amortized to expense on a straight-line-basis over the period during which the Company’s right to repurchase the stock lapses or the options become vested, generally four years. During the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Company recorded deferred stock-based compensation in the amount of $4,206,000, $0 and $4,101,000, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003, the Company reversed deferred stock-based compensation of $78,000 and $1,510,000, respectively, for options cancelled in connection with employee terminations. During the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Company recorded employee stock-based compensation expense of $487,000, $1,026,000 and $1,318,000, respectively.

 

Stock-based compensation expense related to stock options granted to non-employees is recognized on a straight-line-basis as the stock options are earned in accordance with SFAS No. 123. The Company believes that the fair values of the stock options are more reliably measurable than the fair values of the services received. The estimated fair values of the stock options granted are calculated at each reporting date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, as prescribed by SFAS No. 123, using the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Risk-free interest rate

   5.32 %   4.59 %   4.19 %

Contractual life (in years)

   10     10     10  

Dividend yield

            

Expected volatility

   80 %   80 %   80 %

 

The stock-based compensation expense related to non-employees will fluctuate as the deemed fair market value of the common stock fluctuates as the options are earned. In connection with the grants of stock options to non-employees during the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $265,000, $171,000 and $106,000, respectively.

 

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CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

NOTE 8 — INCOME TAXES:

 

The components of the provision for income taxes are as follows (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Current:

                        

Federal

   $ 1,129     $ 990     $ 2,413  

State

     72       69       214  

Foreign

           6       48  
    


 


 


       1,201       1,065       2,675  
    


 


 


Deferred:

                        

Federal

     (130 )     (210 )     (606 )

State

     31       (100 )     19  

Change in valuation allowance

     (760 )            
    


 


 


       (859 )     (310 )     (587 )
    


 


 


Total provision for income taxes

   $ 342     $ 755     $ 2,088  
    


 


 


 

The Company’s deferred tax asset consists of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,

     2002

   2003

Capitalized start-up costs

   $ 11    $ 13

Credits

     106     

Accrued warranty

     575      656

Other Accruals and reserves

     204      659

Stock-based compensation

     167      384

Depreciation and amortization

     106      44
    

  

Deferred tax asset

   $ 1,169    $ 1,756
    

  

 

The differences between the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax are as follows:

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

 

Tax at federal statutory rate

   34.00 %   34.00 %   34.00 %

State, net of federal benefit

   5.83     4.34     4.58  

Meals and entertainment

   2.38     2.45     0.67  

Benefit for research and development credit

   (3.76 )   (25.62 )   (4.62 )

Stock-based compensation

       41.03     5.92  

Change in valuation allowance

   (28.35 )        

Other

   2.64     (2.85 )   (0.35 )
    

 

 

Provision for taxes

   12.74 %   53.35 %   40.20 %
    

 

 

 

Management evaluates on a periodic basis the recoverability of deferred tax assets and the need for a valuation allowance. At December 31, 2001, the Company released its valuation allowance against its deferred tax asset and recorded a benefit of $760,000 that, in the opinion of management, is more likely than not to be realized.

 

F-21


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

NOTE 9 — NET INCOME PER SHARE:

 

Basic net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by giving effect to all dilutive potential common shares, including options, common stock subject to repurchase, warrants and redeemable convertible preferred stock. A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used in the calculation of historical basic and diluted net income per share follows (in thousands):

 

     Years Ended December 31,

     2001

    2002

    2003

Numerator:

                      

Net income

   $ 2,339     $ 660     $ 3,106
    


 


 

Denominator:

                      

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding

     1,825       1,878       2,106

Less: Weighted-average shares subject to repurchase

     (345 )     (68 )    
    


 


 

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding used in computing basic net income per share

     1,480       1,810       2,106

Dilutive potential common shares used in computing diluted net income per share

     7,251       7,001       6,729
    


 


 

Total weighted-average number of shares used in computing diluted net income per share

     8,731       8,811       8,835
    


 


 

 

Anti-dilutive securities

 

The following outstanding options and warrants (prior to the application to the treasury stock method) were excluded from the computation of diluted net income per common share for the periods presented because including them would have had an antidilutive effect (in thousands):

 

     Years Ended December 31,

     2001

   2002

   2003

Options to purchase common stock

   85       210
    
  
  

 

NOTE 10 — EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN:

 

In April 1999, the Company adopted a defined contribution retirement plan (the “plan”), which qualifies under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The plan covers all employees. Eligible employees may make voluntary contributions to the plan up to 15% of their annual compensation, subject to statutory annual limitations, and the Company is allowed to make discretionary contributions. During the years ended December 31, 2001, 2002, 2003, the Company made contributions of $124,000, $160,000 and $174,000, respectively, under the plan.

 

NOTE 11 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS:

 

Authorized number of common shares

 

On January 12, 2004, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation increasing the number of authorized common and preferred stock to 50,000,000 shares and 5,000,000 shares, respectively.

 

F-22


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

 

2004 Equity Incentive Plan

 

On January 12, 2004, the Board of Directors adopted the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. A total of 1,750,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. In addition, the shares reserved for issuance under the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan included shares reserved but unissued under the 1998 Plan and shares returned to the 1998 Plan as the result of termination of options or the repurchase of shares.

 

2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

On January 12, 2004, the Board of Directors adopted the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. A total of 200,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

F-23


Table of Contents

Cutera Artwork — Edgar Descriptions

 

Inside Back Cover

 

Many Procedures. Any Patient. One Platform.

 

[Image of young woman beside images of all four CoolGlide systems. Under each system appears the name of the system and its function, as follows: “CoolGlide CV, Hair Removal,” “CoolGlide Excel, Vein Treatments, Hair Removal,” “CoolGlide Vantage, Skin Rejuvenation, Vein Treatments, Hair Removal,” and “CoolGlide Xeo, Pigmented Lesion Treatments, Skin Rejuvenation, Vein Treatments, Hair Removal.”]

 

CUTERA

www.cutera.com


Table of Contents

3,582,000 Shares

 

 

 

 

CUTERA, INC.

 

 

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

LOGO

 

 

 

 


PROSPECTUS


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until                         , 2004, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

 

 

 

Piper Jaffray

 

 

SG Cowen

 

 

RBC Capital Markets

 

 

 

 

                , 2004


Table of Contents

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 13.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by Cutera in connection with the sale of the common stock being registered hereby. All amounts are estimates except the SEC Registration Fee and the NASD filing fee.

 

     Amount
to be Paid


Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee

   $ 5,850

NASD filing fee

     7,687

Nasdaq National Market listing fee

     100,000

Blue Sky fees and expenses

     10,000

Printing and Engraving expenses

     250,000

Legal fees and expenses

     500,000

Accounting fees and expenses

     700,000

Transfer Agent and Registrar fees

     5,000

Miscellaneous

     121,463
    

Total

   $ 1,700,000
    

 

ITEM 14.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to include in its charter documents, and in agreements between the corporation and its directors and officers, provisions expanding the scope of indemnification beyond that specifically provided by the current law.

 

Article VII of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for the indemnification of directors to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law.

 

Article VI of our Bylaws provides for the indemnification of officers, directors and third parties acting on our behalf if such person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in and not opposed to our best interest and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the indemnified party had no reason to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors, executive officers and others, in addition to indemnification provided for in our Bylaws, and intend to enter into indemnification agreements with any new directors and executive officers in the future.

 

The Purchase Agreement (Exhibit 1.1 hereto) provides for indemnification by the underwriters of us and our executive officers and directors, and by us of the underwriters for certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act, in connection with matters specifically provided in writing by the underwriters for inclusion in the registration statement.

 

We have purchased and intend to maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer against any loss arising from any claim asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, subject to certain exclusions.

 

See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 17 herein.

 

II-1


Table of Contents

ITEM 15.    Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

We have issued and sold the following securities:

 

1.  From August 1998 through January 31, 2004, we granted options to purchase 5,549,382 shares of our common stock at prices ranging from $0.10 to $13.80 per share, 688,137 of which were exercised at prices ranging from $0.10 to $3.00 per share.

 

2.  On November 12, 1999, we issued and sold to 6 private investors an aggregate of 2,675,000 shares of Series B preferred stock (convertible into an aggregate of 2,675,000 shares of common stock) at a purchase price per share of common stock of $2.00.

 

3.  On November 19, 1998, we issued and sold to 18 private investors an aggregate of 2.0 million shares of Series A preferred stock (convertible into an aggregate of 2.0 million shares of common stock) at a purchase price per share of common stock of $1.00.

 

4.  On September 10, 2003, we issued and sold to MedVenture Associates III, LP 47,960 shares of Series B preferred stock and MedVen Affiliates III, LP 2,040 shares of Series B preferred stock upon their exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase Series B preferred stock at an exercise price per share of Series B preferred stock of $2.00.

 

5.  On February 11, 1999 and May 24, 2000, we issued and sold to Silicon Valley Bank a warrant to purchase 9,000 shares of our Series A preferred stock at an exercise price per share of Series A preferred stock of $1.00 per share and a warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of our Series B preferred stock at an exercise price per share of Series B preferred stock of $2.00 per share, respectively.

 

As of January 31, 2004, there were outstanding warrants to purchase 9,000 shares of our Series A convertible preferred stock and 11,000 shares of our Series B convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.00 per share and $2.00 per share, respectively. Assuming conversion of Series A and Series B convertible preferred stock into common stock upon completion of this offering, the warrant to purchase Series A preferred stock will be exercisable for 9,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 per share, and the warrant to purchase Series B preferred stock will be exercisable for 11,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share. The warrant to purchase 9,000 shares of Series A preferred stock is exercisable at any time prior to February 2004, and the warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of Series B preferred stock is exercisable at any time prior to May 2007. We issued the warrants to Silicon Valley Bank in connection with a line of credit.

 

The sales of the above securities were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to items 2, 3, 4 and 5 above in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and with respect to Item 1 above Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering or transactions pursuant to compensatory benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation as provided under such Rule 701. The recipients of securities in each such transaction represented their intention to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were affixed to the share certificates and warrants issued in such transactions. All recipients had adequate access, through their relationships with us, to information about us.

 

II-2


Table of Contents

ITEM 16.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description


  1.1    Form of Purchase Agreement.
  3.1*    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Delaware) as currently in effect and the Certificate of Amendments thereto.
  3.2    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Delaware) to be effective upon closing of the offering.
  3.3*    Bylaws of the Registrant as currently in effect.
  3.4*    Bylaws of the Registrant to be effective upon the closing of the offering.
  4.1*    Specimen Common Stock certificate of the Registrant.
  5.1    Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation.
10.1*    Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and executive officers.
10.2*    1998 Stock Plan.
10.3*    2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
10.4*    2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
10.5*    Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement dated November 12, 1999 by and among the Registrant and certain stockholders.
10.6*    Brisbane Technology Park Lease dated August 5, 2003 by and between the Registrant and Gal-Brisbane, L.P. for office space located at 3240 Bayshore Boulevard, Brisbane, California.
10.7†    Sales Agent Agreement dated February 14, 2003 by and between the Registrant and PSS World Medical, Inc. and the Amendments thereto.
23.1    Consent of Independent Accountants.
23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation (See Exhibit 5.1).
24.1*    Power of Attorney (see page II-5 of prior filing).

* Previously filed.
Portions of the Exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.

 

(b) Schedule II—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

 

Schedules not listed above have been omitted because they are inapplicable or the requested information is shown in the financial statements of the Registrant or notes thereto.

 

II-3


Table of Contents

CUTERA, INC.

 

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in thousands)

 

     Balance at
Beginning of
Period


   Additions

   Deductions

   Balance at
End of
Period


Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable

                           

Year ended December 31, 2001

   $ 8    $ 77    $ 4    $ 81

Year ended December 31, 2002

   $ 81    $ 141    $ 82    $ 140

Year ended December 31, 2003

   $ 140    $ 333    $ 166    $ 307

Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory

                           

Year ended December 31, 2001

   $    $ 542    $ 488    $ 54

Year ended December 31, 2002

   $ 54    $ 993    $ 923    $ 124

Year ended December 31, 2003

   $ 124    $ 139    $ 60    $ 203

 

ITEM 17.    Undertakings

 

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the Purchase Agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

Insofar as indemnification by the Registrant for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 14 or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of Prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

II-4


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Brisbane, State of California, on the 27th day of February 2004.

 

CUTERA, INC.

