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Argenx Se – ‘F-3ASR’ on 7/29/21

On:  Thursday, 7/29/21, at 8:22am ET   ·   Effective:  7/29/21   ·   Accession #:  1104659-21-97286   ·   File #:  333-258251

Previous ‘F-3ASR’:  ‘F-3ASR’ on 6/1/18   ·   Latest ‘F-3ASR’:  This Filing   ·   57 References:   

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  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 7/29/21  Argenx Se                         F-3ASR      7/29/21    7:1.6M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA

Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by a Well-Known Foreign Issuer   —   Form F-3

Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: F-3ASR      Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by a         HTML    352K 
                Well-Known Foreign Issuer                                        
 2: EX-4.1      Instrument Defining the Rights of Security Holders  HTML     63K 
 3: EX-4.5      Instrument Defining the Rights of Security Holders  HTML    432K 
 4: EX-4.6      Instrument Defining the Rights of Security Holders  HTML    226K 
 5: EX-5.1      Opinion of Counsel re: Legality                     HTML     14K 
 6: EX-5.2      Opinion of Counsel re: Legality                     HTML     42K 
 7: EX-23.1     Consent of Expert or Counsel                        HTML      6K 


‘F-3ASR’   —   Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by a Well-Known Foreign Issuer

Document Table of Contents

Page (sequential)   (alphabetic) Top
 
11st Page  –  Filing Submission
"Table of Contents
"About This Prospectus
"About the Company
"Risk Factors
"Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
"Capitalization
"Plan of Distribution
"Description of Share Capital
"Description of Securities
"Selling Securityholders
"Use of Proceeds
"Taxation
"Enforceability of Certain Civil Liabilities
"Legal Matters
"Experts
"Expenses
"Where You Can Find More Information
"Incorporation by Reference
"Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2021
Registration No. 333-        
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ARGENX SE
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
The Netherlands
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
Not Applicable
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
Willemstraat 5
4811 AH, Breda, the Netherlands
Tel. No.: +32 9 310 34 00
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
CT Corporation System
111 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10011
Tel. No. +1 (212) 894-8940
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Please send copies of all communications to:
Michael H. Bison
Edwin M. O’Connor
Goodwin Procter LLP
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 570-1000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: from time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are to be offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
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 statement 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 statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

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If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, 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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of each class of securities to be registered
Amount to be
Registered(1)(2)
Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Price Per
Unit(1)(2)
Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(1)(2)
Amount of
Registration Fee(3)
Ordinary Shares, nominal value of €0.10 per share(4)(5)
Warrants(6)
Units(7)
Debt Securities
Total(8)
(1)
An indeterminate number of or aggregate principal amount of the securities of each identified class is being registered as may at various times be issued at indeterminate prices.
(2)
Not applicable pursuant to General Instruction II.F of Form F-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
(3)
In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the Registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee. Any registration fees will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis in accordance with Rule 457(r).
(4)
In addition to any securities that may be registered hereunder, we are also registering an indeterminate number of ordinary shares as may be issued upon conversion or exercise of the securities issued directly hereunder. No separate consideration will be received for any ordinary shares so issued upon conversion or exercise.
(5)
The ordinary shares registered hereby may be represented by the Registrant’s American Depositary Shares, or ordinary ADSs, each of which represents a specified number of ordinary shares. Ordinary ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby have been or will be registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6.
(6)
Warrants may be exercised to purchase any of the other securities registered hereby. Includes Warrants that may be purchased by underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(7)
These offered securities may be sold separately or together as units.
(8)
The securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or in a combination with other securities registered hereby.

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PROSPECTUS
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Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Warrants
Units
Debt Securities
By this prospectus, we and/or our selling securityholders may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, ordinary shares; ordinary shares represented by American Depositary Shares, or ADSs; warrants; units; debt securities or any combination thereof as described in this prospectus. Any ADS will represent a specified number of ordinary shares. The warrants may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or debt securities, and the debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or other debt securities. You should carefully read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated in any of the foregoing by reference, before you invest in our securities. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. A prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained in this prospectus.
Our ordinary shares represented by ADSs are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ARGX.” Our ordinary shares are traded on Euronext Brussels under the symbol “ARGX.”
We and/or our selling securityholders may offer and sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers on a continuous or delayed basis. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell our securities, we and/or our selling securityholders will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of our securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from the sale of such securities will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by selling securityholders.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES REFERENCED UNDER THE HEADING “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 2 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS THOSE CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY RELATED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS, AND IN THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS OR THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Prospectus dated July 29, 2021

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We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this documentation are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospectus may have changed since those dates.
 
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
Under this shelf registration, we and/or our selling securityholders may offer our ordinary shares, ordinary shares represented by ADSs, various series of warrants to purchase ordinary shares or debt securities, units, debt securities or any combination thereof, from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities that we and/or our selling securityholders may offer. Each time we and/or our selling securityholders offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the specific terms of the offering. If any such securities are to be listed or quoted on a securities exchange or quotation system, the applicable prospectus supplement will say so. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Each such prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference” before you invest in our securities.
Neither we nor any selling securityholders have authorized anyone to provide you with information in addition to or different from that contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any information not contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we and/or our selling securityholders may authorize to be provided to you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. You should assume that the information in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security.
This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, throughout this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, the words “argenx,” “ARGX,” “we,” “us,” “our,” the company,” our company or similar references refer to argenx SE and its consolidated subsidiaries; and the term “securities” refers collectively to our ordinary shares, ordinary shares represented by ADSs, warrants to purchase ordinary shares or debt securities, units, debt securities, or any combination of the foregoing securities.
Unless otherwise indicated, all references to “U.S. dollars,” “USD,” “dollars,” “US$” and “$” in this prospectus mean U.S. dollars and references in this prospectus to “Euro,” “EUR,” and “€” mean euros. Our audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Our consolidated financial statements through December 31, 2020 are presented in euros, after which our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. We have a fiscal year end of December 31.
 
