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 (Date of earliest event reported): March 17, 2020
MERUS N.V.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| The Netherlands | 001-37773 | Not Applicable | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Yalelaan 62
3584 CM Utrecht
The Netherlands
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
+31 85 016 2500
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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:
| ☐ | 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)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act
| Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Common Shares, €0.09 nominal value per share | MRUS | The Nasdaq Global Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒
Item 8.01. Other Events.
Merus N.V. (“Merus” or the “Company”) plans to temporarily suspend its laboratory research activities at its facilities in Utrecht, the Netherlands by Wednesday, March 18, 2020, to secure the safety of the Company’s employees and to adhere to government recommendations of social distancing and limited public exposure in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The planned suspension is expected to be revisited frequently over the coming weeks. Importantly, Merus plans to continue to support each of the Company’s clinical trial activities and the patients on our clinical trials during this time.
Forward Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in the Report that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operations, including the planned suspension of laboratory research activities. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the duration and scope of government recommendations and/or mandates regarding social distancing and limitation of public exposure.
These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020 and in its other subsequent reports filed with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this Report. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this Report. While the Company may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change, except as required under applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Report.
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.
| MERUS N.V. | ||||||
| Date: March 17, 2020 | By: | /s/ Sven A. Lundberg | ||||
| Name: | Sven (Bill) Ante Lundberg | |||||
| Title: | President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer | |||||