By:

 

/S/    KEVIN P. CONNORS        


    Kevin P. Connors
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

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

 

Signature


  

Title


 

Date


/s/    KEVIN P. CONNORS        


Kevin P. Connors

  

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)

  February 27, 2004

/s/    RONALD J. SANTILLI*      


Ronald J. Santilli

  

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration (Principal Accounting Officer)

  February 27, 2004

/s/    DAVID A. GOLLNICK*      


David A. Gollnick

  

Vice President of Research and Development and Director

  February 27, 2004

/s/    DAVID B. APFELBERG*      


David B. Apfelberg

  

Director

  February 27, 2004

/s/    ANNETTE J. CAMPBELL-WHITE*      


Annette J. Campbell-White

  

Director

  February 27, 2004

/s/    GUY P. NOHRA*      


Guy P. Nohra

  

Director

  February 27, 2004

*By:      /s/    KEVIN P. CONNORS


Kevin P. Connors

Attorney-in-Fact

        

 

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Table of Contents

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description


  1.1    Form of Purchase Agreement.
  3.1*    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Delaware) as currently in effect and the Certificate of Amendments thereto.
  3.2    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Delaware) to be effective upon closing of the offering.
  3.3*    Bylaws of the Registrant as currently in effect.
  3.4*    Bylaws of the Registrant to be effective upon the closing of the offering.
  4.1*    Specimen Common Stock certificate of the Registrant.
  5.1    Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation.
10.1*    Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and executive officers.
10.2*    1998 Stock Plan.
10.3*    2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
10.4*    2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
10.5*    Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement dated November 12, 1999 by and among the Registrant and certain stockholders.
10.6*    Brisbane Technology Park Lease dated August 5, 2003 by and between the Registrant and Gal-Brisbane, L.P. for office space located at 3240 Bayshore Boulevard, Brisbane, California.
10.7†    Sales Agent Agreement dated February 14, 2003 by and between the Registrant and PSS World Medical, Inc. and the Amendments thereto.
23.1    Consent of Independent Accountants.
23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation (See Exhibit 5.1).
24.1*    Power of Attorney (see page II-5 of prior filing).

* Previously filed.
Portions of the Exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
Form of Purchase Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

 

             Shares1

 

Cutera, Inc.

 

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

 

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

                                , 2004

 

PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

SG COWEN SECURITIES CORPORATION

RBC DAIN RAUSCHER INC.

 As Representatives of the several

  Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto

c/o Piper Jaffray & Co.

U.S. Bancorp Center

800 Nicollet Mall

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Cutera, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the stockholders of the Company listed in Schedule I hereto (the “Selling Stockholders”) severally propose to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (each an “Underwriter” and collectively, the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of              shares (the “Firm Shares”) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. The Firm Shares consist of          authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company and          outstanding shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders. The Company has also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to          additional shares of Common Stock on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 3 hereof (the “Option Shares”). The Firm Shares and any Option Shares purchased pursuant to this Purchase Agreement are herein collectively called the “Securities.”

 

The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm their agreement with respect to the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters, for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”).

 

1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-                        ) with respect to the Securities, including a preliminary form of prospectus, has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the


1 Plus an option to purchase up to                  additional shares to cover over-allotments.

 


Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (“Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder and has been filed with the Commission; one or more amendments to such registration statement have also been so prepared and have been, or will be, so filed; and, if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement with respect to such increase pursuant to Rule 462(b). Copies of such registration statement(s) and amendments and each related preliminary prospectus have been delivered to you.

 

If the Company has elected not to rely upon Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, the Company has prepared and will promptly file an amendment to the registration statement and an amended prospectus (including a term sheet meeting the requirements of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations). If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, it will prepare and file a prospectus (or a term sheet meeting the requirements of Rule 434) pursuant to Rule 424(b) that discloses the information previously omitted from the prospectus in reliance upon Rule 430A. Such registration statement as amended at the time it is or was declared effective by the Commission, and, in the event of any amendment thereto after the effective date and prior to the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), such registration statement as so amended (but only from and after the effectiveness of such amendment), including a registration statement (if any) filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations increasing the size of the offering registered under the Act and information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rules 430A(b) and 434(d) of the Rules and Regulations, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it is or was declared effective by the Commission is hereinafter called the “Prospectus,” except that if any prospectus (including any term sheet meeting the requirements of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations provided by the Company for use with a prospectus subject to completion within the meaning of Rule 434 in order to meet the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Act) filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (and Rule 434, if applicable) of the Rules and Regulations or any other such prospectus provided to the Underwriters by the Company for use in connection with the offering of the Securities (whether or not required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations) differs from the prospectus on file at the time the Registration Statement is or was declared effective by the Commission, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such differing prospectus (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) from and after the time such prospectus is filed with the Commission or transmitted to the Commission for filing pursuant to such Rule 424(b) (and Rule 434, if applicable) or from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriters by the Company for such use. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” as used herein means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the time it becomes or became effective under the Act and any prospectus subject to completion as described in Rule 430A or 434 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

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2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders.

 

(a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriters as follows:

 

(i) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; except that the foregoing shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof.

 

(ii) As of the time the Registration Statement (or any post-effective amendment thereto, including a registration statement (if any) filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations increasing the size of the offering registered under the Act) is or was declared effective by the Commission, upon the filing or first delivery to the Underwriters of the Prospectus (or any supplement to the Prospectus (including any term sheet meeting the requirements of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations)) and at the First Closing Date and Second Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), (A) the Registration Statement and Prospectus (in each case, as so amended and/or supplemented) conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, (B) the Registration Statement (as so amended) did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and (C) the Prospectus (as so supplemented) did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are or were made, not misleading; except that the foregoing shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof. If the Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

 

(iii) The consolidated financial statements of the Company, together with the related notes set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and fairly present the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods therein specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States consistently applied

 

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throughout the periods involved; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus. To the Company’s knowledge, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, is an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and such accountants, in the performance of their work for the Company, are not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). There are no material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that may have a material current or, to the Company’s knowledge, future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses.

 

(iv) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not have a material adverse change in the general affairs, condition (financial or otherwise), business, prospects, property, operations or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Change”).

 

(v) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; and there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants and except as set forth in the Prospectus), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt, or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock (other than issuances of options under existing plans described in the Prospectus, not exceeding the shares reserved for issuance thereunder as described in the Prospectus), of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any Material Adverse Change or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change.

 

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(vi) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any action, suit or proceeding to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company is the subject before or by any court or governmental agency, authority or body, or any arbitrator, which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change.

 

(vii) There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus or be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement by the Act or by the Rules and Regulations that have not been so described or filed.

 

(viii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, any agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property is subject, the Company’s charter or by-laws, or any order, rule, regulation or decree of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, that could, in the case of (i) and (iii), individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except such as may be required under the Act or state securities or blue sky laws; and the Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to authorize, issue and sell the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(ix) All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities that have not been waived in writing (a copy of which has been delivered to counsel to the Representatives), and the holders thereof are not subject to personal liability to the Company by reason of being such holders; the Securities which may be sold hereunder by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable, and the holders thereof will not be subject to personal liability to the Company by reason of being such holders; and the capital stock of the Company

 

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conforms to the description thereof in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. Except as set forth in the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated November 12, 1999, by and among the Company and the stockholders party thereto (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase (other than options under existing plans described in the Prospectus, not exceeding the shares reserved for issuance thereunder as described in the Prospectus, or outstanding warrants as set forth in the Prospectus), or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, by-laws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company that has not been fully complied with. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and the Company owns of record and beneficially, free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens, proxies, equities or other encumbrances, all of the issued and outstanding shares of such stock. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company or any subsidiary of the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company. The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(x) The Company and each of its subsidiaries holds, and is operating in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders of any governmental or self-regulatory body required for the conduct of its business and all such franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certifications and orders are valid and in full force and effect, except to such extent as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change; and the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all respects with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, orders and decrees, except to such extent that such non-compliance therewith would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(xi) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real or personal property described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects except those that would not, either individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries.

 

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(xii) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or possesses all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, tradenames, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in or necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, no name which the Company or any of its subsidiaries uses and no other aspect of the business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries involves or is expected to give rise to any infringement of, or license or similar fees for, any patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, tradenames, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets or other similar rights of others material to the business or prospects of the Company and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any such infringement or fee.

 

(xiii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its respective charter or by-laws or (B) in breach of or otherwise in default, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default in the performance of any obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note, indenture, loan agreement or any other contract, lease or other instrument to which it is subject or by which any of them may be bound, or to which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except in the case of (B) as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(xiv) The Company and its subsidiaries have timely filed all federal, state, local and foreign (A) income and franchise tax returns required to be filed and (B) other tax returns required to be filed, and are not in default in the payment of any material taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto, other than any which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is contesting in good faith or that, in the case of (B), would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(xv) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Act to be distributed by the Company.

 

(xvi) The Securities have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq National Market upon official notice of issuance and, on the date the Registration Statement became or becomes effective, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), became or will become effective.

 

(xvii) Other than the subsidiaries of the Company that are listed on Schedule III, none of which constitute a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is

 

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defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), the Company, directly or indirectly, owns no capital stock or other equity or ownership or proprietary interest in any corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity. None of the subsidiaries that are listed on Schedule III are domiciled within the United States.

 

(xviii) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the date of the most recent evaluation of such, there has been no change in internal control over financial reporting, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

(xix) Except as described in the Prospectus, the Company’s board of directors has validly appointed an audit committee whose composition satisfies the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(2) of the Rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD Rules”). The Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(1) of the NASD Rules. Neither the Company’s board of directors nor the audit committee has been informed, nor is any director of the Company aware, of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of the Company’s internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weakness in the Company’s internal controls; or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.

 

(xx) Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company has not incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(xxi) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates is presently doing business with the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.

 

(xxii) The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.

 

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(xxiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(xxiv) The Company is in compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that are effective and as to which the Company is required to be in compliance.

 

(xxv) No supplier of merchandise to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has ceased shipments of merchandise to the Company, which cessation would result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(xxvi) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any subsidiary on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Prospectus which is not so described. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any subsidiary, extended or maintained credit, or arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any of its directors or executive officers in violation of applicable laws, including Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(xxvii) The Company has materially complied with, is not in material violation of, and has not received any written notices of violation with respect to, any foreign, federal, state or local statute, law or regulation, including without limitation all statutes, rules, or regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company (“Applicable Laws”), or any license, certificate, approval, clearance, authorization, permit, supplement or amendment required by any Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”). The Company possesses all material Authorizations and such material Authorizations are in full force and effect. The Company is, and its products are, in compliance in all material respects with all Authorizations and Applicable Laws, including, but not limited to, all laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or orders administered, issued or enforced by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or any other federal or foreign governmental authority having authority over the Company or any of its products (“Governmental Authority”). The Company has not received from the FDA or any other Governmental Authority any notice of adverse findings, regulatory letters, notices of violations, Warning Letters, criminal proceeding notices under Section 305 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or other similar communication from the FDA or other Governmental Authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with Applicable Laws or any Authorizations, and there have been no seizures conducted or threatened by the FDA or other Governmental Authority, and no recalls, market withdrawals, field notifications, notifications of misbranding or adulteration, safety alerts or similar actions relating to the safety or efficacy of the Company’s

 

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products conducted, requested or threatened by the FDA or other Governmental Authority relating to the products sold by the Company. The Company has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal, safety alert, “dear doctor” letter, or other similar notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any of the Company’s products or any alleged product defect or violation, and the Company has no knowledge that any Governmental Authority has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action. The Company has not received notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other similar action from any Governmental Authority alleging that any product operation or activity is in material violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Authority is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding. Each regulatory submission for the Company’s products has been filed, cleared and maintained in compliance in all material respects with all Applicable Laws and Authorizations, including without limitation applicable federal statutes, rules, regulations or orders administered or promulgated by the FDA or other Governmental Authority, and all laboratory and clinical studies, and tests that support clearance of its products have been conducted in all material respects in compliance with accepted professional scientific standards and all Applicable Laws and Authorizations in all material respects. No filing or submission to the FDA or any other Governmental Authority, intended to be the basis for any Authorization, contains any material omission or material false information, and the Company has not received any notices or correspondence from any Governmental Authority (including, but not limited to, the FDA) requiring suspension of any studies, tests, or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company. There currently are not any clinical trials being conducted by or on behalf of the Company where the underlying data will or is intended to be submitted to the FDA. The Company is not aware of any facts which are reasonably likely to cause (A) the nonapproval or non-clearance, withdrawal, or recall of any products sold or intended to be sold by the Company, or (B) a change in the marketing classification or material warnings or contraindications that have been or need to be included on the product label, except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, (C) a termination or suspension of marketing clearance of any such products, or (D) a suspension or revocation of any of the Company’s Authorizations. The Company has not received notice (whether complete or pending) of any proceeding seeking recall, suspension or seizure of any products sold or proposed to be sold by the Company.

 

(xxviii) Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the scientific, statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are credible and generally recognized as authoritative in the Company’s industry.

 

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(b) Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriters as follows:

 

(i) Such Selling Stockholder is the record and beneficial owner of, and has, and on the First Closing Date will have, valid and marketable title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder, free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, restrictions on transferability, legends, proxies, equities or other encumbrances; and upon delivery of and payment for such Securities hereunder, the Underwriters will acquire valid and marketable title thereto, free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens, restrictions on transferability, legends, proxies, equities or other encumbrances. Such Selling Stockholder is selling the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder for such Selling Stockholder’s own account and is not selling such Securities, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of the Company, and no part of the proceeds of such sale received by such Selling Stockholder will inure, either directly or indirectly, to the benefit of the Company other than as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.

 

(ii) Such Selling Stockholder has duly authorized, executed and delivered a Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement (“Custody Agreement”), which Custody Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of such Selling Stockholder, to Computershare Trust Company, Inc., as custodian (the “Custodian”); pursuant to the Custody Agreement the Selling Stockholder has placed in custody with the Custodian, for delivery under this Agreement, certificates representing the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder, and/or the certificates representing shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock and/or Series B Preferred Stock (collectively, the “Preferred Shares”) that are convertible into shares of Common Stock to be sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement; and such certificates were duly and properly endorsed in blank for transfer, or were accompanied by all documents duly and properly executed that are necessary to validate the transfer of title thereto, to the Underwriters, free of any legend, restriction on transferability, proxy, lien or claim, whatsoever.