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer. We have a particular focus on neuromuscular and hematology indications within our franchises. Our suite of antibody technologies and our Immunology Innovation Program, or IIP, exploring novel disease biology enables us to focus on developing product candidates with the potential to be either first-in-class against novel targets or best-in-class against known, but complex, targets in order to treat diseases with a significant unmet medical need. Through our “argenx 2021” vision, we are on track to becoming a global, fully integrated company with the potential launch of our first product, efgartigimod, in the United States, if approved.
Corporate Profile
Our legal and commercial name is argenx SE. We were incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands on April 25, 2008 as a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid). On May 28, 2014, we converted to a Dutch public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap). On April 26, 2017, we converted to a Dutch European public company with limited liability (Societas Europaea or SE).
Our official seat is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and our registered office is at Willemstraat 5, 4811 AH, Breda, the Netherlands. We are registered with the trade register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 24435214. Our telephone number is +32 9 310 34 00. Our website address is http://www.argenx.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of, and shall not be incorporated by reference into, this prospectus. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only. The registered agent for service of process in the United States is CT Corporation System, with an address at 111 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011.
Our ordinary shares represented by ADSs have been listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ARGX” since May 18, 2017. Our ordinary shares have been trading on Euronext Brussels under the symbol “ARGX” since July 2014.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on March 30, 2021 (File No. 001-38097),which is incorporated herein by reference, and (ii) other documents we file with the SEC that are deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. All statements other than present and historical facts and conditions contained in this prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and the documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial positions, business strategy, plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and
 
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the documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “is designed to,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “objective,” “should,” or the negative of these and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

the initiation, timing, progress and results of clinical trials of our product candidates, including statements regarding when results of the trials will be made public;

the potential attributes and benefits of our product candidates and their competitive position with respect to other alternative treatments;

our ability to advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical trials;

our plans related to the commercialization of our product candidates, if approved;

the anticipated timing of the market authorizations of our products (if any);

the anticipated pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved;

the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals for any product candidates;

our ability to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any of our product candidates that achieve regulatory approval;

our regulatory strategy and our ability to establish and maintain manufacturing arrangements for our product candidates;

the scope and duration of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates, platform and technology;

our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;

the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved;

the potential benefits of our current collaborations;

our plans and ability to enter into collaborations for additional programs or product candidates;

the effect of COVID-19 on our business; and

the impact of government laws and regulations on our business.
You should refer to the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus, any supplements to this prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame or at all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
You should read this prospectus, including any supplements to this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to this prospectus, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Information regarding market and industry statistics contained in this prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and the documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, is included based on information available to us that we believe is accurate. Forecasts and other forward looking information obtained from this available information is subject to the same qualifications and the additional uncertainties accompanying any estimates of future market size, revenue and market acceptance of products and services.
 
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CAPITALIZATION
We intend to include information about our capitalization and indebtedness in prospectus supplements.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We and/or our selling securityholders may sell our securities from time to time in one or more transactions. We and/or our selling securityholders may sell our securities to or through agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on our behalf or with our selling securityholders or on their behalf may also purchase our securities and reoffer them to the public. We and/or our selling securityholders may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.
Agents whom we and/or our selling securityholders designate may solicit offers to purchase our securities.

We and/or our selling securityholders will name any agent involved in offering or selling our securities, and disclose any commissions that we and/or our selling securityholders will pay to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless we and/or our selling securityholders indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment.

Agents may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act of any of our securities that they offer or sell.
We and/or our selling securityholders may use an underwriter or underwriters in the offer or sale of our securities.

If we and/or our selling securityholders use an underwriter or underwriters, we and/or our selling securityholders will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter or underwriters at the time that we and/or our selling securityholders reach an agreement for the sale of our securities.

We and/or our selling securityholders will include the names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as the names of any other underwriters, and the terms of the transactions, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The underwriters will use the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the prospectus, to sell our securities.
We and/or our selling securityholders may use a dealer to sell our securities.

If we and/or our selling securityholders use a dealer, we and/or our selling securityholders will sell our securities to the dealer, as principal.

The dealer will then sell our securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells our securities.

We and/or our selling securityholders will include the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement.
One or more firms, referred to as “remarketing firms,” may also offer or sell the securities, if a prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as our agents. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities in accordance with the terms of the securities. Each prospectus supplement will identify and describe any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm’s compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they remarket. Remarketing firms may be entitled under agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
 
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We and/or our selling securityholders may solicit directly offers to purchase our securities, and we and/or our selling securityholders may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling securityholders may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.
We and/or our selling securityholders may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We and/or our selling securityholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
Agents, underwriters and dealers participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We and/or our selling securityholders may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.
We and/or our selling securityholders may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.

If we and/or our selling securityholders use delayed delivery contracts, we and/or our selling securityholders will disclose that we and/or our selling securityholders are using them in the prospectus supplement and will tell you when we and/or our selling securityholders will demand payment and when delivery of our securities will be made under the delayed delivery contracts.

These delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to the conditions that we describe in the prospectus supplement.

