UNITED STATES

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

 

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 13G

 

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 2)*

 

MERUS N.V.

(Name of Issuer)

Common Shares

(Title of Class of Securities)

N5749R 100

(CUSIP Number)

December 31, 2017

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

o

Rule 13d-1(b)

x

Rule 13d-1(c)

o

Rule 13d-1(d)

 

*  The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment  containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

 

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed”  for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

 



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

 

1

Names of Reporting Persons
Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

 

 

2

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group

 

 

(a)

o

 

 

(b)

o

 

 

3

SEC Use Only

 

 

4

Citizen or Place of Organization
Switzerland

 

 

 

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5

Sole Voting Power
0

 

6

Shared Voting Power
931,422

 

7

Sole Dispositive Power
0

 

8

Shared Dispositive Power
931,422

 

 

9

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
931,422

 

 

10

Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares
Not Applicable

 

 

11

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9
4.8%

 

 

12

Type of Reporting Person
CO (Corporation)

 

2



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

 

1

Names of Reporting Persons
Novartis AG

 

 

2

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group

 

 

(a)

o

 

 

(b)

o

 

 

3

SEC Use Only

 

 

4

Citizen or Place of Organization
Switzerland

 

 

 

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5

Sole Voting Power
0

 

6

Shared Voting Power
931,422

 

7

Sole Dispositive Power
0

 

8

Shared Dispositive Power
931,422

 

 

9

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
931,422

 

 

10

Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares
Not Applicable

 

 

11

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9
4.8%

 

 

12

Type of Reporting Person
CO (Corporation)

 

3



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

Item 1.

 

(a)

Name of Issuer:
Merus N.V. (the “Issuer”)

 

(b)

Address of Issuer’s Principal Executive Offices:
Padualaan 8 (postvak 133), 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands

 

Item 2.

 

(a)

Name of Person Filing:
Each of the following is hereinafter individually referred to as a “Reporting Person” and collectively as the “Reporting Persons.” This statement is filed on behalf of:

 

Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

Novartis AG

 

(b)

Address or Principal Business Office:

The addresss of the principal business offices of each of Novartis Bioventures Ltd. and Novartis AG is Lichtstrasse 35, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.

 

(c)

Citizenship of each Reporting Person is:
Novartis Bioventures Ltd. and Novartis AG are organized under the laws of Switzerland.

 

(d)

Title of Class of Securities:
Common Shares with a nominal value of €0.09 (“Common Shares”).

 

(e)

CUSIP Number:
N5749R 100

 

Item 3.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

4



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

Item 4.

Ownership

 

Ownership (a-c)

The ownership information presented below represents beneficial ownership of Common Shares of the Issuer as of the date of this filing, based upon 19,409,607 Common Shares reported by the Issuer as outstanding as of September 30, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sole

 

Shared

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

power to

 

power to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sole

 

Shared

 

dispose or

 

dispose or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

power

 

power to

 

to direct

 

to direct

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

 

to vote or

 

vote or

 

the

 

the

 

 

 

beneficially

 

Percent

 

to direct

 

to direct

 

disposition

 

disposition

 

Reporting Person

 

owned

 

of class:

 

the vote:

 

the vote:

 

of:

 

of:

 

Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

 

931,422

 

4.8

%

0

 

931,422

 

0

 

931,422

 

Novartis AG

 

931,422

 

4.8

%

0

 

931,422

 

0

 

931,422

 

 

Novartis Bioventures Ltd. is the record owner of 931,422 Common Shares of the Issuer. As the indirect parent of Novartis Bioventures, Ltd., Novartis AG may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of these securities.

 

Item 5.

Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

 

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following:  x

 

Item 6.

Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 7.

Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 9.

Notice of Dissolution of Group

 

Not applicable.

 

5



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

Item 10.            Certification

 

Each of the Reporting Persons hereby makes the following certification:

 

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect, other than activities solely in connection with a nomination under § 240.14a-11.

 

Signature

 

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

 

Date:  February 2, 2018

 

 

Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

 

 

 

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

 

Name: Bart Dzikowski

 

Title: Secretary of the Board

 

 

 

/s/ Stephan Sandmeier

 

Name: Stephan Sandmeier

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

Novartis AG

 

 

 

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

 

Name: Bart Dzikowski

 

Title:Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

/s/ Stephan Sandmeier

 

Name: Stephan Sandmeier

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

6



 

CUSIP No. N5749R 100

Schedule 13G

 

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 

 

 

99

 

Joint Filing Agreement

 

7


Exhibit 99

 

JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

 

In accordance with Rule 13d-1(k)(1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing with each other on behalf of each of them of such a statement on Schedule 13G (including any and all amendments thereto) with respect to the Common Shares beneficially owned by each of them of Merus N.V. This Joint Filing Agreement shall be included as an Exhibit to such Schedule 13G.

 

The undersigned further agree that each party hereto is responsible for the timely filing of such Schedule 13G and any amendments thereto, and for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning such party contained therein; provided that no party is responsible for the completeness or accuracy of the information concerning any other filing party, unless such party knows or has reason to believe that such information is inaccurate.

 

This Joint Filing Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original instrument, but all of such counterparts together shall constitute one agreement.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned hereby execute this Joint Filing Agreement as of the 2nd day of February, 2018.

 

 

Novartis Bioventures Ltd.

 

 

 

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

 

Name: Bart Dzikowski

 

Title: Secretary of the Board

 

 

 

/s/ Stephan Sandmeier

 

Name: Stephan Sandmeier

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

Novartis AG

 

 

 

/s/ Bart Dzikowski

 

Name: Bart Dzikowski

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

/s/ Stephan Sandmeier

 

Name: Stephan Sandmeier

 

Title: Authorized Signatory