 

(iii) Such Selling Stockholder has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder; and such Selling Stockholder has duly authorized, executed and delivered the Custody Agreement to Kevin P. Connors and Ronald J. Santilli, as attorneys-in-fact (the “Attorneys-in-Fact”), which contains an irrevocable power of attorney (a “Power of Attorney”) authorizing and directing the Attorneys-in-Fact, or either of them, to effect the sale and delivery of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, to enter into this Agreement and to take all such other action as may be necessary hereunder.

 

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(iv) This Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney have each been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder and each constitutes a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder or thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity. The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the performance of the terms hereof and thereof and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound, or any law, regulation, order or decree applicable to such Selling Stockholder; no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the sale of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, except such as may be required under the Act or state securities laws or blue sky laws.

 

(v) Such Selling Stockholder has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Act to be distributed by such Selling Stockholder.

 

(vi) Such Selling Stockholder has reviewed the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and (A) neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact regarding such Selling Stockholder or omits to state any material fact regarding such Selling Stockholder required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading regarding such Selling Stockholder, and (B) to the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact regarding the Company or omits to state any material fact regarding the Company required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(vii) To the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder, the representations and warranties of the Company contained in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 are true and correct.

 

(c) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; any certificate signed by or on behalf of any Selling Stockholder as such and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with

 

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the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Securities.

 

(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell              Firm Shares, and each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder in Schedule I hereto, to the Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholders the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule II hereto. The purchase price for each Firm Share shall be $     per share. The obligation of each Underwriter to each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be to purchase from each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders that number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by the Representatives to avoid fractional shares) which represents the same proportion of the number of Firm Shares to be sold by each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule II hereto represents to the total number of Firm Shares to be purchased by all Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. In making this Agreement, each Underwriter is contracting severally and not jointly; except as provided in paragraph (c) of this Section 3 and in Section 8 hereof, the agreement of each Underwriter is to purchase only the respective number of Firm Shares specified in Schedule II.

 

The Firm Shares will be delivered by the Company and the Custodian to you for the accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of same day funds payable to the order of the Company and the Custodian, as appropriate, at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 135 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California, or such other location as may be mutually acceptable, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific time on the third (or if the Securities are priced, as contemplated by Rule 15c6-1(c) under the Exchange Act, after 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, the fourth) full business day following the date hereof, or at such other time and date as you and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Exchange Act, such time and date of delivery being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date.” If the

 

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Representatives so elect, delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made by credit through full fast transfer to the accounts at The Depository Trust Company designated by the Representatives. Certificates representing the Firm Shares, in definitive form and in such denominations and registered in such names as you may request upon at least two business days’ prior notice to the Company and the Custodian, will be made available for checking and packaging not later than 9:30 a.m., Pacific time, on the business day next preceding the First Closing Date at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 135 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California, or such other location as may be mutually acceptable.

 

(b) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants to the Underwriters an option to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares at the same purchase price as the Firm Shares, for use solely in covering any over-allotments made by the Underwriters in the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised in whole or in part at any time (but not more than once) within 30 days after the effective date of this Agreement upon notice (confirmed in writing) by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Option Shares are to be registered and the date and time, as determined by you, when the Option Shares are to be delivered, such time and date being herein referred to as the “Second Closing” and “Second Closing Date,” respectively; provided, however, that the Second Closing Date shall not be earlier than the First Closing Date nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. If the option is exercised, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of Option Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters as the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter is of the total number of Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters, as adjusted by the Representatives in such manner as the Representatives deem advisable to avoid fractional shares. No Option Shares shall be sold and delivered unless the Firm Shares previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered.

 

The Option Shares will be delivered by the Company to you for the accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of same day funds payable to the order of the Company at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 135 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California, or such other location as may be mutually acceptable at 8:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the Second Closing Date. If the Representatives so elect, delivery of the Option Shares shall be made by credit through full fast transfer to the accounts at The Depository Trust Company designated by the Representatives. Certificates representing the Option Shares in definitive form and in such denominations and registered in such names as you have set forth in your notice of option exercise, will be made available for checking and packaging not later than 9:30 a.m., Pacific time, on the business day next preceding the Second Closing Date at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 135 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California, or such other location as may be mutually acceptable.

 

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(c) It is understood that you, individually and not as Representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, on behalf of any Underwriter for the Securities to be purchased by such Underwriter. Any such payment by you shall not relieve any such Underwriter of any of its obligations hereunder. Nothing herein contained shall constitute any of the Underwriters an unincorporated association or partner with the Company or any Selling Stockholder.

 

4. Covenants.

 

(a) The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriters as follows:

 

(i) If the Registration Statement has not already been declared effective by the Commission, the Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto to become effective as promptly as possible; the Company will notify you promptly of the time when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has become effective or any supplement to the Prospectus (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or additional information; if the Company has elected to rely on Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, the Company will prepare and file a Prospectus (or term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) containing the information omitted therefrom pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations with the Commission within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rules 424(b), 430A and 434, if applicable, of the Rules and Regulations; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act, the Company will prepare and file a registration statement with respect to such increase with the Commission within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rule 462(b); the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon your request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) that, in your opinion, are necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus and will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) to which the Representatives shall reasonably object, unless legal counsel to the Company advises the Company that the filing of such amendment or supplement (or any such term sheet) is required by applicable laws or regulations.

 

(ii) The Company will advise you, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the

 

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qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and the Company will promptly use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.

 

(iii) Within the time during which a prospectus (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company will comply as far as it is able with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify you and will amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.

 

(iv) The Company shall take or cause to be taken all necessary action to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such states in the United States as you reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities, except that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any state.

 

(v) The Company will furnish to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all consents and exhibits filed therewith), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations) to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request.

 

(vi) During a period of five years commencing with the date hereof, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, and to each Underwriter who may so request in writing, copies of all periodic and special reports furnished to the stockholders of the Company and all information, documents and reports filed with the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., Nasdaq or any securities exchange (other than any such information, documents and reports that are filed with the Commission electronically via EDGAR or any successor system).

 

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(vii) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12-month period beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(viii) The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is prevented from becoming effective under the provisions of Section 9(a) hereof or is terminated, will pay or cause to be paid (A) all expenses (including transfer taxes allocated to the respective transferees) incurred in connection with the delivery to the Underwriters of the Securities, (B) all expenses and fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and counsel but, except as otherwise provided below, not including fees of the Underwriters’ counsel) in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, delivery, and shipping of the Registration Statement (including the financial statements therein and all amendments, schedules, and exhibits thereto), the Securities, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, and the printing, delivery, and shipping of this Agreement and other underwriting documents, including Blue Sky Memoranda (covering the states and other applicable jurisdictions), (C) all filing fees and reasonable fees and disbursements of the Underwriters’ counsel incurred in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the Underwriters or by dealers under the securities or blue sky laws of the states and other jurisdictions which you shall designate, (D) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar, (E) the filing fees incident to any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (F) listing fees, if any, (G) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants (other than consultants engaged by the underwriters, unless approved in writing by the Company as contemplated by Section 4(a)(viii)(H) below) engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and any such consultants; provided, however, that travel and lodging costs not attributable solely to the Company (i.e., shared travel costs such as a chartered aircraft) shall be shared equally by the Company and the Underwriters and (H) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein; provided, however, that (i) the Underwriters shall bear the cost of travel and lodging for the Underwriters in connection with the investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities; provided, however, that travel and lodging costs not attributable solely to the Underwriters (i.e., shared travel costs such as a chartered aircraft) shall be shared equally by the Company and the Underwriters and (ii) costs and expenses not otherwise specifically provided for herein that are directly incurred by the Underwriters shall be approved in

 

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advance by the Company if such costs and expenses are greater than $5,000 individually or in the aggregate. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated by reason of action by the Company pursuant to Section 9(a) hereof which prevents this Agreement from becoming effective, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholders to perform any agreement on its or their part to be performed, or because any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by the Company or the Selling Stockholders is not fulfilled, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket disbursements (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with their investigation, preparing to market and marketing the Securities or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder. The Company shall in no event be liable to any of the Underwriters for loss of anticipated profits from the transactions covered by this Agreement.

 

(ix) The Company intends to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to be sold by it hereunder for the purposes set forth in the Prospectus and report the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(x) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Piper Jaffray & Co., from the date of execution of this Agreement and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”) offer for sale; sell; contract to sell; pledge; grant any option for the sale of; or otherwise issue or dispose of, directly or indirectly (or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge, grant, issuance or other disposition), any Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for, or any options or rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock, except (i) to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) to directors, employees and consultants pursuant to the exercise of options granted pursuant to the Company’s 1998 Stock Option Plan prior to the date of the Prospectus, (iii) to employees pursuant to the Company’s 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan after the date of the Prospectus, (iv) options granted to directors, employees and consultants pursuant to the Company’s 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, (v) to Silicon Valley Bank upon exercise of its Warrant to purchase 9,000 shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, dated February 11, 1999 and (vi) to Silicon Valley Bank upon exercise of its Warrant to purchase 11,000 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, dated May 24, 2000. The Company agrees not to accelerate the vesting of any option or warrant or the lapse of any repurchase right prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, unless all securities of the Company owned by such person are subject to the restrictions set forth in this paragraph (x).

 

(xi) The Company either has caused to be delivered to you or will cause to be delivered to you prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement a letter from each of the Company’s directors and officers and greater than 1% stockholders of the Company, including entities affiliated with MedVenture Associates

 

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and funds affiliated with Alta Partners, stating that such person or entity, as the case may be, agrees that he or she will not, without your prior written consent, offer for sale, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, as set forth in such letter, any shares of Common Stock or rights to purchase Common Stock, except to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, for a period of 180 days after commencement of the public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters (the “Lock-Up Agreements”). The Company will enforce the terms of each Lock-Up Agreement and issue stop-transfer instructions to the transfer agent for the Common Stock with respect to any transaction or contemplated transaction that would constitute a breach of or default under the applicable Lock-Up Agreement. The Company agrees not to waive, or otherwise release any stockholder from, and to take all action necessary to enforce the restrictions set forth in, Section 3.10 of the Investor Rights Agreement.

 

(xii) The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has not effected any sales of Common Stock which are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Act which have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

(xiii) The Company will not incur any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(xiv) The Company will file with the Commission such periodic and special reports as required by the Rules and Regulations.

 

(xv) The Company and its subsidiaries will maintain such controls and other procedures that are required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the applicable regulations thereunder, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and its principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its subsidiaries, is made known to them by others within those entities.

 

(xvi) The Company and its subsidiaries will comply with all effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as to which the Company will be, at such time, required to be in compliance.

 

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(b) Each Selling Stockholder covenants and agrees with the Underwriters as follows:

 

(i) Except as otherwise agreed to by the Company and the Selling Stockholder pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, a true and correct copy of which has been delivered to counsel to the Underwriters, such Selling Stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts, selling commissions and taxes, if any, on the transfer and sale, respectively, of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, and in addition, the Selling Stockholders shall pay their pro rata portion of the fees of the Selling Stockholder’s counsel to the extent that they exceed $25,000.

 

(ii) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of such Selling Stockholder to perform any agreement on such Selling Stockholder’s part to be performed, or because any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by such Selling Stockholder is not fulfilled, such Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket disbursements (including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with their investigation, preparing to market and marketing the Securities or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder. The Selling Stockholder shall not in any event be liable to any of the Underwriters for loss of anticipated profits from the transactions covered by this Agreement.

 

(iii) The Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder, represented by the certificates on deposit with the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreement of such Selling Stockholder, are subject to the interest of the Underwriters and the other Selling Stockholders; the arrangements made for such custody are, except as specifically provided in the Custody Agreement, irrevocable; and the obligations of such Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated, except as provided in this Agreement or in the Custody Agreement, by any act of such Selling Stockholder, by operation of law, whether by the liquidation, dissolution or merger of such Selling Stockholder, by the death of such Selling Stockholder, or by the occurrence of any other event. If any Selling Stockholder should liquidate, dissolve or be a party to a merger or if any other such event should occur before the delivery of the Securities hereunder, certificates for the Securities deposited with the Custodian shall be delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such liquidation, dissolution, merger or other event had not occurred, whether or not the Custodian shall have received notice thereof.

 

(iv) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has not effected any sales of Common Stock which, if effected by the Company, would be required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K.

 

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(v) Such Selling Stockholder shall immediately notify you if any event occurs, or of any change in information relating to such Selling Stockholder or, to the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder, the Company or any new information relating to the Company or relating to any matter stated in the Prospectus or any supplement thereto (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations), which results in the Prospectus (as supplemented) including an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof and at each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date (as if made at such Closing Date), of and compliance with all representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their respective obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than 4:00 p.m., Pacific time, on the date of this Agreement, or such later time and date as you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall approve and all filings required by Rules 424, 430A and 434 of the Rules and Regulations shall have been timely made; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof shall have been issued; no proceedings for the issuance of such an order shall have been initiated or threatened; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to your satisfaction.