We and/or our selling securityholders will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the commission that underwriters and agents soliciting purchases of our securities under delayed delivery contracts will be entitled to receive.
Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.
Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the securities may qualify as “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the underwriters’ commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters’ compensation under the Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we and/or our selling securityholders sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing the applicable security in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the
 
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securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in other transactions with us, or perform other services for us, in the ordinary course of their business.
We and/or our selling securityholders may effect sales of securities in connection with forward sale, option or other types of agreements with third parties. Any distribution of securities pursuant to any forward sale agreement may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions that may take place through a stock exchange, including block trades or ordinary broker’s transactions, or through broker-dealers acting either as principal or agent, or through privately-negotiated transactions, or through an underwritten public offering, or through a combination of any such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices relating to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated or fixed prices.
The specific terms of the lock-up provisions, if any, with respect to any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The expenses of any offering of our securities will be detailed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling securityholders will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties and their compensation in a prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
The following description is a summary of certain information relating to our share capital, certain provisions of our articles of association and Dutch law. Because this description is a summary, it may not contain all of the information important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by reference to the description of our share capital and the material terms of our articles of association contained in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including our most recent Annual Report on 20-F, as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, together with our articles of association, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit hereto. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
The following description includes comparisons of certain provisions of our articles of association and Dutch law applicable to us and the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, the law under which many publicly listed companies in the United States are incorporated. Because such statements are summaries, they do not address all aspects of Dutch law that may be relevant to us and our shareholders or all aspects of Delaware law which may differ from Dutch law, and they are not intended to be a complete discussion of the respective rights.
General
We were incorporated on April 25, 2008, as a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) under Dutch law. On May 28, 2014, we converted into a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) under Dutch law pursuant to a notarial deed of conversion and amendment. On April 26, 2017, we converted into a Dutch European public company with limited liability (Societas Europaea or SE) pursuant to a notarial deed of conversion and amendment, which notarial deed was executed on the same date.
We are registered with the trade register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 24435214. Our corporate seat is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and our registered office is at Willemstraat 5, 4811 AH, Breda, the Netherlands.
Our ordinary shares are listed on Euronext Brussels under ISIN Code NL0010832176 under the symbol “ARGX.” The ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “ARGX.”
 
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Under Dutch law, a company’s authorized share capital sets out the maximum amount and number of shares that it may issue without amending its articles of association.
Our Articles of Association, as lastly amended on January 24, 2020, provide for an authorized share capital in the amount of €9.0 million divided into 90 million shares, each with a nominal value of €0.10. All issued and outstanding shares have been fully paid up and the shares are held in dematerialized form. Our share capital consists of ordinary shares, each with a nominal value of €0.10. Our shares are not separated into classes. As of June 30, 2021, our issued and paid-up share capital amounted to €5,139,866.30 represented by 51,398,663 ordinary shares with a nominal value of €0.10, each representing an identical fraction of our share capital. All of our ordinary shares are in dematerialized form. As of June 30, 2021, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries held any of our own shares.
In addition to the shares already outstanding, we have granted options and restricted stock units, or RSUs, which upon exercise (and settlement, respectively) will lead to an increase in the number of our outstanding shares. A total of 5,153,743 options (where each option entitles the holder to subscribe for one new ordinary share) and 8,313 RSUs were outstanding and granted as of June 30, 2021. Apart from the options, employee stock option plan and RSUs, we do not currently have other stock options, options to purchase securities, convertible securities or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities outstanding. For further information, see the section titled “Item 6.B. — Compensation” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F incorporated by reference herein, as updated by this prospectus supplement, accompanying prospectus and other documents incorporated by reference herein.
Issue of Shares
The Articles of Association provide that shares may be issued or rights to subscribe for our shares may be granted pursuant to a resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting, or alternatively, by our board of directors if so designated by the shareholders at the General Meeting. A resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting to issue shares, to grant rights to subscribe for shares or to designate our board of directors as the corporate body of the company authorized to do so can only take place at the proposal of our board of directors with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors. Shares may be issued or rights to subscribe for shares may be granted by resolution of our board of directors, if and insofar as our board of directors is designated to do so by the shareholders at the General Meeting. Designation by resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting cannot be withdrawn unless determined otherwise at the time of designation. The scope and duration of our board of directors’ authority to issue shares or grant rights to subscribe for shares (such as granting stock options or issuing convertible bonds) is determined by a resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting and relates, at the most, to all unissued shares in the company’s authorized capital at the relevant time. The duration of this authority may not exceed a period of five years. Designation of our board of directors as the body authorized to issue shares or grant rights to subscribe for shares may be extended by a resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting for a period not exceeding five years in each case. The number of shares that may be issued is determined at the time of designation.
No shareholders’ resolution or board of directors’ resolution is required to issue shares pursuant to the exercise of a previously granted right to subscribe for shares. A resolution of our board of directors to issue shares and to grant rights to subscribe for shares can only be taken with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors.
On May 12, 2020, the shareholders at the General Meeting renewed the designation of our board of directors as the corporate body competent to grant option rights to subscribe for shares under the Option Plan and to limit or exclude preemption rights of shareholders for such shares with the prior consent of the majority of the non-executive directors for a period of 18 months.
On May 11, 2021, the shareholders at the General Meeting renewed the authorization to our board of directors to issue shares and grant rights to subscribe for shares and to limit or exclude pre-emption rights of shareholders for such shares with the prior consent of the majority of the non-executive directors for a period of 18 months. In its resolution, the shareholders at the General Meeting restricted the competency of our board of directors under this second authorization as regards the issue of shares and the grant of rights to subscribe for shares to a maximum of 10% of our total issued and outstanding share capital as at the day of that meeting.
 
