Edgar Filing: DURECT CORP

DURECT Corporation

Date: July 1, 2010

/s/ James E. Brown

James E. Brown

President and Chief Executive Officer

Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: July 1, 2010 (July 1, 2010)

(Date of earliest event reported)

DURECT CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

000-31615

94-3297098

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

2 Results Way

Cupertino, CA 95014

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(408) 777-1417

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 1.01

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On July 1, 2010, we entered into what is sometimes termed an equity line of credit arrangement with Azimuth Opportunity Ltd., or Azimuth. Specifically, we entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the Purchase Agreement, that provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Azimuth is committed to purchase up to $50 million worth of shares of our common stock over the 24-month term of the Purchase Agreement; provided, however, in no event may we sell under the Purchase Agreement more than 17,377,877 shares of common stock, which is equal to one share less than twenty percent of our outstanding shares of common stock on the effective date of the Purchase Agreement. The Purchase Agreement will not become effective until the day the post-effective amendment to the registration statement filed on July 1, 2010 is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. After such date and from time to time over the term of the Purchase Agreement, and at our sole discretion, we may present Azimuth with draw down notices to purchase our common stock over ten consecutive trading days or such other period mutually agreed upon by us and Azimuth, or the draw down period, with each draw down subject to limitations based on the price of our common stock and a limit of 2.5% of our market capitalization at the time of such draw down. We are able to present Azimuth with up to 24 draw down notices during the term of the Purchase Agreement, with only one such draw down notice allowed per draw down period and a minimum of five trading days required between each draw down period.

Once presented with a draw down notice, Azimuth is required to purchase a pro rata portion of the dollar amount of shares specified in the notice for each trading day during the pricing period on which the daily volume weighted average price for our common stock exceeds a threshold price specified by us in the draw down notice (which in no event may be less than $1.00). The per share purchase price for these shares will equal the daily volume weighted average price of our common stock on each date during the draw down period on which shares are purchased, less a discount ranging from 4.00% to 6.00%, based on the trading price of our common stock. If the daily volume weighted average price of our common stock falls below the threshold price on any trading day during a draw down period, the Purchase Agreement provides that Azimuth will not be required to purchase the pro rata portion of shares of common stock allocated to that day. However, at its election, Azimuth may buy the pro rata portion of shares allocated to that day at the threshold price less the discount described above. The total number of shares sold to Azimuth during each draw down will be the sum of the number of shares required and/or elected to be purchased on each day of the pricing period. Other than the optional shares described below, Azimuth will not be required to purchase more than $4.5 million worth of common stock in any pricing period.

The Purchase Agreement also provides that, from time to time and at our sole discretion, we may grant Azimuth the right to exercise one or more options to purchase additional shares of our common stock during each draw down period for an amount of shares specified by us based on the trading price of our common stock. Upon Azimuth’s exercise of an option, we would sell to Azimuth the shares of our common stock subject to the option at a price equal to the greater of the daily volume weighted average price of our common stock on the day Azimuth notifies us of its election to exercise its option or the threshold price for the option determined by us, less a discount calculated in the same manner as it is calculated in the draw down notices.

Any and all issuances of shares of common stock to Azimuth pursuant to the Purchase Agreement will be registered on our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-155042), as amended by the post-effective amendment thereto filed on July 1, 2010, or the registration statement. Azimuth is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Azimuth will use an unaffiliated broker-dealer to effectuate all sales, if any, of common stock that it may purchase from us pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

We have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless Azimuth, each affiliate, employee, representative and advisor of and to Azimuth and each person who controls Azimuth against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. We have agreed to pay up to $35,000 of Azimuth’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses (exclusive of disbursements and out-of-pocket expenses) incurred by Azimuth in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement and related transaction documentation. We have also agreed to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by Azimuth in connection with any amendments, modifications or

waivers of the Purchase Agreement, ongoing due diligence of our company and other transaction expenses associated with fixed requests made by us from time to time during the term of the Purchase Agreement, provided that we shall not be required to pay any reimbursement for any such expenses in any calendar quarter in which we provide a fixed request notice. Further, if we issue a draw down notice and fail to deliver the shares to Azimuth on the applicable settlement date, and such failure continues for ten trading days, we have agreed to pay Azimuth liquidated damages in cash or restricted shares of our common stock, at Azimuth’s option.

Azimuth has agreed to indemnify and hold harmless us and each of our directors, officers and persons who control us against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act that may be based upon written information furnished by Azimuth to us for inclusion in a prospectus or prospectus supplement related to this transaction.

Upon each sale of our common stock to Azimuth under the Purchase Agreement, we have also agreed to pay Reedland Capital Partners, an Institutional Division of Financial West Group, member FINRA/SIPC, or Reedland, a placement fee equal to 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of common stock purchased by Azimuth. We have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless Reedland against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.

The foregoing descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Purchase Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.

On July 1, 2010, we issued a press release announcing the execution of the Purchase Agreement. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

This report contains “forward-looking” statements, including statements related to any future sale of shares of our common stock and price for such sales under the Purchase Agreement. Actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in our SEC reports, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits


(d)		Exhibits

10.1		Common Stock Purchase Agreement between DURECT Corporation and Azimuth Opportunity Ltd., dated July 1, 2010

99.1		Press Release dated July 1, 2010

SIGNATURES

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