 

(b) No Underwriter shall have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations), contains an untrue statement of fact which, in your opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in your opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(c) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company, together with its subsidiaries, shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; and there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or due to issuances contemplated by Section 4(a)(x) of this Agreement), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt of the Company, or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock of the Company or

 

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any of its subsidiaries (other than in accordance with Section 4(a)(x) of this Agreement), or any Material Adverse Change or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change (whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business), that, in your judgment, makes it impractical or inadvisable to offer or deliver the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

 

(d) On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, the opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, to the effect that:

 

(i) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. The Company has full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary and in which the failure to so qualify would result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(ii) The capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock.” All of the issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. The Securities to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated November 12, 1999, by and among the Company and the stockholder identified therein (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) all of which have been complied with or waived, there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, by-laws or, to such counsel’s knowledge, any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound. To such counsel’s knowledge, except as otherwise provided for in the Investor Rights Agreement, all of which have been complied with or waived, neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company that have not been satisfied or waived.

 

(iii) To such counsel’s knowledge, except as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no options (other than those issued in the ordinary course of business under the Company’s 1998 Stock Plan), warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company.

 

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(iv) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the knowledge of such counsel, threatened by the Commission.

 

(v) The descriptions in the Registration Statement and Prospectus of statutes, regulations, legal and governmental proceedings, contracts and other documents are accurate in all material respects and fairly present the information required to be shown; and such counsel does not know of any statutes, regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or included as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or included as required.

 

(vi) The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, executed and delivered by the Company; the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Securities does not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any statute, rule or regulation known to such counsel to be customarily applicable to such transactions of this nature, (ii) any order or decree known to such counsel (iii) any order of any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its respective properties or (iv) any agreement or instrument required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or (v) the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or by-laws; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or in connection with the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except such as may be required under the Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and except any consents, approvals, authorizations or orders of, or filing with, any state or foreign securities regulatory authority (for which such counsel offers no opinion).

 

(vii) The statements in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to describe or summarize provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, “FFDCA”) applicable to the Company or its products, are accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the information purported to be described therein, and based upon the description of the Company’s business contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, such statements summarize the provisions of the FFDCA that are material to the Company’s business.

 

(viii) Counsel is not aware of any lawsuit or regulatory proceeding, pending or threatened, brought by or before the FDA, in which the

 

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Company or any of its officers or directors, in their capacity as such, is or would be the defendant or respondent, except as described in the Prospectus, and without an independent inquiry, such counsel is not aware of any lawsuit or regulatory proceeding, pending or threatened, brought by or before any other federal regulatory authority in which the Company or any of its officers or directors, in their capacity as such, is or would be the defendant or respondent, except as described in the Prospectus.

 

(ix) To such counsel’s knowledge, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, there is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation pending against the Company before any court or governmental agency, nor any threat thereof, that, if determined adversely, would be likely to result in a material adverse change in the financial condition or business of the Company.

 

Although such counsel does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, such counsel shall confirm that no facts have come to its attention that would lead such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, and other financial information and statistical data derived from such financial statements and supporting schedules, as to which such counsel need make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, and other financial information and statistical data derived from such financial statements and supporting schedules, as to which such counsel need make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the any applicable closing, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. In addition, such counsel shall confirm that each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, and other financial information and statistical data derived from such financial statements and supporting schedules, as to which such counsel need make no statement) as of their respective effective or issue dates, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations.

 

In rendering such opinion such counsel may rely (i) as to matters of law other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the laws of the State of California and federal law, upon the opinion or opinions of local counsel provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion and that such counsel shall state that such opinion or

 

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opinions of local counsel are satisfactory to them and that they believe they and you are justified in relying thereon and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent such counsel deems reasonable upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion.

 

(e) On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, the opinion of Stallman & Pollock LLP, patent counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, to the effect that:

 

(i) To the best of such counsel’s knowledge, except as described in the Prospectus, (A) the Company (either directly or through any subsidiary) has valid license rights or clear title to the Intellectual Property referenced in the Prospectus, and there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property; (B) there is no infringement or other violation by third parties of any of the Intellectual Property of the Company referenced in the Prospectus; (C) there is no infringement or other violation by the Company or any Subsidiary of any Intellectual Property of others nor would there be any such infringement upon commercialization of the Company’s products described as under development in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; (D) except as described in the Prospectus, there is no pending or threatened action, suit proceeding or claim by governmental authorities or others that the Company or any subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property of others, and such counsel is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (E) except as described in the Prospectus, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by governmental authorities or others challenging the rights of the Company or any subsidiary in or to, or challenging the scope of, any Intellectual Property of the Company referenced in the Prospectus, and such counsel is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (F) there is no prior art or other facts that may render any patent held by the Company invalid or unenforceable.

 

(ii) To the best of such counsel’s knowledge, the patent applications of the Company presently on file disclose patentable subject matter, and such counsel is not aware of any inventorship challenges, any interference which has been declared or provoked, or any other material fact with respect to the patent applications of the Company presently on file that (A) would preclude the issuance of patents with respect to such applications, or (B) would lead such counsel to conclude that such patents, when issued, would not be valid and enforceable in accordance with applicable regulations.

 

(iii) To the best of such counsel’s knowledge, the statements in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus referencing Intellectual Property matters, insofar as such statements constitute summaries of legal matters, contracts, agreements, documents or proceedings referred to therein, or refer to statements of law or legal conclusions, are in all material respects accurate and complete statements or summaries of the matters therein set forth.

 

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(iv) Nothing has come to such counsel’s attention that causes them to believe that such above described portions of the Registration Statement, at the time such Registration Statement became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that such above described portions of the Prospectus and at the date of the Prospectus and at all times leading up to and including the time of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

In rendering such opinion such counsel may rely (i) as to matters of law other than the the laws of the State of California and federal law, upon the opinion or opinions of local counsel provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion and that such counsel shall state that such opinion or opinions of local counsel are satisfactory to them and that they believe they and you are justified in relying thereon and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent such counsel deems reasonable upon certificates of officers of the Company provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion.

 

(f) On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, the opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell, counsel for the Selling Stockholders, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, to the effect that:

 

(i) Each of the Selling Stockholders is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to be sold by each Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, upon payment therefor by the Underwriters, will pass marketable title to such Securities to the Underwriters and the Underwriters will acquire all the rights of such Selling Stockholder in the Securities (assuming the Underwriters have no knowledge of an adverse claim), free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or other encumbrances.

 

(ii) Each of the Selling Stockholders has the power and authority to enter into the Custody Agreement, the Power of Attorney and this Agreement and to perform and discharge such Selling Stockholder’s obligations thereunder and hereunder; and this Agreement, the Custody Agreements and the Powers of Attorney have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by (or by the Attorneys-in-Fact, or either of them, on behalf of) the Selling Stockholders and are valid and binding agreements of the Selling Stockholders, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms (except as rights to indemnity hereunder or thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity).

 

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(iii) The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the performance of the terms hereof and thereof and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, rule or regulation, or any agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of its property is subject, any such Selling Stockholder’s charter or by-laws, or any order or decree known to such counsel of any court or government agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or any of its respective properties; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the sale of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, except such as may be required under the Act or state securities laws or blue sky laws.

 

In rendering such opinion such counsel may rely (i) as to matters of law other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the laws of the State of California and federal law, upon the opinion or opinions of local counsel provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion and that such counsel shall state that such opinion or opinions of local counsel are satisfactory to them and that they believe they and you are justified in relying thereon and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent such counsel deems reasonable upon certificates of officers of the Selling Stockholders provided that the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion.

 

(g) On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, with respect to the formation of the Company, the validity of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and other related matters as you may request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(h) On each Closing Date you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall have received a letter of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualifications of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and stating, as of the date of such letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter), the conclusions and findings of said firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to you concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and the effect of the letter so to be delivered on such Closing Date shall be to confirm the conclusions and findings set forth in such prior letter.

 

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(i) On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, a certificate, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, signed by the chief executive officer and by the chief financial officer of the Company, to the effect that:

 

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if made at and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part required under this Agreement to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;

 

(ii) No stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge, is contemplated by the Commission or any state or regulatory body; and

 

(iii) The signers of said certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations), and (A) such documents contain all statements and information required to be included therein, the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereof, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, does not include any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (B) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has not occurred any event required to be set forth in an amended or supplemented prospectus which has not been so set forth, (C) subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, not in the ordinary course of business, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, and except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or due to issuances contemplated by Section 4(a)(x) of this Agreement), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt, or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock (other than in accordance with Section 4(a)(x) of this Agreement), of the Company, or any of its subsidiaries, or any Material Adverse Change or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change (whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business), and (D) except as stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is not pending, or, to the

 

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knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any action, suit or proceeding to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party before or by any court or governmental agency, authority or body, or any arbitrator, which might reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change.

 

(j) On the First Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, a certificate or certificates, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, signed by each of the Selling Stockholders or either of such Selling Stockholder’s Attorneys-in-Fact to the effect that the representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder contained in this Agreement are true and correct as if made at and as of the First Closing Date, and that such Selling Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on such Selling Stockholder’s part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the First Closing Date.

 

(k) The Company shall have furnished to you and counsel for the Underwriters such additional documents, certificates and evidence as you or they may have reasonably requested.

 

(l) The Securities shall have been approved for inclusion in the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters. The Company will furnish you with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as you shall reasonably request.

 

6. Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a) The Company and each Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company and/or such Selling Stockholders, as the case may be), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rules 430A and 434(d) of the Rules and Regulations, if applicable, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations), or in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Common Stock (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter

 

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for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that (i) neither the Company nor any Selling Stockholder shall be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, or in any Marketing Materials, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof; (ii) in no event shall any Selling Stockholder be liable under the provisions of this Section 6 for any amount in excess of the aggregate amount of proceeds such Selling Stockholder received from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, (iii) the Underwriters shall first make a demand for payment to the Company, and shall not make a demand for such payment to the Selling Stockholder unless such demand to the Company remains unsatisfied for a period of 30 days or more and (iv) the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased Securities, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if (A) a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if required by law to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Securities to such person, (B) the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such losses, claims, damages or liabilities and (C) the Company delivered, or caused to be delivered, the Prospectus to the Underwriters in requisite quantity on a timely basis to permit such delivery or sending. The Company and the Selling Stockholders may agree, as among themselves and without limiting the rights of the Underwriters under this Agreement, as to the respective amounts of such liability for which they each shall be responsible, including without limitation any agreement between the Company and the Selling Stockholders set forth in the Investor Rights Agreement.

 

In addition to their other obligations under this Section 6(a), the Company and each Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally, agree that, as an interim measure during the pendency of any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding arising out of or based upon any statement or omission, or any alleged statement or omission, described in this Section 6(a), they will reimburse each Underwriter on a monthly basis for all reasonable legal fees or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding, notwithstanding the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the Company’s and/or the Selling Stockholder’s obligation to reimburse the Underwriters for such expenses and the possibility that such payments might later be held to have been improper by a court of competent jurisdiction. To the extent that any such interim reimbursement payment is so held to have been improper, the Underwriter that received such payment shall promptly return it to the party or parties that made such payment, together with interest, compounded daily, determined on the basis of the prime rate (or other commercial lending rate for borrowers of the highest credit standing) announced from time to time by U.S. Bank (the “Prime Rate”). Any such interim

 

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reimbursement payments which are not made to an Underwriter within 30 days of a request for reimbursement shall bear interest at the Prime Rate from the date of such request. This indemnity agreement shall be in addition to any liabilities which the Company or the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have.

 

(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company and the Selling Stockholders may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any term sheet within the meaning of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you, or by such Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof, and will reimburse the Company and the Selling Stockholders for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such Selling Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action.

 

In addition to their other obligations under this Section 6(b), the Underwriters, jointly and severally, agree that, as an interim measure during the pendency of any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceedings arising out of or based upon any statement or omission, or any alleged statement or omission, described in this Section 6(b), they will reimburse the Company on a monthly basis for all reasonable legal fees or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding, notwithstanding the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the Underwriters’ obligation to reimburse the Company for such expenses and the possibility that such payments might later be held to have been improper by a court of competent jurisdiction. To the extent that any such interim reimbursement payment is so held to have been improper, the respective recipient of such payment shall promptly return it to the party or parties that made such payment, together with interest, compounded daily, determined on the basis of the Prime Rate. Any such interim reimbursement payments which are not made to the Company within 30 days of a request for reimbursement shall bear interest at the Prime Rate from the date of such request. This indemnity agreement shall be in addition to any liabilities which the Underwriters may otherwise have. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(b), to the extent any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph is accompanied by, is a part of or is in connection with one or more claims, actions, investigations, inquiries or other proceedings contemplated by Section 6(a), the

 

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interim payment provisions of the second paragraph of Section 6(a) shall control and this paragraph shall not apply.