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Preemptive Rights
Dutch law and the Articles of Association give shareholders preemptive rights to subscribe on a pro rata basis for any issue of new shares or, upon a grant of rights, to subscribe for shares. Holders of shares have no preemptive rights upon (1) the issue of shares against a payment in kind (being a contribution other than in cash); (2) the issue of shares to our employees or the employees of a member of our group; and (3) the issue of shares to persons exercising a previously granted right to subscribe for shares.
A shareholder may exercise preemptive rights during a period of at least two weeks from the date of the announcement of the issue of shares. Pursuant to the Articles of Association, the shareholders at the General Meeting may restrict or exclude the preemptive rights of shareholders. A resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting to restrict or exclude the preemptive rights or to designate our board of directors as our body authorized to do so, may only be adopted on the proposal of our board of directors with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors. A resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting to exclude or restrict preemptive rights, or to authorize our board of directors to exclude or restrict preemptive rights, requires a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast, if less than 50% of our issued and outstanding share capital is present or represented at the General Meeting.
With respect to an issuance of shares pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors, the preemptive rights of shareholders may be restricted or excluded by resolution of our board of directors if and insofar as our board of directors is designated to do so by the shareholders at the General Meeting. A resolution of our board of directors to restrict or exclude preemptive rights can only be taken with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors.
The designation of our board of directors as the body competent to restrict or exclude the preemptive rights may be extended by a resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting for a period not exceeding five years in each case. Designation by resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting cannot be withdrawn unless determined otherwise at the time of designation. On May 12, 2020, the shareholders at the General Meeting renewed the designation of our board of directors as the corporate body competent to grant option rights to subscribe for shares under the Option Plan and to limit or exclude preemption rights of shareholders for such shares with the prior consent of the majority of the non-executive directors for a period of 18 months. On May 11, 2021, the shareholders at the General Meeting renewed the designation of our board of directors as the corporate body competent to issue additional shares and grant rights to subscribe for shares and to limit or exclude preemption rights of shareholders for such shares with the prior consent of the majority of the non-executive directors for a period of 18 months. In its resolution, the shareholders at the General Meeting restricted the competency of our board of directors under this second authorization as regards the issue of shares and the grant of rights to subscribe for shares to a maximum of 10% of our total issued and outstanding share capital as at the day of that meeting.
Under the DGCL, stockholders of a Delaware corporation have no preemptive rights to subscribe for additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and to the extent that, such rights are expressly provided for in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation.
Acquisition of Shares by the Company
We may not subscribe for our own shares on issue. We may acquire fully paid-up shares at any time for no consideration or, if:

our shareholders’ equity less the payment required to make the acquisition, does not fall below the sum of called-up and paid-in share capital and any statutory reserves;

we and our subsidiaries would thereafter not hold shares or hold a pledge over shares with an aggregate nominal value exceeding 50% of our issued share capital; and

our board of directors has been authorized thereto by the shareholders at the General Meeting.
As part of the authorization, the shareholders at the General Meeting must specify the number of shares that may be repurchased, the manner in which the shares may be acquired and the price range within which the shares may be acquired. A resolution of our board of directors to repurchase shares can only be taken with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors.
 
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Shares held by us in our own share capital do not carry a right to any distribution. Furthermore, no voting rights may be exercised for any of the shares held by us or our subsidiaries unless such shares a are subject to the right of usufruct or to a pledge in favor of a person other than us or its subsidiaries and the voting rights were vested in the pledgee or usufructuary before us or its subsidiaries acquired such shares. Neither we nor our subsidiaries may exercise voting rights in respect of shares for which we or our subsidiaries have a right of usufruct or a pledge.
Reduction of Share Capital
The shareholders at the General Meeting may, upon a proposal of our board of directors with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, resolve to reduce the issued share capital by cancelling shares or by amending the Articles of Association to reduce the nominal value of the shares. Only shares held by us or shares for which we hold the depositary receipts may be cancelled. A resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting to reduce the number of shares must designate the shares to which the resolution applies and must lay down rules for the implementation of the resolution. A resolution to reduce the issued share capital requires a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast, if less than 50% of our issued and outstanding share capital is present or represented at the General Meeting.
Articles of Association and Dutch Law
When we refer to our Articles of Association in this prospectus, we refer to our Articles of Association as they are in force at the date hereof.
Set forth below is a summary of relevant information concerning our share capital and material provisions of our Articles of Association and applicable Dutch law. This summary does not constitute legal advice regarding those matters and should not be regarded as such.
The shareholders at the General Meeting may resolve to amend the Articles of Association, at the proposal of our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors. A resolution by the shareholders at the General Meeting to amend the Articles of Association requires a simple majority of the votes cast in a meeting in which at least half of our issued and outstanding capital is present or represented, or at least two-thirds of the votes cast, if less than half of our issued and outstanding capital is present or represented at that meeting.
Changing the rights of any of the shareholders will require the Articles of Association to be amended.
Company’s Shareholders’ Register
Subject to Dutch law, we must keep our shareholders’ register accurate and up-to-date. Our board of directors keeps our shareholders’ register and records names and addresses of all holders of shares, showing the date on which the shares were acquired, the date of the acknowledgement by or notification of us as well as the amount paid on each share. The register also includes the names and addresses of those with a right of usufruct (vruchtgebruik) in shares belonging to another or a pledge in respect of such shares.
Corporate Objectives
Our corporate objectives are: (a) to exploit, including all activities relating to research, development, production, marketing and commercial exploitation; biological, chemical or other products, processes and technologies in the life sciences sector in general, and more specifically in the diagnostic, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, chemical and agricultural sector; (b) to design and develop instruments which may be used in medical diagnosis and affiliated areas; (c) the worldwide distribution of, sale of and rendering services relating to our products and subsidiaries directly to customers as well as through third parties; (d) to incorporate, to participate in any way whatsoever, to manage, to supervise, to operate and to promote enterprises, businesses and companies; (e) to render advice and services to businesses and companies with which we form a group and to third parties; (f) to finance businesses and companies; (g) to borrow, to lend and to raise funds, including the issue of bonds, promissory notes or other securities or evidence of indebtedness
 
