Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On January 30, 2009, Gen-Probe Incorporated ("Gen-Probe" or the "Company")
entered into an Implementation Agreement (the "Implementation Agreement") with
Tepnel Life Sciences Plc ("Tepnel"), a company registered in England and Wales.
Pursuant to the Implementation Agreement, Tepnel and Gen-Probe issued a Rule 2.5
Announcement on January 30, 2009 (the "Rule 2.5 Announcement") under the UK City
Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code") disclosing that Gen-Probe and Tepnel
had agreed on the terms of a recommended cash offer (the "Offer") by Gen-Probe
for the acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued ordinary shares of
Tepnel for 27.1 pence per share. The Company intends to implement the Offer
pursuant to a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") under
Part 26 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (the "Companies Act"). Under the
Implementation Agreement, Gen-Probe reserves the right to implement the Offer by
means of a takeover offer under Code. The Offer, which values Tepnel's fully
diluted share capital at approximately £92.8 million (approximately
$132.2 million based upon the recent exchange rate of £1 to $1.424), will be
financed through the use of Gen-Probe's existing cash resources.
The Implementation Agreement provides for the implementation of the Offer
and cooperation with regard to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions,
and contains certain assurances from and confirmations between the parties. The
Implementation Agreement includes undertakings from Tepnel to Gen-Probe to take
certain steps to implement the Scheme, in accordance with an agreed indicative
timetable, including the unanimous and unqualified recommendation by the
directors of Tepnel to Tepnel shareholders to vote in favor of the Scheme, the
dispatch of the Scheme document to be posted to Tepnel shareholders containing
the terms and conditions of the Scheme (the "Scheme Document"), convening the
meeting or meetings (and any adjournment thereof) of Tepnel shareholders (or
relevant class or classes thereof) as may be convened by order of the High Court
of Justice in England and Wales (the "Court") under the Companies Act to
consider and if thought fit, approve the Scheme (with or without amendment) and
the general meeting of Tepnel shareholders (and any adjournment thereof) to be
convened in connection with the Offer and taking steps to seek an order of the
Court sanctioning the Scheme under the Companies Act and confirming the
reduction in Tepnel's share capital to make the Scheme effective. In addition,
the Implementation Agreement contains undertakings from Tepnel to Gen-Probe in
relation to the conduct of Tepnel's business. The Implementation Agreement also
precludes Tepnel from soliciting competing offers and restricts Tepnel from
holding discussions with a competing offeror unless the offer is for a
financially superior proposal and failing to hold such discussions would
constitute a violation of the Tepnel directors' duties, the Code or other
applicable law. Gen-Probe is entitled to match any competing superior proposal
of a third party subject to the provisions of the Code. Provided that Gen-Probe
matches any competing offer (the "Revised Offer"), the Tepnel directors have
agreed to recommend the Revised Offer to its shareholders.
In consideration of Gen-Probe agreeing to commit time and resources toward
implementation of the Offer, Tepnel has agreed to pay Gen-Probe a fee equal to
1% of the value of the entire fully diluted share capital of Tepnel at 27.1
pence per Tepnel share, or approximately £928,420 (approximately $1,322,070
based upon the recent exchange rate of £1 to $1.424), if, following the release
of the Rule 2.5 Announcement: (a) the Scheme Document is not posted by Tepnel to
its shareholders, within 28 days of the date of the release of the Rule 2.5
Announcement (unless solely due to the default of Gen-Probe or its advisers);
(b) the Tepnel directors, for whatever reason, withdraw, adversely modify or
qualify their recommendation to vote in favor of the Scheme and the Scheme is
not completed; or (c) an independent competing offer is announced prior to the
Offer lapsing or being withdrawn and that independent competing offer is either:
(i) recommended by the Tepnel directors; or (ii) is declared unconditional in
all respects or is completed. The inducement fee will cease to be payable if the
Scheme becomes effective or a takeover offer by Gen-Probe becomes or is declared
unconditional in all respects, as appropriate.
The Scheme is subject to (a) approval by a majority in number of the
holders of Tepnel shares present and voting on the Scheme, either in person or
by proxy, representing not less than 75% in value of the Tepnel shares held by
such shareholders, (b) approval by the Court, including confirmation by the
Court of the reduction in Tepnel's share capital, (c) the passing of a special
resolution necessary to implement the Scheme at the general meeting of the
Tepnel shareholders and (d) the satisfaction or waiver of certain additional
conditions set forth in the Rule 2.5 Announcement, including that all applicable
government filings, applications, notifications and clearances have been made
and that neither party is subject to any governmental order or injunction that
prohibits consummation of the Scheme. In addition, the Offer will lapse if the
Scheme is not effective within 4 months from
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the date that the Scheme Document is posted or such later date as Gen-Probe and
Tepnel may agree and the Court and the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers may
allow.
The Implementation Agreement is subject to termination upon the occurrence
of certain events, including if the Scheme has not become effective (or if
Gen-Probe elects to implement the Offer by means of a takeover offer under the
Code pursuant to the Implementation Agreement, such takeover offer does not
become or is not declared unconditional in all respects) within four months from
the date the Scheme Document is posted to Tepnel shareholders.
The directors of Tepnel, who collectively are holders of approximately 4%
of Tepnel issued ordinary shares, and certain institutional shareholders of
Tepnel, who collectively are holders of approximately 38% of Tepnel issued
ordinary shares, have given irrevocable undertakings to accept and vote in favor
of the Offer. Gen-Probe has also received irrevocable undertakings from certain
Tepnel directors and certain institutional shareholders to exercise warrants to
acquire Tepnel shares conditional upon the sanction of the Scheme by the Court
representing approximately, in aggregate, 16% of the diluted share capital of
Tepnel.
The foregoing description of the Rule 2.5 Announcement and the
Implementation Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the Rule 2.5 Announcement filed as Exhibit 2.1 to
Gen-Probe's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on January 30, 2009 and the Implementation Agreement filed as
Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. It is expected that the Scheme
Document will be sent to Tepnel shareholders as soon as reasonably practicable.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
2.1 Implementation Agreement by and between Gen-Probe Incorporated and Tepnel
Life Sciences Plc, dated January 30, 2009.
Forward Looking Statements
Any statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K and the exhibits hereto
about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events
or performance, including with respect to the Offer, are not historical facts
and are forward-looking statements. These statements are often, but not always,
made through the use of words or phrases such as believe, will, expect,
anticipate, estimate, intend, plan and would. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Some of
these risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to:
• the expected effects on the Company of the Offer;
• the expected timing and scope of the Offer;
• anticipated financial performance as a result of the Offer;
• estimated cost savings and other synergies as a result of the Offer;
• issues associated with new product introductions;
• foreign currency fluctuations;
• risks associated with growth;
• changes in economic or industry conditions generally or in the markets
served by the Company and Tepnel;
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• obtaining approval of the Offer by Tepnel's shareholders;
• Court approval; and
• the ability to successfully implement the Offer.
The foregoing list sets forth some, but not all, of the factors that could
affect our ability to achieve results described in any forward-looking
statements. For additional information about risks and uncertainties we face and
a discussion of our financial statements and footnotes, see documents we file
with the SEC, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and all
subsequent periodic reports. We assume no obligation and expressly disclaim any
duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K or to reflect the occurrence
of subsequent events.
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