 

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such failure. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of the indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that if, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, it is advisable for the Underwriters to be represented as a group by separate counsel, the Representatives shall have the right to employ a single counsel to represent the Representatives and all Underwriters who may be subject to liability arising from any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Underwriters under subsection (a) of this Section 6, in which event the reasonable fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying party or parties and reimbursed to the Underwriters as incurred (in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph in subsection (a) above). An indemnifying party shall not be obligated under any settlement agreement relating to any action under this Section 6 to which it has not agreed in writing. In addition, no indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

 

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to

 

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be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters and the parties’ relevant intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d). The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

(e) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this Section 6 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 6 shall be in addition to any liability that the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company (including any person who, with his consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), to each officer of the Company who has signed the Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Act.

 

(f) The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company and each Selling Stockholder acknowledges that the statements with respect to the public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters set forth on the cover page of, and (i) the last sentence of the first paragraph, (ii) the table following the first paragraph, (iii) the second paragraph, (iv) the last sentence of the third paragraph, (v) the sixth paragraph, (vi) the last sentence of the seventh paragraph and (vii) the last two paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in, the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

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7. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties, and agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto, and the agreements of the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in Section 6 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person thereof, or the Company or any of its officers, directors, or controlling persons, or any Selling Stockholders or any controlling person thereof, and shall survive delivery of, and payment for, the Securities to and by the Underwriters hereunder.

 

8. Substitution of Underwriters.

 

(a) If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Firm Shares not purchased does not aggregate more than 10% of the total amount of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated to take up and pay for (in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations hereunder as set forth in Schedule II hereto except as may otherwise be determined by you) the Firm Shares that the withdrawing or defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b) If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Firm Shares not purchased aggregates more than 10% of the total amount of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule II hereto, and arrangements satisfactory to you for the purchase of such Firm Shares by other persons are not made within 36 hours thereafter, this Agreement shall terminate. In the event of any such termination neither the Company nor any Selling Stockholder shall be under any liability to any Underwriter (except to the extent provided in Section 4(a)(viii), Section 4(b)(ii) and Section 6 hereof) nor shall any Underwriter (other than an Underwriter who shall have failed, otherwise than for some reason permitted under this Agreement, to purchase the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter to be purchased hereunder) be under any liability to the Company or the Selling Stockholders (except to the extent provided in Section 6 hereof).

 

If Firm Shares to which a default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters or by any other party or parties, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date for not more than seven business days in order that the necessary changes in the Registration Statement, Prospectus and

 

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any other documents, as well as any other arrangements, may be effected. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 8.

 

9. Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination.

 

(a) This Agreement shall become effective at 9:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the first full business day following the effective date of the Registration Statement, or at such earlier time after the effective time of the Registration Statement as you in your discretion shall first release the Securities for sale to the public; provided, that if the Registration Statement is effective at the time this Agreement is executed, this Agreement shall become effective at such time as you in your discretion shall first release the Securities for sale to the public. For the purpose of this Section, the Securities shall be deemed to have been released for sale to the public upon release by you of an electronic communication authorizing commencement of the offering the Securities for sale by the Underwriters or other securities dealers. By giving notice as hereinafter specified before the time this Agreement becomes effective, you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, or the Company, may prevent this Agreement from becoming effective without liability of any party to any other party, except that the provisions of Section 4(a)(viii), Section 4(b)(ii) and Section 6 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive the termination of this Agreement, including a termination pursuant to Section 9.

 

(b) You, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time at or prior to the First Closing Date, and the option referred to in Section 3(b), if exercised, may be cancelled at any time prior to the Second Closing Date, if (i) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable, at or prior to such Closing Date, to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, (ii) any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, (iii) trading on the Nasdaq National Market, New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange shall have been wholly suspended, (iv) minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required, on the Nasdaq National Market, New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange, by such Exchange or by order of the Commission or any other governmental authority having jurisdiction, (v) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the sale of and payment for the Securities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4(a)(viii), Section 4(b)(ii) and Section 6 hereof shall at all times be effective.

 

(c) If you elect to prevent this Agreement from becoming effective or to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section, the Company and an Attorney-in-Fact, on behalf of the Selling Stockholders, shall be notified promptly by you by telephone, confirmed by letter. If the Company elects to prevent this Agreement from becoming effective, you and an Attorney-in-Fact, on behalf of the Selling Stockholders, shall be notified by the Company by telephone, confirmed by letter.

 

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10. Default by One or More of the Selling Stockholders or the Company. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail at the First Closing Date to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling Stockholder or Selling Stockholders are obligated to sell hereunder, and the remaining Selling Stockholders (or the Company with respect to any Selling Stockholder or Selling Stockholders other than any such Selling Stockholders who have agreed to sell greater than 45,000 Securities as set forth on Schedule I) do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them hereunder to the total number of Securities to be sold by all Selling Stockholders as set forth in Schedule I, then the Underwriters may at your option, by notice from you to the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders, either (a) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party or (b) elect to purchase the Securities which the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders have agreed to sell hereunder.

 

In the event of a default by any Selling Stockholder as referred to in this Section, either you or the Company or, by joint action only, the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

 

If the Company shall fail at the First Closing Date to sell and deliver the number of Securities which it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company or any Selling Stockholders so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

11. Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if to the Underwriters, shall be mailed or delivered to the Representatives c/o Piper Jaffray & Co., U.S. Bancorp Center, 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, except that notices given to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 6 hereof shall be sent to such Underwriter at the address stated in the Underwriters’ Questionnaire furnished by such Underwriter in connection with this offering, with a copy to Latham & Watkins LLP, 135 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California 94025, Attention: Michael W. Hall, Esq.; if to the Company, shall be mailed or delivered to it at 3240 Bayshore Boulevard, Brisbane, California 94005 Attention: Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Attention: David J. Saul, Esq.; if to any of the Selling Stockholders, at the address of the Attorneys-in-Fact as set forth in the Powers of Attorney, or in each case to such other address as the person to be notified may have requested in writing. Any party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.

 

12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and

 

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the controlling persons, officers, directors, employees and agents referred to in Section 6. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” as herein used shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of any of the Securities from any of the Underwriters.

 

13. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original and all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

15. Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure there from, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company, the Underwriters and the stockholders who hold more than 50% of the shares listed in Schedule I to be sold by the Selling Stockholders.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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Please sign and return to the Company the enclosed duplicates of this letter whereupon this letter will become a binding agreement between the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

 

CUTERA, INC.

By    
   
   

Kevin P. Connors

Chief Executive Officer

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

By    
   
   

Attorney-in-Fact

 

Confirmed as of the date first above mentioned, on behalf of themselves and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto.

PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

By    
   
   

Managing Director

 


SCHEDULE I

 

Selling Stockholders

 

Name


   Number of
Firm Shares
to be Sold


      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
    

Total

    
    

 


SCHEDULE II

 

Underwriter


   Number of Firm
Shares (1)


Piper Jaffray & Co.

SG Cowen Securities Corporation

RBC Dain Rauscher Inc.

    
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
    

Total

    
    

(1) The Underwriters may purchase up to an additional                  Option Shares, to the extent the option described in Section 3(b) of the Agreement is exercised, in the proportions and in the manner described in the Agreement.

 


SCHEDULE III

 

Subsidiaries

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Exhibit 3.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

CUTERA, INC.

 

Cutera, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:

 

A. The name of the corporation is Cutera, Inc. The original Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation was filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on August 10, 1998 under the name of Acme Medical, Inc.

 

B. Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates and amends the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation.

 

C. The text of the Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

The name of the corporation is Cutera, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II

 

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

ARTICLE III

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of shares of stock to be designated, respectively, Common Stock, $0.001 par value, and Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value. The total number of shares that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 55,000,000 shares. The number of shares of Common Stock authorized is 50,000,000. The number of shares of Preferred Stock authorized is 5,000,000.


The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series pursuant to a resolution or resolutions providing for such issue duly adopted by the Board of Directors (authority to do so being hereby expressly vested in the board). The Board of Directors is further authorized to determine or alter the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock and to fix the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock and the designation of any such series of Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors, within the limits and restrictions stated in any resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors originally fixing the number of shares constituting any series, may increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares in any such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series.

 

The authority of the Board of Directors with respect to each such class or series shall include, without limitation of the foregoing, the right to determine and fix:

 

(a) the distinctive designation of such class or series and the number of shares to constitute such class or series;

 

(b) the rate at which dividends on the shares of such class or series shall be declared and paid, or set aside for payment, whether dividends at the rate so determined shall be cumulative or accruing, and whether the shares of such class or series shall be entitled to any participating or other dividends in addition to dividends at the rate so determined, and if so, on what terms;

 

(c) the right or obligation, if any, of the Corporation to redeem shares of the particular class or series of Preferred Stock and, if redeemable, the price, terms and manner of such redemption;

 

(d) the special and relative rights and preferences, if any, and the amount or amounts per share, which the shares of such class or series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation;

 

(e) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which shares of such class or series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of capital stock of any other class or series, including the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the terms of adjustment, if any;

 

(f) the obligation, if any, of the Corporation to retire, redeem or purchase shares of such class or series pursuant to a sinking fund or fund of a similar nature or otherwise, and the terms and conditions of such obligation;

 

(g) voting rights, if any, on the issuance of additional shares of such class or series or any shares of any other class or series of Preferred Stock;

 

(h) limitations, if any, on the issuance of additional shares of such class or series or any shares of any other class or series of Preferred Stock; and

 

(i) such other preferences, powers, qualifications, special or relative rights and privileges thereof as the Board of Directors of the Corporation, acting in accordance with this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, may deem advisable and are not inconsistent with law and the provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

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ARTICLE V

 

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change, or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted subject to this right.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

The Corporation is to have perpetual existence.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

1 Limitation of Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as the same exists or as may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

 

2 Indemnification. The Corporation may indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by law any person made or threatened to be made a party to an action or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person or his or her testator or intestate is or was a director, officer or employee of the Corporation, or any predecessor of the Corporation, or serves or served at any other enterprise as a director, officer or employee at the request of the Corporation or any predecessor to the Corporation.

 

3 Amendments. Neither any amendment nor repeal of this Article VII, nor the adoption of any provision of the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article VII, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article VII, in respect of any matter occurring, or any action or proceeding accruing or arising or that, but for this Article VII, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal, or adoption of an inconsistent provision.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

1 Number of Directors. The number of directors which constitutes the whole Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be designated in the Bylaws of the Corporation. The directors shall be divided into three classes with the term of office of the first class (Class I) to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2005; the term of office of the second class (Class II) to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2006; the term of office of the third class (Class III) to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2007; and thereafter for each such term to expire at each third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after such election.

 

If the number of directors is hereafter changed, any newly created directorships or decrease in directorships shall be so apportioned among the classes as to make all classes as nearly equal in number as is practicable, provided that no decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

Any director may be removed from office by the stockholders of the Corporation only for cause. Vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors for any reason and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by vote of a majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors, although less than a quorum, at any meeting of the Board of Directors. A person so elected by the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next election of the Class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

2 Election of Directors. Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation shall so provide.

 

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ARTICLE IX

 

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE X

 

No action shall be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation except at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders called in accordance with the Bylaws and no action shall be taken by the stockholders by written consent. The affirmative vote of sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the then outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the amendment, repeal or modification of the provisions of Article VIII or Article X of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Sections 2.3 (Special Meeting), 2.4 (Advance Notice Procedures; Notice of Stockholders’ Meetings) or 2.9 (Voting) of the Corporation’s Bylaws.

 

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ARTICLE XI

 

Meetings of stockholders may be held within or without the State of Delaware, as the Bylaws may provide. The books of the Corporation may be kept (subject to any provision contained in the statutes) outside of the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended.

 

This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly approved by the written consent of the stockholders of the corporation in accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended.

 

In witness whereof, the Corporation has caused this Certificate to be signed by Kevin P. Connors, its President and Chief Executive Officer, this          day of                     , 2004.

 

 


Kevin P. Connors, President and

Chief Executive Officer

Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Professional Corporation

Exhibit 5.1

 

[WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI LETTERHEAD]

 

February 27, 2004

 

Cutera, Inc.

3240 Bayshore Blvd.

Brisbane, CA 94005

 

Re:    Registration Statement on Form S-1

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-111928) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 15, 2004 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on February 27, 2004, as such may be amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 3,565,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) of Cutera Inc. (the “Company”). The Shares, which include up to 465,000 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters, are to be sold to the underwriters as described in such Registration Statement for sale to the public or issued to the Representatives of the underwriters. As your counsel in connection with this transaction, we have examined the proceedings proposed to be taken in connection with said sale and issuance of the Shares.

 

It is our opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in the manner described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the Registration Statement, including the Prospectus constituting a part thereof, and any amendments thereto.

 

Sincerely,

 

WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI

Professional Corporation

 

/S/    WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI

 

Sales Agent Agreement dated February 14, 2003

Exhibit 10.7

 

SALES AGENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS SALES AGENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”), is made by and between, ALTUS MEDICAL, INC., a Delaware corporation with offices located at 821 Cowan Road, Burlingame, CA, 94010 (“Altus”), and PSS World Medical, Inc., a Florida corporation, with offices located at 4345 Southpoint Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 (hereinafter “PSS”) effective this 14th day of February, 2003 (the “Effective Date”).

 

Recitals

 

A. Altus is engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of aesthetic laser systems and related services.

 

B. PSS is experienced with the promotion, distribution and sale of medical equipment and related supplies and services.

 

C. The parties desire that PSS act as a sales agent for products manufactured by Altus pursuant to the terms and conditions of this agreement (the “Agreement”).