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as well as to enter into agreements in connection with the aforementioned; (h) to render guarantees, to bind us and to pledge our assets for obligations of the companies and enterprises with which we form a group and on behalf of third parties; (i) to obtain, alienate, manage and exploit registered property and items of property in general; (j) to trade in currencies, securities and items of property in general; (k) to develop and trade in patents, trademarks, licenses, know-how and other industrial property rights; and (l) to perform any and all activities of industrial, financial or commercial nature, as well as everything pertaining the foregoing, relating thereto or conductive thereto, all in the widest sense of the word.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification Matters
Under Dutch law, our board of directors and certain other officers may be held liable for damages in the event of improper or negligent performance of their duties. They may be held jointly and severally liable for damages to our company and to third parties for infringement of the Articles of Association or of certain provisions of the Dutch Civil Code. In certain circumstances, they may also incur additional specific civil and criminal liabilities. Directors and certain other officers are insured under an insurance policy taken out by us against damages resulting from their conduct when acting in the capacities as such directors or officers. In addition, our Articles of Association provide for indemnification of our directors, including reimbursement for reasonable legal fees and damages or fines based on acts or failures to act in their duties. No indemnification shall be given to a member of our board of directors if a Dutch court has established, without possibility for appeal, that the acts or omissions of such indemnified person that led to the financial losses, damages, suit, claim, action or legal proceedings resulted from either an improper performance of his or her duties as a director or an officer of our company or an unlawful or illegal act, and only to the extent that his or her financial losses, damages and expenses are covered by an insurance and the insurer has settled these financial losses, damages and expenses (or has indicated that it would do so). Furthermore, such indemnification will generally not be available in instances of willful (opzettelijk), intentionally reckless (bewust roekeloos) or seriously culpable (ernstig verwijtbaar) conduct unless Dutch law provides otherwise.
Shareholders’ Meetings and Consents
General Meeting
General meetings of shareholders are held at the place where the company has its official seat or at Schiphol, municipality Haarlemmermeer, the Netherlands. The annual General Meeting shall be held on the second Tuesday of the month of May on the hour and at the place mentioned in the convening notice. If such a date is not a business day, the annual General Meeting shall be held the first following business day. Additional extraordinary General Meetings may also be held whenever considered appropriate by our board of directors. Pursuant to Dutch law, one or more shareholders and others entitled to attend a General Meeting, who jointly represent at least one-tenth of the issued capital, may request our board of directors to convene a General Meeting. If our board of directors has not taken the steps necessary to ensure that a General Meeting will be held within the relevant statutory period after the request, the requesting persons may, at his/her/their request, be authorized by court in preliminary relief proceedings to convene a General Meeting. The court shall disallow the application if it does not appear that the applicants have previously requested our board of directors to convene a General Meeting and our board of directors has not taken the necessary steps so that the General Meeting could be held within six weeks after the request.
General meetings of shareholders can be convened by a notice, which shall include an agenda stating the items to be discussed, including for the annual General Meeting, among other things, the adoption of the annual accounts, appropriation of our profits and proposals relating to the composition of our board of directors, including the filling of any vacancies in our board of directors. In addition, the agenda shall include such items as have been included therein by our board. The agenda shall also include such items requested by one or more shareholders, and others entitled to attend General Meetings, representing at least 3% of the issued share capital. Requests must be made in writing and received by our board of directors at least 60 days before the day of the convocation of the meeting. No resolutions shall be adopted on items other than those which have been included in the agenda. In accordance with the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, or DCGC, a shareholder may include an item on the agenda only after consulting our board of directors in that respect. If one or more shareholders intends to request that an item be put on the agenda that may result in a change in the company’s strategy, our board of directors may invoke a response time of a maximum
 
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of 180 days until the day of the General Meeting. On 1 May 2021, a new legislative amendment to the DCC entered into force pursuant to which the Board of Directors may invoke a statutory cooling-off period of maximum 250 days (wettelijke bedenktijd).
For the Company this means that the new rules will apply in case:
(i)
shareholders requesting the Board of Directors to have the General Meeting consider a proposal for the appointment, suspension or dismissal of one or more Directors, or a proposal for the amendment of one or more provisions in the Articles of Association relating thereto; or
(ii)
of a public offer for shares in the capital of the Company is announced or made without the bidder and the Company having reached agreement about the offer,
(iii)
and only if the Board of Directors also considers such the relevant situation to be substantially contrary to the interests of the Company and its affiliated enterprises.
If the Board of Directors would invoke such cooling-off period, this causes the powers of the General Meeting to appoint, suspend or dismiss Directors (and to amend the Articles of Association in this respect) to be suspended.
The Board of Directors must use the cooling-off period to obtain all necessary information for a careful determination of policy it wishes to pursue in the given situation. The Board of Directors shall thereby, in any event, consult those shareholders that represent at least 3% of the issued capital at the time the cooling-off period is invoked and the works council. The position of these shareholders and the works council shall, but only with their approval, be published on the Company’s website. The Board of Directors shall report on the course of events and the policy that has been pursued since the cooling-off period was invoked. No later than one week after the last day of the cooling-off period, the Company shall have to publicly disclose the report. The report shall also be discussed at the first general meeting of shareholders after the expiry of the cooling-off period.
The cooling-off period has a maximum term of 250 days, calculated from:
(i)
the day after the latest date on which shareholders may request item to be placed on the agenda of the next general meeting of shareholder (which is 60 days before the day of the meeting);
(ii)
the day after the day on which the public offer is made; or
(iii)
the day the court in preliminary relief proceedings has granted authority to shareholders holding at least 10% of the issued share capital to convoke a general meeting of shareholders.
All shareholders who solely or jointly hold 3% of the issued share capital, may request the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to terminate the cooling-off period.
The General Meeting is presided over by the chairperson or, if he or she is absent, by the vice chairperson of the board of directors. If the chairperson and the vice chairperson are absent, the non-executive directors present at the meeting shall appoint one of them to be chairperson. Board members may attend a General Meeting. In these meetings, they have an advisory vote. The chairperson of the meeting may decide at its discretion to admit other persons to the meeting.
The external auditor of the company shall attend the General Meeting in which the annual accounts are discussed.
In connection with our General Meetings, ADS holders will not be treated as our shareholders and will not have shareholder rights. See “Description of Securities — ADSs.”
Admission and Registration
All shareholders, and each usufructuary and pledgee to whom the right to vote on our shares accrues, are entitled, in person or represented by a proxy authorized in writing, to attend and address the General Meeting and exercise voting rights pro rata to their shareholding. Shareholders may exercise their rights if they are the holders of our shares on the record date as required by Dutch law, which is the 28th day before the
 
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day of the General Meeting, and they or their proxy have notified us of their intention to attend the General Meeting in writing or by any other electronic means that can be reproduced on paper ultimately at a date set for that purpose by our board of directors which date may not be earlier than the seventh day prior to the General Meeting, specifying such person’s name and the number of shares for which such person may exercise the voting rights and/or meeting rights at such General Meeting. The convocation notice shall state the record date and the manner in which the persons entitled to attend the General Meeting may register and exercise their rights.
Quorum and Voting Requirements
Each ordinary share confers the right on the holder to cast one vote at the General Meeting. Shareholders may vote by proxy. The voting rights attached to any shares held by us are suspended as long as they are held in treasury. Nonetheless, the holders of a right of usufruct (vruchtgebruik) in shares belonging to another and the holders of a right of pledge in respect of ordinary shares held by us are not excluded from any right they may have to vote on such ordinary shares, if the right of usufruct (vruchtgebruik) or the right of pledge was granted prior to the time such ordinary share was acquired by us. We may not cast votes in respect of a share in respect of which there is a right of usufruct (vruchtgebruik) or a right of pledge. Shares which are not entitled to voting rights pursuant to the preceding sentences will not be taken into account for the purpose of determining the number of shareholders that vote and that are present or represented, or the amount of the share capital that is provided or that is represented at a General Meeting.
In accordance with Dutch law and generally accepted business practices, our Articles of Association do not provide quorum requirements generally applicable to the General Meeting. To this extent, our practice varies from the requirement of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(c), which requires an issuer to provide in its bylaws for a generally applicable quorum, and that such quorum may not be less than one-third of the outstanding voting stock. Decisions of the General Meeting are taken by an absolute majority of votes cast, except where Dutch law or the Articles of Association provide for a qualified majority or unanimity.
Board Members
Election of Board Members
Under our Articles of Association, our directors are appointed by the shareholders at the General Meeting upon proposal by our board of directors.
Duties and Liabilities of Directors
Under Dutch law, our board of directors is collectively responsible for our general affairs. Pursuant to our Articles of Association, our board of directors shall divide its duties among its members, with our day-to-day management entrusted to the executive directors. The non-executive directors supervise the management of the executive directors and the general affairs of our company and the business connected with it and provide the executive directors with advice. In addition, both the executive directors and the non-executive directors must perform such duties as are assigned to them pursuant to the Articles of Association. The division of tasks within our board of directors is determined (and amended, if necessary) by our board of directors. Each director has a duty to properly perform the duties assigned to him or her and to act in our corporate interest. Under Dutch law, the corporate interest extends to the interests of all corporate stakeholders, such as shareholders, creditors, employees and other stakeholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Amount Available for Distribution
Pursuant to Dutch law and the Articles of Association, the distribution of profits will take place following the adoption of our annual accounts, from which we will determine whether such distribution is permitted. We may only make distributions to the shareholders, whether from profits or from its freely distributable reserves, only insofar as its shareholders’ equity exceeds the sum of the paid-up and called-up share capital plus the reserves required to be maintained by Dutch law.
 
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The shareholders at the General Meeting may determine which part of our profits will be added to the reserves in consideration of our reserves and dividends policy. The remaining part of the profits after the addition to the reserves will be at the disposal of the shareholders at the General Meeting. Distributions of dividends will be made pro rata to the nominal value of each share.
Subject to Dutch law and the Articles of Association, our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, may resolve to distribute an interim dividend if it determines such interim dividend to be justified by our profits. For this purpose, our board of directors must prepare an interim statement of assets and liabilities. Such interim statement shall show our financial position not earlier than on the first day of the third month before the month in which the resolution to make the interim distribution is announced. An interim dividend can only be paid if (a) an interim statement of assets and liabilities is drawn up showing that the funds available for distribution are sufficient, and (b) our shareholders’ equity exceeds the sum of the paid-up and called-up share capital plus the reserves required to be maintained by Dutch law.
Our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, may resolve that we make distributions to shareholders from one or more of our freely distributable reserves, other than by way of profit distribution, subject to the due observance of our policy on reserves and dividends. Any such distributions will be made pro rata to the nominal value of each share.
Dividends and other distributions shall be made payable not later than the date determined by our board. Claims to dividends and other distributions not made within five years from the date that such dividends or distributions became payable, will lapse and any such amounts will be considered to have been forfeited to us (verjaring).
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
Exchange Controls
Pursuant to Dutch law, there are no exchange controls applicable to the transfer to persons outside of the Netherlands of dividends or other distributions with respect to, or of the proceeds from the sale of, shares of a Dutch company.
Pursuant to Dutch law, there are no exchange controls applicable to our import or export of capital, including the availability of cash and cash equivalents to us as a Dutch company.
Annual Accounts and Semi-Annual Accounts
Our financial year is the calendar year. Within four months after the end of our financial year, our board of directors must prepare the annual accounts. It must make them available for inspection by the shareholders at our office. The annual accounts must be accompanied by an auditors’ statement, an annual report, a report by our board of directors and certain other information required under Dutch law (Section 2 Title 9 of the DCC). The annual accounts, the annual report, the other information required under Dutch law (Section 2 Title 9 of the DCC) and the auditors’ statement must be made available to shareholders for review from the day of the notice convening the annual General Meeting. All members of our board of directors must sign the annual accounts and if a member does not sign, the reasons for this must be stated. The annual accounts must be adopted by the General Meeting. Within two months after the end of the first six months of the financial year, our board of directors must prepare semi-annual accounts and make them publicly available. If the semi-annual accounts are audited or reviewed, the independent auditor’s report must be made publicly available together with the semi-annual accounts.
Dissolution and Liquidation
argenx SE may only be dissolved by a resolution of the shareholders at a General Meeting upon a proposal made by our board of directors with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors. If a resolution to dissolve argenx SE is to be put to the shareholders at a General Meeting, this must in all cases be stated in the notice convening the General Meeting. If the shareholders at a General Meeting resolve
 