 

Agreement

 

In consideration of the matters stated in the Recitals hereto and the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement the parties agree as follows:

 

1.0 DEFINITIONS. When used in this Agreement, each of the following terms shall have the definition set out below:

 

1.1 Agreement means this Agreement, together with all Exhibits which are attached hereto or incorporated by reference herein, and which are an integral part hereof.

 

1.2 Commission Schedule means the commission schedule attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

1.3 PSS Territory means only the United States.

 

1.4 Products means Altus’ CoolGlide CV-, CoolGlide Excel-, and CoolGlide Vantage laser systems. In the event Altus manufacturers, markets or sells new or different products other than the foregoing Products, the parties agree that they will first discuss the possibility of PSS becoming a sales agent for such products prior to Altus approaching, soliciting or discussing with any other third party a possible sales agency relationship for the sale of such products to Physicians in the PSS Territory. Notwithstanding any other term in this Agreement, Altus may from time to time discontinue the manufacture and/or sale of any or all Products, and/or change its pricing, service policies, warranties, credit requirements, product designs, and terms of sale without any obligation or liability to PSS; provided, that Altus will not, without PSS’ consent, sell a Product outside the range as provided in Altus’ then-current pricing matrix.

 


2.0 APPOINTMENT.

 

2.1 Sales Agent. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Altus hereby appoints PSS as its authorized U.S. sales agent with exclusive rights solely to promote and solicit orders for sales of the Products to licensed physicians (“Physicians”) for delivery and use within the PSS Territory. Notwithstanding the foregoing (but subject to Altus’ obligations to pay PSS for commissions earned hereunder), Altus shall have the right, without any compensation owing to PSS, to market and sell Products in the PSS Territory through its employees and third-party leasing companies, however, Altus will not, during this Agreement, authorize any third-party sales agent to market or sell the Product(s) to Physicians in the PSS Territory.

 

2.2 Competitive Products. During the Term of this Agreement, PSS shall not engage, either directly or indirectly, in the manufacture, marketing, promotion or sale of products that are similar to or competitive with the Products covered by this Agreement, unless Altus and PSS agree in advance in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, PSS shall have the right to sell its remaining inventory of the Candela V Beam lasers.

 

2.3 Nature of Relationship. In entering into this Agreement. PSS does so as an independent contractor and not as a franchisee, partner or joint venturer. PSS does not have any right or authority, nor shall PSS hold itself out as having any right or authority, to assume, create or enter into any contract or obligation, either express or implied, on behalf of, in the name of, or binding upon, Altus. PSS will make no representations or warranties, or incur any liabilities, for which Altus may be obligated, without first having obtained Altus’ written consent.

 

2.4 Orders. PSS will not accept orders in Altus’ name, or make quotations of price or other terms, without Altus’ prior written approval. Altus will have the sole right, without any liability or obligation to PSS, to: provide sales quotes; establish and modify pricing and all other terms and conditions of sales; reject any orders and/or offers; disapprove the credit of any customers; accept or reject the return of its Products from any customers; and, make allowances and/or give any credits, discounts or adjustments it deems appropriate to any customers. PSS will forward promptly to Altus all monies or remittances in any form which PSS may receive by customers. Invoices will be sent by Altus directly to the customer.

 

3.0 SALES PROCEDURE

 

3.1 The parties agree to meet, discuss and cooperate in good faith in order to agree on and implement mutually beneficial policies and procedures with respect to the marketing, solicitation and sales of the Products, including without limitation those relating to the identification of leads and prospective customers (“Prospects”), marketing and solicitation activities, and closing of sales to Prospects. In this regard, the Market Manager for PSS (“Market Manager”) and the Vice President of Sales for Altus shall take the lead in such discussions toward reaching mutual agreement on such details.

 

3.2 Subject to the specific polices and procedures that are hereafter agreed upon by the parties in writing, the Market Manager shall submit the Prospect information to Altus via email. Altus will then determine whether the Prospect is currently being actively pursued by Altus (an “Altus Prospect”). For purposes of this Agreement, a Prospect will be considered an “Altus

 

2


Prospect” if, for example, Altus has engaged in bilateral discussions with the Prospect (as opposed to, for example, an unanswered solicitation from Altus). Altus shall provide to PSS on a regular basis a current, accurate and complete list of all Altus Prospects.

 

3.3 In the event the Prospect is not an Altus Prospect, an Altus Sales Representative (as defined below) shall promptly follow up with the Prospect. Altus shall use commercially reasonable efforts to consummate a sale with the Prospect within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the Prospect information is first submitted by PSS to Altus.

 

3.4 In the event a sale is consummated within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the Prospect information is first submitted by PSS to Altus, PSS shall be entitled to a commission on such sale pursuant to the Commission Schedule attached as Exhibit A. Commissions, which will be the sole compensation for PSS’ performance under this Agreement, shall be based on the net selling price of the Product(s), less amounts for discounts; returns; allowances and credits issued by Altus or taken by customers; purchase, sales, or other similar taxes; freight and insurance; and duties (“Net Selling Price”). Overpayments in commissions may be deducted from commissions subsequently earned. Additionally, in the event a customer, who has purchased a Product for which PSS earned a commission hereunder, purchases an upgrade from Altus of that Product under circumstances which, if that upgrade were a Product, then PSS would have earned a commission hereunder, then PSS shall earn a commission on the sale of that Product upgrade in the amounts as set forth on Exhibit A.

 

4.0 PSS OBLIGATIONS

 

4.1 PSS shall use commercially reasonable efforts to promote, market and solicit orders for the Products, and to represent the interests of Altus at all times, to Physicians in the PSS Territory. PSS will also assist in collections of customer payments by performing such reasonable tasks as reminding delinquent customers that they are late in payments.

 

4.2 PSS shall, at its expense, maintain a properly trained sales force of adequate size to represent and promote the sale of the Products to Physicians throughout the PSS Territory. All of PSS’s sales staff shall be employees of PSS. PSS recognizes and agrees that Altus will be working cooperatively with PSS’s sales persons, including efforts to qualify leads and conduct demonstrations.

 

4.3 PSS shall, for at least three years from their respective dates of creation, maintain accurate books and records of marketing and sales activities relating to Products, Prospects, Altus Prospects and PSS’ obligations under this Agreement as may be reasonably necessary to document compliance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon the reasonable request of Altus no more than once in any 12-month period, PSS shall permit Altus to inspect and audit such books and records in order to confirm PSS’ compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

5.0 ALTUS OBLIGATIONS.

 

5.1 Altus shall, at its expense, contribute the personnel resources of its U.S. sales force (“Altus Sales Representatives”) to help support PSS in its efforts under this Agreement.

 

3


These persons shall be properly trained, knowledgeable, experienced and qualified with respect to all Products, and shall be geographically located strategically throughout the United States.

 

5.2 Altus shall provide demonstrations of the Product to Prospects as needed, and will provide all installation work for Products. PSS will not provide any product demonstrations and will not perform any product installation services. Altus agrees to provide sales and promotional support and after-sale service support to all Prospects and customers referred by PSS to Altus with the same diligence, quality and timeliness as Altus provides to Altus Prospects and direct customers.

 

5.3 Altus will provide, at its expense, sales literature, marketing material, and appropriate competitive information (“Marketing Materials”), in such quantities as may hereafter be agreed in writing by the parties, for use by PSS in connection with its marketing, promotion and sales efforts hereunder. Altus shall immediately provide notice to PSS of any inaccuracies, mistakes or incorrect statements in any Marketing Materials, and shall promptly provide to PSS any revised, updated or new Marketing Materials in such quantities as may hereafter be agreed in writing by the parties. All Marketing Materials are, and shall remain, Altus’ property, and will be returned promptly by PSS upon Altus’ request or upon the termination of this Agreement, whichever is first to occur.

 

5.4 Altus will provide with respect to all new Products sold its then-current product warranty.

 

5.5 Altus shall include PSS as an additional insured on Altus’ product liability and commercial general liability insurance policies. A certificate of insurance for two million dollars ($2,000,000) evidencing PSS as such additional insured is available upon request.

 

5.6 Altus shall provide initial training to PSS sales representatives and leaders. Such training shall include lecture and hands on demonstrations on the use and application of all Products. Each party shall be responsible for its own costs and expenses, including employee and travel expenses, in connection with such training.

 

5.7 Altus shall, for at least three years from their respective dates of creation, maintain accurate books and records of marketing and sales activities relating to Products, Prospects, Altus Prospects and Altus’ obligations under this Agreement as may be reasonably necessary to document compliance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon the reasonable request of PSS no more than once in any 12-month period, Altus shall permit PSS to inspect and audit such books and records in order to confirm Altus’ compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

6.0 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND APPROVAL.

 

6.1 Altus shall be responsible to ensure that the design and production of the Products conform to the laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to the state and federal laws and regulations of any applicable governmental authority or jurisdiction within the PSS Territory.

 

4


6.2 PSS shall be responsible for complying with all laws, regulations and rules which may be applicable to the marketing or selling of the Product in the PSS Territory. Specifically, but without limitation, PSS shall be responsible for any applications, licenses, or other submittals or approvals required by regulations or rules related to the marketing or selling of the Products in the PSS Territory and PSS shall comply with such laws, regulations or rules at its own expense.

 

7.0 PRODUCT WARRANTY AND LIMITATIONS.

 

7.1 Product Warranty. Products sold pursuant to this Agreement will come with Altus’ then-current product warranty, which will be for the customer’s benefit.

 

7.2 Disclaimer of Warranties. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 7.1, ALTUS MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND ALTUS EXCLUDES AND DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NEITHER PARTY SHALL HAVE LIABILITY FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND/OR THE SALE OR USE OF THE PRODUCTS.

 

7.3 Survival. The terms and conditions of this Section 7 shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

8.0 PRICE AND PAYMENT TERMS.

 

8.1 Price Schedule. The prices to be quoted by PSS for Products shall be provided in writing by Altus to PSS. Altus shall promptly notify PSS in writing of any price changes. PSS will not quote any prices outside the range of Altus’ pricing matrix without Altus’ prior written consent, which must be given in each instance.

 

8.2 All commissions earned by PSS hereunder shall be paid to PSS no later than the 30th day of the month following the month in which the commission was earned. The commission shall be earned, during this Agreement or within 120 days thereafter, at the time Altus submits an invoice to the customer for the underlying Product(s) or Product upgrade(s). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a customer has not made full payment to Altus within 90 days from an invoice’s date, then Altus will have the right to offset the corresponding portion of the commission that had been paid to PSS. If that customer ultimately brings its balance current, Altus will then re-issue the commission that it had earlier offset. Altus shall pay interest to PSS at the lower of (a) eighteen percent (18%) per annum or (b) the highest amount permitted by law on all amounts not paid to PSS within thirty (30) days of their due date. With each payment to PSS, and no less than monthly, Altus shall submit a detailed report identifying all sales of Products during the prior period for which payment of commission is being made.

 

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9.0 CONFIDENTIALITY.

 

9.1 Return of Confidential Information. Each party shall return to the other all Confidential Information (as defined below) received from that other party, along with all copies, immediately upon the termination of this Agreement.

 

9.2 Remedies. Each party shall be liable to the other for damages caused by any breach of this Section 9 or by any unauthorized disclosure or use of the other’s Confidential Information by such party or third parties to whom unauthorized disclosure was made. In addition to any other rights or remedies which may be available to it, each party shall be entitled to seek appropriate injunctive relief or specific performance to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of Confidential Information. Each party acknowledges and agrees that the unauthorized use or disclosure of the other party’s Confidential Information will cause irreparable injury to the other party and that money damages will not provide adequate remedy to the other party.

 

9.3 Confidential Information. The business and technical information developed or acquired by, or entrusted by a third party to, each party (“Confidential Information”) are the exclusive property of such party, are among such party’s most valuable assets, and their value to that party may be lost by their unauthorized use or disclosure to persons or entities not related to such party. Confidential Information includes, among other things, all lists of customers, all Product designs and manufacturing processes, Product pricing and pricing strategies, business plans, and all related trade secrets. Neither party shall, directly or indirectly, use the other party’s Confidential Information received hereunder (other than directly in connection with its obligations hereunder) or disclose or disseminate it to any party or entity during the Term of this Agreement or at any time during the three (3) year period after the expiration of this Agreement, regardless of the reason for such expiration, without the express written consent of the other party. This obligation of confidentiality shall not apply to any Confidential Information which (i) was known to the receiving party at the time of receipt without any misconduct on the receiving party’s part; (ii) was in the public domain at the time of receipt; (iii) becomes public through no wrongful act of the party obligated to keep it confidential; (iv) is received by the receiving party from a third party who did not thereby violate any confidentiality obligations to the disclosing party; or (v) is required by applicable law to be divulged

 

9.4 Sections 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 of this Section shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

9.5 The parties agree that their September 19, 2002 Confidentiality Agreement is hereby terminated by mutual consent.

 

10.0 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

 

10.1 PSS, represents, warrants and/or covenants to Altus that:

 

(a) PSS is and will continue to be a duly formed and validly existing entity in good standing under the laws of the state of its organization

 

6


(b) PSS has full right, power and authority, corporate and/or otherwise, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to otherwise consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(c) The execution, delivery and performance by PSS under this Agreement, and the transactions and actions contemplated hereunder, have been duly authorized by all necessary action by PSS. This Agreement, when duly executed and delivered, constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of PSS enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

(d) The execution, consummation of the transactions contemplated by, and/or compliance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, will not conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of PSS’s constituent documents or any agreement, lease, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, land contract, license or other instrument to which PSS is a party or by which PSS may be bound or affected or to which PSS is subject, or any law, regulation, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or agency or regulatory body.

 

10.2 Altus, represents, warrants and/or covenants to PSS that:

 

(a) Altus is and will continue to be a duly formed and validly existing entity in good standing under the laws of the state of its organization

 

(b) Altus has full right, power and authority, corporate and/or otherwise, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to otherwise consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(c) The execution, delivery and performance by Altus under this Agreement, and the transactions and actions contemplated hereunder, have been duly authorized by all necessary action by Altus. This Agreement, when duly executed and delivered, constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of Altus enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

(d) The execution, consummation of the transactions contemplated by, and/or compliance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, will not conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of Altus’ constituent documents or any agreement, lease, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, land contract, license or other instrument to which Altus is a party or by which Altus may be bound or affected or to which Altus is subject, or any law, regulation, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or agency or regulatory body.

 

11.0 INDEMNIFICATION.

 

11.1 PSS shall and does hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless Altus and its affiliates from and against any and all liability, loss, cost, claim, injury, damage, demand or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) of any kind whatsoever arising out of, on account of, or in connection with (a) any instruction, specification or labeling supplied by PSS regarding the Product, unless Altus has concurred in writing with such instruction, specification or labeling; (b) any use of the Product in a manner described by PSS, unless Altus

 

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has prescribed such use in written materials; (c) any marketing, sale, installation, servicing or repair of the Product by PSS not in accordance with Altus’ written consent and procedures; (d) any breach by PSS of this Agreement; or (e) PSS’ negligence or willful misconduct. This Indemnity shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

11.2 Altus Indemnification.

 

(a) Altus agrees to indemnify and hold harmless PSS and its affiliates from and against any loss, liability, claim, or damage (including reasonable attorneys fees) sustained by it or them as a result of any (i) breach by Altus of this Agreement or (ii) claim that the Product(s) infringe any patent, copyright, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of any third party; provided, that PSS notifies Altus immediately of any such claim, cooperates with Altus in the defense thereof, and allows Altus, at Altus’ option, to fully control the defense thereof with Altus’ own counsel. If such a claim arises, or in Altus’ judgment is likely to arise, PSS agrees to allow Altus, at Altus’ option and expense, to procure the right for PSS and all customers to continue to exercise their rights in the Product(s) or to replace or modify them in an equivalent manner (i.e., without adversely affecting the functionality or compatibility of the Products) so they become non-infringing, and any such actions will not be deemed to be a breach of this Agreement. If neither of the foregoing alternatives is available on terms that are commercially reasonable in Altus’ reasonable judgment, PSS, upon written request by Altus or the customers, shall cease all infringing activity relating to the Products, and neither party will be deemed to be in breach of this Agreement. The foregoing remedial actions, however, shall not relieve Altus of its indemnity obligations with respect to any loss, liability, or damage that has or may be incurred with respect to existing Product(s) prior to the cessation of the infringement. Altus shall have no obligation under this Section 11.2 with respect to any claim of infringement based upon PSS’s or any customer’s modification of the Product(s) or their combination, operation, or use with programs or equipment, but only insofar as such infringement would otherwise have been avoided bur for such modification, combination, operation or use. THE FOREGOING IS ALTUS’ SOLE LIABILITY RELATING TO ANY CLAIMS OF INFRINGEMENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. ALTUS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO CLAIMS THAT ITS PRODUCTS INFRINGE ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

 

(b) Property Damage and Personal Injury. Altus agrees to indemnify and hold harmless PSS and its affiliates from and against any loss, liability, claim, injury or damage (including reasonable attorneys fees) sustained by it as a result of any claim by any third party for property damage, or personal injury or death suffered by a third party to the extent such damage or injury is caused by Altus’ negligence, willful misconduct or breach of this Agreement, or any defect in the design or manufacture of the Product(s).

 

(c) This indemnity shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

11.3 Procedure. With respect to any claim for which indemnification is available hereunder, the indemnified party shall (a) provide prompt notice of such claim to the indemnifying party, (b) reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party with respect to the investigation and defense of the claim and (c) permit the indemnifying party to control the defense and settlement of the claim.

 

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12.0 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

 

NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER TERM IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF USE, REVENUE OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS, OR FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING TO OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE SALE OR USE OF THE PRODUCTS.

 

13.0 FORCE MAJEURE.

 

If either party’s performance of any of its obligations is prevented, restricted, or interfered with by reason of fire, or other casualty or accident, strikes or labor disputes, inability to procure raw materials, delays in transportation, power or supplies, war or other violence, including acts of terrorism, any law, order, proclamation, regulation, ordinance, demand or requirement of any government agency, or any other act or condition whatsoever beyond the reasonable control of the parties hereto, the party, upon giving reasonable notice to the other party, shall be excused from such performance to the extent of such prevention, restriction or interference, provided that such party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid or remove such causes of non-performance and shall continue performance hereunder with reasonable dispatch whenever such causes are removed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a party’s performance is prevented, restricted or interfered with for more than ninety days due to a force majeure event, then the other party may terminate this Agreement by written notice without any liability.

 

14.0 TERM AND TERMINATION.

 

14.1 Term. The initial term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and continue until December 31, 2005. Following the initial term, this Agreement will be automatically renewed and extended for additional successive one (1) year terms, unless either party gives written notice to the other party of the party’s intention and desire to terminate this Agreement no later than ninety (90) days prior to expiration of the then current term. The initial term together with any renewal terms shall be referred to herein as the “Term”.

 

14.2 Automatic Termination and Termination Without Cause.

 

(a) Unless Altus notifies PSS to the contrary in writing, this Agreement will terminate immediately and without notice upon the institution of insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceedings by or against PSS, any assignment or attempted assignment by PSS for the benefit of its creditors, or any appointment or application for appointment, of a receiver for PSS.

 

(b) Unless PSS notifies Altus to the contrary in writing, this Agreement will terminate immediately and without notice upon the institution of insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceedings by or against Altus, any assignment or attempted assignment by Altus for the benefit of its creditors, or any appointment or application for appointment, of a receiver for Altus.

 

9


(c) Notwithstanding Section 14.1, either party may terminate this Agreement, without cause, by delivering a written notice to the other party anytime after September 30, 2003, which termination will take effect 90 days following delivery of such written notice. If PSS serves notice of termination, then Altus may appoint other persons to solicit orders for sales of Products to Physicians within the PSS Territory after thirty (30) days following such notice. If Altus serves notice of termination, then Altus may appoint other persons to solicit orders for sales of Products to Physicians within the PSS Territory after ninety (90) days following such notice. In either event, PSS and Altus agree to work cooperatively in this transition period.

 

14.3 Termination for Cause.

 

(a) Either party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to the other party if such other party breaches a material term, condition or representation hereof and fails to cure the same within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice of such breach.

 

14.4 Remedies for Breach.

 

(a) PSS agrees that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for any breach of Section 9 of this Agreement and that Altus shall be entitled to seek injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for any such breach, in addition to any other remedies it may have at law or otherwise.

 

(b) Altus agrees that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for any breach of Section 9 of this Agreement and that PSS shall be entitled to seek injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for any such breach, in addition to any other remedies it may have at law or otherwise.

 

14.5 Immediately upon the termination of this Agreement for any reason, PSS will cease soliciting orders for the Products, will stop representing Altus in any manner, and will return to Altus at PSS’ expense all price lists, catalogs, materials, equipment, instruments, products, demo units, samples and all other items that were furnished by or through Altus to PSS hereunder.

 

15.0 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

 

15.1 All intellectual property rights relating to Altus, the Products and this Agreement, including all names, trademarks, copyrights, patents, mask works, trade secrets, know-how, technology, computer software and related documentation and source code and other intellectual property rights, are and shall remain the property of Altus and nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to grant to PSS a license or other right to use Altus’ intellectual property except as expressly set forth herein. Altus hereby grants PSS the right to use its names and trademarks to perform its duties pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and solely in compliance with such rules as Altus may establish from time to time. PSS will not create or distribute any marketing or promotional material relating to Altus or the Products without Altus’ prior written consent.

 

10


16.0 GENERAL.

 

16.1 Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior written or verbal agreements or understandings in connection herewith. No amendment, waiver or modification hereto or hereunder shall be valid unless specifically made in writing and signed by an authorized signatory of each of the parties hereto.

 

16.2 Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed by registered or certified mail or delivered either by hand or by messenger, or sent via fax, addressed to the address set forth at the foot of this Agreement. Any notice or other communication so addressed and mailed by registered or certified mail (in each case, with return receipt requested) shall be deemed to be delivered and given when so mailed. Any notice or other communication so addressed and delivered by hand, by messenger or by fax shall be deemed to be given when actually received by the addressee.

 

16.3 Choice of Law and Forum

 

(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflicts of laws rules or principles.

 

(b) Neither party shall commence any litigation against the other arising out of this Agreement or its termination except in a court located where the defendant party’s headquarters are located. Each party consents to jurisdiction over it by and exclusive venue in those courts. Altus and PSS may, however, seek injunctive relief as contemplated by the terms of this Agreement or applicable law in any court of competent jurisdiction.

 

(c) In any action relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs incurred therein, in addition to any other appropriate relief.

 

16.4 Severability. If for any reason any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be legally invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected and the offending provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it consistent with applicable law, and, in its modified form, the provision shall then be enforceable and enforced.

 

16.5 Survival. The parties agree that Sections 4.3, 5.5, 5.7, 7, 9-13, 15 and 16 shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement, together with any other provisions that the parties would reasonably contemplate as remaining in effect after termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

16.6 Captions. The section headings and captions of this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and in no way define, limit or describe the scope or intent of this Agreement nor substantively affect it in any way.

 

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16.7 Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective representatives, successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither party shall have the right to transfer or assign any rights or obligations under this Agreement (other than transfers or assignments by operation of law) without first obtaining the other party’s written consent.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives on the date first above written.

 

Altus Medical, Inc.,

a Delaware corporation

     

PSS WORLD MEDICAL,INC.,

a Florida corporation

By:   /s/     Ron Santilli               By:   /s/    John Sasen         
   
         
Printed:   Ron Santilli          

John Sasen

Chief Marketing Officer

   
           
Its:  

VP and CFO

         

(“PSS”)

   
           
   

(“Altus”)

           

 

Address for Notices:   Address for Notices:

Altus Medial, Inc.

821 Cowan Road

Burlingame, CA 94010

Attn: President

Telephone: (650) 552-9700

Telecopier: (650) 552-9787

 

John Sasen

Chief Marketing Officer

PSS World Medical, Inc.

4345 Southpoint Blvd.

Jacksonville, Florida 32216

Telephone: (904) 332-3345

Telecopier: (904) 332-3205

With a copy to:   With a copy to:

Altus Medial, Inc.

821 Cowan Road

Burlingame, CA 94010

Attn: General Counsel

Telephone: (650) 552-9700

Telecopier: (309) 218-0641

 

Charles E. Commander III, Esq.

Foley & Lardner

200 Laura Street

Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Telephone: (904) 359-2000

Telecopier: (904) 359-8700

 

 

12


EXHIBIT A

 

Commission Schedule

 

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the following commission schedule will apply to all sales of Products PSS solicits from Physicians in the PSS Territory (“Sales”) and that are shipped between the Effective Date and December 31, 2003, inclusive (“First Year”). The commission schedule for any subsequent period will be negotiated by the parties in good faith at least two months before the start of such subsequent period.

 

- CoolGlide CV: PSS’s commission rate is [****] of the Net Selling Price

 

- Excel:

 

For that portion of total units sold in the First Year that are
between:


 

PSS’ commission rate will be the following percentage of the
corresponding Net Selling Price:


   0 – 25

  [****]

 26 – 50

  [****]

51 – ¥

  [****]

 

- Vantage:

 

For that portion of total units sold in the First Year that are
between:


 

PSS’ commission rate will be the following percentage of the
corresponding Net Selling Price:


   0 – 25

  [****]

 26 – 50

  [****]

51 – ¥

  [****]

 

Also, if a customer, who has purchased a Product for which PSS earned a commission hereunder, purchases an upgrade from Altus of that Product under circumstances which, if that upgrade were a Product, then PSS would have earned a commission hereunder, then PSS will earn a commission on the sale of that Product upgrade in the amounts of [****] of that Product upgrade’s Net Selling Price.

 

**** Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the omitted portions.

 

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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO SALES AGENT AGREEMENT

 

This Amendment No. 1 To Sales Agent Agreement (“Amendment No. 1”) is made this 17th day of March, 2003, between Altus Medical, Inc. (“Altus”) and PSS World Medical, Inc. (“PSS”).