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to dissolve argenx SE, the members of our board of directors will be charged with the liquidation of the business of argenx SE. During liquidation, the provisions of the Articles of Association will remain in force as far as possible.
A resolution by the shareholders at a General Meeting to dissolve argenx SE requires a two-thirds majority of the votes cast if less than half the issued and outstanding share capital is represented at the meeting.
Any surplus remaining after settlement of all debts and liquidation costs will be distributed to the shareholders in proportion to the nominal value of their shareholdings.
Public Offer
In accordance with Directive 2004/25/EC, each European Union member state should ensure the protection of minority shareholders by obliging any person that acquires control of a company to make an offer to all the holders of that company’s voting securities for all their holdings at an equitable price.
The Directive 2004/25/EC applies to all companies governed by the laws of a European Union member state of which all or some voting securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market in one or more European Union member states. The laws of the European Union member state in which a company has its registered office will determine the percentage of voting rights that is regarded as conferring control over that company.
In accordance with Section 5:70 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht), or the DFSA, any person — whether acting alone or in concert with others — who, directly or indirectly, acquires a controlling interest in a company will be obliged to launch a mandatory public offer for all our outstanding shares. A controlling interest is deemed to exist if a (legal) person is able to exercise, alone or acting in concert, at least 30% of the voting rights in the General Meeting. An exception is made for, amongst others, shareholders who — whether alone or acting in concert with others — (i) had an interest of at least 30% of our voting rights before our shares were first admitted to trading on Euronext Brussels and who still have such an interest after such first admittance to trading, and (ii) reduce their holding to below 30% of the voting rights within 30 days of the acquisition of the controlling interest provided that (a) the reduction of their holding was not effected by a transfer of shares to an exempted party and (b) during such period such shareholders or group of shareholders did not exercise their voting rights.
The rules under the DFSA regarding mandatory public offers apply to us because the company has its statutory seat in the Netherlands. However, as the shares are not admitted to trading on a regulated market in the Netherlands but are admitted to trading on Euronext Brussels and the ADSs are admitted to trading on Nasdaq, the Dutch Decree on public offers (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft) will only apply in relation to matters relating to information to be provided to trade unions and employees and company law matters, including the convocation of a General Meeting in the event of a public offer and a position statement by our board of directors. In case of a mandatory public offer, the provisions regarding the offered consideration and the bid procedure will be governed by Belgian law pursuant to article 4§1, 3° of the Belgian law dated April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids. Pursuant to article 53 of the implementing Royal Decree, a mandatory public offer on our shares must be launched at a price equal to the higher of (i) the highest price paid by the offeror or persons acting in concert with it for the acquisition of shares during the last 12 months and (ii) the weighted average trading prices during the last 30 days before the obligation to launch a mandatory public offer was triggered. The price can be in cash or in securities. However, if the securities that are offered as consideration are not liquid securities that are traded on a regulated market or if the offeror or persons acting in concert with it have acquired shares for cash in the last 12 months, a cash alternative has to be offered.
No takeover bid has been instigated by third parties in respect of our equity during the previous financial year and the current financial year.
Squeeze Out Procedures
Pursuant to Section 92a, Book 2, Dutch Civil Code, a shareholder who for his own account holds at least 95% of our issued share capital may initiate proceedings against our minority shareholders jointly for
 
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the transfer of their shares to the claimant. The proceedings are held before the Dutch Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (Ondernemingskamer van het Gerechtshof te Amsterdam), or the Enterprise Chamber, and can be instituted by means of a writ of summons served upon each of the minority shareholders in accordance with the provisions of the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure (Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering). The Enterprise Chamber may grant the claim for squeeze out in relation to all minority shareholders and will determine the price to be paid for the shares, if necessary after appointment of one or three experts who will offer an opinion to the Enterprise Chamber on the value to be paid for the shares of the minority shareholders. Once the order to transfer becomes final before the Enterprise Chamber, the person acquiring the shares shall give written notice of the date and place of payment and the price to the holders of the shares to be acquired whose addresses are known to him. Unless the addresses of all of them are known to the acquiring person, such person is required to publish the same in a daily newspaper with a national circulation.
In addition, pursuant to Section 359c, Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code, following a public offer, a holder of at least 95% of our issued share capital and voting rights has the right to require the minority shareholders to sell their shares to it. Any such request must be filed with the Enterprise Chamber within three months after the end of the acceptance period of the public offer. Conversely, pursuant to article 2:359d of the Dutch Civil Code each minority shareholder has the right to require the holder of at least 95% of our issued share capital and voting rights to purchase its shares in such case. The minority shareholder must file such claim with the Enterprise Chamber within three months after the end of the acceptance period of the public offer.
Market Abuse Rules
As of July 3, 2016, setting aside previously applicable national legislation in the European Union member states, the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 596/2014), or MAR, provides for specific rules intended to prevent market abuse, such as prohibitions on insider trading, divulging inside information and tipping and market manipulation. The company, the members of our board of directors and other insiders and persons performing or conducting transactions in the company’s financial instruments, as applicable, are subject to the insider trading prohibition, the prohibition on divulging inside information and tipping and the prohibition on market manipulation. In certain circumstances, the company’s investors may also be subject to market abuse rules.
Inside information is any information of a precise nature relating (directly or indirectly) to us, or to our shares or other financial instruments, which information has not been made public and which, if it were made public, would be likely to have a significant effect on the price of the shares or the other financial instruments or on the price of related derivative financial instruments.
Pursuant to the MAR, a person is prohibited to possess inside information and use that information by acquiring or disposing of, for its own account or for the account of a third party, directly or indirectly, our shares and other financial instruments to which that information relates (which is considered to be insider dealing). The use of inside information by cancelling or amending an order concerning our shares or other financial instruments to which the information relates where the order was placed before the person concerned possessed the inside information, is also prohibited. In addition, a person is also prohibited to recommend another person to engage in insider dealing, or induce another person to engage in insider dealing, which arises where the person possesses inside information and (a) recommends, on the basis of that information, that another person acquires or disposes of our shares or other financial instruments to which that information relates, or induces that person to make such an acquisition or disposal or (b) recommends, on the basis of that information, that another person cancels or amends an order concerning our shares or other financial instruments to which that information relates, or induces that person to make such a cancellation or amendment.
The company is under an obligation to make any inside information immediately public. However, the company may, on its own responsibility, delay the publication of inside information if it can ensure the confidentiality of the information. Such deferral is only possible if the publication thereof could damage the company’s legitimate interests and if the deferral does not risk misleading the market. If the company wishes to use this deferral right it needs to inform the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority thereof after the information is disclosed to the public and provide a written explanation of how the
 