 

WHEREAS, Altus and PSS entered into that February 14, 2003 Sales Agent Agreement (“Agreement”), and are hereby amending the Agreement as follows:

 

1. The first sentence of Section 1.4 is amended and replaced with the following:

 

Products means Altus’ CoolGlide CV-, CoolGlide Excel-, CoolGlide Vantage-, CoolGlide Genesis-, CoolGlide Xeo- and CoolGlide Genesis Plus laser systems; provided, that neither Altus’ CoolGlide Xeo-, nor its CoolGlide Genesis Plus laser system, will be deemed a “Product” until after Altus has received all necessary government approval to sell such laser system in the Territory.”

 

2. Exhibit A is amended and replaced with the following:

 

Commission Schedule

 

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the following commission schedule will apply to all sales of Products PSS solicits from Physicians in the PSS Territory (“Sales”) and that are shipped between the Effective Date and December 31, 2003, inclusive. The commission schedule for any subsequent period will be negotiated by the parties in good faith at least two months before the start of such subsequent period.

 

  - CoolGlide CV: PSS’s commission rate is [****] of the Net Selling Price

 

  - CoolGlide Excel, CoolGlide Vantage, CoolGlide Genesis, CoolGlide Xeo and CoolGlide Genesis Plus: PSS’s commission rate is [****] per unit Sale.

 

Also, if a customer, who has purchased a Product for which PSS earned a commission hereunder, purchases an upgrade from Altus of that Product under circumstances which, if that upgrade were a Product, then PSS would have earned a commission hereunder, then PSS will earn a commission on the sale of that Product upgrade in the amounts of [****] of that Product upgrade’s Net Selling Price.”

 

The capitalized terms that are used, but not defined, in this Amendment shall have the same definitions provided in the Agreement. Except as expressly stated in this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain unmodified and in full force and effect.

 

Altus Medical, Inc.

     

PSS WORLD MEDICAL, INC.

By:

 

/s/    Kevin Connors


     

By:

 

/s/    John F. Sasen, Sr.


Printed:

 

Kevin Connors


     

Printed:

 

John F. Sasen, Sr.


Its:

 

CEO


     

Its:

 

Executive Vice President


 

****    Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the omitted portions.


AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO SALES AGENT AGREEMENT

 

This Amendment No. 2 To Sales Agent Agreement (“Amendment”) is made this 6th day of November 2003, between Altus Medical, Inc. (“Altus”) and PSS World Medical, Inc. (“PSS”).

 

WHEREAS, Altus and PSS entered into that February 14, 2003 Sales Agent Agreement and that March 17, 2003 Amendment No. 1 To Sales Agent Agreement (collectively, “Agreement”), and are hereby amending the Agreement as follows:

 

1. Recital C. is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“C. The parties desire that PSS act as a distributor for certain of Altus’ products pursuant to the terms and conditions herein.”

 

2. Sections 1.2, 3.4 and 5.4 are hereby deleted. Also deleted is the second sentence of Section 4.1, and the second, third and fourth sentences of Section 14.2.(c).

 

3. Section 1.4 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“1.4 Products means Altus’ CoolGlide CV-, CoolGlide Excel-, CoolGlide Vantage-, CoolGlide Genesis-, CoolGlide Xeo- and CoolGlide Genesis Plus systems. Notwithstanding any other term in this Agreement, Altus may from time to time discontinue the manufacture and/or sale of any or all Products, and/or change its service policies, warranties and product designs without any obligation or liability to PSS. Products will be newly manufactured but may contain used components. Any software and/or firmware included with the Products are licensed (and not sold) to PSS. Altus grants to PSS a nonexclusive license (transferable only to PSS’ customers) to use such software and/or firmware in connection with the use of the Products. PSS may not modify, decompile or reverse engineer any such software or firmware. No other license, by implication or otherwise, is granted to PSS.”

 

4. Section 2.1 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“2.1 Appointment. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Altus hereby appoints PSS as its exclusive third party distributor of the Products to licensed physicians (“Physicians”) in the Territory, and PSS accepts such appointment. Altus agrees to sell Products to PSS, and PSS agrees to purchase the same from Altus only for resale to Physicians for delivery and use within the Territory, under the terms and conditions herein. The ‘exclusivity’ of this appointment means that Altus will not appoint any other third-party distributors to resell Products to Physicians for delivery and use within the Territory. (For purposes of the foregoing sentence, an entity that is a beauty- or spa chain or franchise or otherwise an entity that may purchase multiple units of Products foritself and its affiliates will not be deemed to be a ‘distributor.’) Notwithstanding any other term in this Agreement, Altus reserves the right, without any compensation owing to PSS, to market and sell the Products in the Territory through its employees and third-party leasing companies.”

 

5. Section 2.4 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“2.4 Orders.

 

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a. PSS will submit purchase orders for the Products from time to time, and each order will be subject to Altus’ acceptance. Each order will specify the types and quantities of requested Products, and the proposed delivery dates and destination points. No other terms or conditions on any PSS order shall be binding on Altus unless expressly accepted in writing by Altus. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be incorporated into each PSS order. In the event of any conflicts, differences or inconsistencies between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and those of any PSS order, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall govern. PSS will provide Altus with the contact information of each entity that purchases Products from PSS.

 

b. PSS will provide Altus monthly with written forecasts, containing non-binding projections of the types and quantities of Products PSS expects to purchase during a rolling six-month period from the date of that Forecast, broken down by months.

 

c. Title and risk of loss and damage will pass to PSS at Altus’ factory. Products are deemed accepted upon shipment. Delivery dates are approximate only. Products may be drop shipped to PSS’ customers. PSS may, without any liability to Altus, cancel an order in whole or in part anytime before original scheduled shipment date; provided, that written notice of cancellation must be received by Altus prior to such date.

 

d. Products may be returned only under warranty and only after PSS has obtained a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number from Altus. Returned Products must be shipped to Altus’ factory with freight and insurance prepaid by Altus.”

 

6. Section 3.3 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“3.3.a. If the Prospect is an Altus Prospect, then PSS will not sell, or attempt to sell, any Products to that Prospect for one hundred twenty days from the date that Altus notified PSS that that is an Altus Prospect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to the provisions of Section 2.2, nothing herein shall prohibit PSS from calling, communicating with, marketing to or selling non-Altus Products to Altus Prospects.

 

3.3.b. If the Prospect is not an Altus Prospect, than Altus will not sell, or attempt to sell, any Products to that Prospect for one hundred twenty days from the date that PSS first identified it to Altus as a Prospect.”

 

7. The third sentence of Section 5.2 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“Altus shall provide demonstrations of the Product to Prospects as needed, and will provide all installation work for Products. Altus agrees to provide sales and promotional support and after-sale service support to all Prospects and PSS customers with the same diligence, quality and timeliness as Altus provides to its Prospects and customers.”

 

8. Section 5.3 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“By December 1, 2003, the parties will negotiate in good faith and sign a marketing agreement. Under the terms of that agreement: (i) Altus will provide sales literature, marketing material and competitive information (“Marketing Materials”), in such reasonable quantities as may hereafter be agreed in writing by the parties, for use by PSS in connection with its marketing and distribution efforts hereunder; and, (ii) PSS will allow Altus, at costs to be mutually agreed to by the parties, to participate in PSS’ sales

 

16


and marketing events, including product fairs, workshops and sales meetings, and to list Altus’ Products in PSS’ catalogs.”

 

8a. Section 5.5 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“5.5 Altus shall maintain product liability and commercial general liability insurance policies with coverage in at least the amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000). Altus shall provide proof of such insurance upon the request of PSS.”

 

8b. The following is added as Sections 6.3 and 6.4:

 

“6.3 Altus shall comply with all laws, regulations and orders relating to its performance under this Agreement, including without limitation all anti-fraud and anti-kickback laws, regulations and orders.

 

6.4 Altus shall not, directly or indirectly, pay any compensation, amounts, benefits or other consideration to any PSS employee, or any family member of a PSS employee, (other than customary gifts valued under $100 in the course of one year, and business meals in the ordinary course) without the express written consent of PSS. This section shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement for any reason.”

 

9. Section 7.1 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“7.1 Product Warranty. Products sold pursuant to this Agreement will come with Altus’ then-current product warranty, which will be solely for benefit of, and assignable to, PSS’ customers. Altus’ current product warranty is attached hereto as Exhibit B; provided, that Altus may from time to time modify this warranty without any obligation or liability to PSS.”

 

10. Section 8 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“8.0 Price and Payment.

 

8.1. Price. The purchase prices to PSS for the Products will be as set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto. The difference between the Purchase Price and PSS’ selling price (which shall be determined in PSS’ sole discretion) shall be PSS’ sole compensation for sales of the Products. Freight and insurance will be prepaid by Altus and is included in the purchase price. Prices exclude taxes, which are PSS’ responsibility (excluding only taxes based on Altus’ net income). Wherever applicable, all such taxes may be added to the invoice or invoiced separately.

 

8.2. Payment. Payment terms are fifty (50) days from the date of Altus’ invoice. Delinquent invoices shall have a late payment charge of the lesser of eighteen percent per year or the maximum legal rate assessed against any unpaid balance from the original due date until the date of payment. (Any payments owing by Altus to PSS hereunder will be due fifty (50) days from the date of PSS’ invoice, and will be subject to the foregoing late-payment charge.) Altus may withhold shipments if PSS is delinquent in making payments or in breach of this Agreement. Until the full purchase price has been received by Altus, Altus shall retain a security interest in the Products (and any proceeds thereof) and the right to immediate possession thereof (without prejudice to any other available remedies). PSS shall, from time to time, take all acts requested by Altus to transfer, create, perfect, preserve and/or enforce this security interest.”

 

17


11. Section 14.2.(c) is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“Notwithstanding Section 14.1, either party may terminate this Agreement, without cause, by delivering a written notice to the other party, which termination will take effect 180 days following delivery of such written notice. After 90 days following delivery of such notice, PSS’ appointment will convert to ‘nonexclusive,’ meaning that Altus may, without any compensation owing to PSS, appoint third parties to market, sell and distribute the Products to Physicians in the Territory. PSS and Altus agree to work cooperatively in this transition period.”

 

11a. Section 14.5 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“14.5 Immediately upon the termination of this Agreement, PSS will discontinue holding itself out as an authorized Altus distributor, and will return to Altus at PSS’ expense, or destroy, all price lists, catalogs, Marketing Materials and all other sales aids that were furnished by or through Altus to PSS hereunder.”

 

12. A new Section 17 is hereby added to the Agreement as follows:

 

“17. PSS’ Agreements With Its Customers. All sales and other agreements between PSS and its customers are PSS’ exclusively, and shall have no effect on the respective obligations of Altus and PSS under this Agreement.”

 

13. Exhibit A is hereby deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“Product Pricing

 

For Products sold to PSS from the date of this Amendment until March 31, 2004, the unit pricing will be as set forth below. The pricing for Products sold after March 31, 2004 will be negotiated by the parties in good faith at least two months before that date. All Product pricing information will be deemed Altus’ Confidential Information.

 

Product

     Unit Price  

CoolGlide CV

   $ [**** ]

CoolGlide Genesis

   $ [**** ]

CoolGlide Excel

   $ [**** ]

CoolGlide Genesis Plus

   $ [**** ]

CoolGlide Vantage

   $ [**** ]

CoolGlide Xeo

   $ [**** ]
        

 

14. The parties agree to discuss in good faith the possible opportunity of PSS distributing Altus’ product upgrades to Physicians in the Territory.

 

//

 

//

 

****    Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the omitted portions.

 

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The capitalized terms that are used, but not defined, in this Amendment shall have the same definitions provided in the Agreement. Except as expressly stated in this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain unmodified and in full force and effect.

 

Altus Medical, Inc.

     

PSS World Medical, Inc.

By:   /s/    Kevin P. Connors               By:   /s/    Gary A. Corless        
   
         
Printed:   Kevin P. Connors       Printed:   Gary A. Corless
   
         
Its:   CEO       Its:   President
   
         

 

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Exhibit B

 

Altus’ Product Warranty (as of the date of this Amendment)

 

Altus warrants solely to the end-user customer for one year from initial shipment of a Product that such Product will be free from defects in workmanship and materials. This warranty is subject to proper use, operation and maintenance of the Product in accordance with the operator manual, and shall not apply if the Product has been damaged after delivery, or misused, altered, disassembled or serviced by any person other than Altus. Altus’ sole obligation under this warranty shall be, at Altus’ option, to repair or replace any Product defect that was present when the Product was first shipped, or to refund the applicable purchase price upon the return of the Product to Altus. Repaired or replacement Products or components thereof will be warranted as provided in this subsection for either the remainder of the original Product’s original warranty period or thirty days from when the defective Product or component was repaired or the replacement Product or component was first shipped, whichever is longer. Product upgrades and components purchased separately (including the Cool Glide Xeo hand piece) will be warranted as provided in this section for either the remainder of the related Product’s original warranty period or ninety days from initial shipment, whichever is longer. Software and firmware licensed herein will be warranted as provided in this subsection for ninety days from initial shipment. Altus makes no warranties with respect to a Product’s removable hand piece window. THE FOREGOING PRODUCT WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS. EXCEPT AS SO STATED, ALTUS DISCLAIMS ALL PRODUCT WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

 

20

Consent of Independent Accountants

EXHIBIT 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

 

We hereby consent to the use in this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated February 20, 2004, relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedule of Cutera, Inc., which appear in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

 

/s/    PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

 

San Jose, California

February 26, 2004