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conditions for deferral were met, immediately. The company is subject to Belgian law and MAR regarding the publication of inside information.
Directors, other persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them are covered by the MAR notification obligations. Directors and other persons discharging managerial responsibilities as well as persons closely associated with them, must notify the AFM of every transaction conducted on their own account relating to the shares or debt instruments of the company, or to derivatives or other financial instruments linked to those shares or debt instruments. Notification must be made within three working days after the date of the transaction. Under MAR, no notification of a transaction needs to be made until transactions in a calendar year by that director, persons discharging managerial responsibilities or persons closely associated with them exceed a threshold of €5,000 (without netting). Once the threshold has been reached, all transactions will need to be notified, regardless of amount and wherever concluded.
Non-compliance with these reporting obligations could lead to criminal penalties, administrative fines and cease-and-desist orders (and the publication thereof), imprisonment or other sanctions.
Transparency Directive
We are a European public company with limited liability (Societas Europaea or SE) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is our home European Union member state (lidstaat van herkomst) for the purposes of Directive 2004/109/EC, or the Transparency Directive as amended by Directive 2010/73/EU, as a consequence of which we will be subject to the DFSA in respect of certain ongoing transparency and disclosure obligations. In addition, as long as our shares are listed on Euronext Brussels and the ADSs on Nasdaq, we are required to disclose any regulated information which has been disclosed pursuant to the DFSA as well in accordance with the Belgian Act of May 2, 2007, the Belgian Royal Decree of November 14, 2007 and Nasdaq listing rules.
We must publish our annual accounts within four months after the end of each financial year and our half-yearly figures within two months after the end of the first six months of each financial year. Within five calendar days after adoption of our annual accounts, we must file our adopted annual accounts with the AFM.
Pursuant to the DFSA, we will be required to make public without delay any change in the rights attaching to our shares or to any rights to subscribe our shares.
Dutch Financial Reporting Supervision Act
Pursuant to the Dutch Financial Reporting Supervision Act (Wet toezicht financiële verslaggeving), the DFRSA, the AFM supervises the application of financial reporting standards by companies whose official seat is in the Netherlands and whose securities are listed on a regulated Dutch or foreign stock exchange.
Pursuant to the DFRSA, the AFM has an independent right to (i) request an explanation from us regarding its application of the applicable financial reporting standards if, based on publicly known facts or circumstances, it has reason to doubt the our financial reporting meets such standards and (ii) recommend to us that we make available further explanations and files these with the AFM. If we do not comply with such a request or recommendation, the AFM may request that the Enterprise Chamber order us to (a) provide an explanation of the way we have applied the applicable financial reporting standards to our financial reports or (b) prepare our financial reports in accordance with the Enterprise Chamber’s instructions.
Our Obligations and Obligations of our Shareholders and Directors to Notify Holders of Shares and Voting Rights
Pursuant to chapter 5.3 of the DFSA, any person who, directly or indirectly, acquires or disposes of an actual or potential capital interest or voting rights in the company must immediately give written notice to the AFM of such acquisition or disposal if, as a result of such acquisition or disposal, the percentage of capital interest and/or voting rights held by such person reaches, exceeds or falls below the following thresholds: 3%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 75% and 95%. Potentially a threshold of 2% will be added to this list. It is not yet clear if and when this change will enter into effect.
 
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For the purpose of calculating the percentage of capital interest or voting rights, the following interests must be taken into account: (i) shares and/or voting rights directly held (or acquired or disposed of) by any person; (ii) shares or voting rights held (or acquired or disposed of) by such person’s controlled entities or by a third party for such person’s account; (iii) voting rights held (or acquired or disposed of) by a third party with whom such person has concluded an oral or written voting agreement; (iv) voting rights acquired pursuant to an agreement providing for a temporary transfer of voting rights in consideration for a payment; (v) shares which such person, or any controlled entity or third party referred to above, may acquire pursuant to any option or other right to acquire shares; (vi) shares which determine the value of certain cash settled financial instruments such as contracts for difference and total return swaps; (vii) shares that must be acquired upon exercise of a put option by a counterparty; and (viii) shares which are the subject of another contract creating an economic position similar to a direct or indirect holding in those shares.
Controlled entities (gecontroleerde ondernemingen) within the meaning of the DFSA do not themselves have notification obligations under the DFSA as their direct and indirect interests are attributed to their (ultimate) parent. If a person who has a 3% or larger interest in the company’s share capital or voting rights ceases to be a controlled entity it must immediately notify the AFM and all notification obligations under the DFSA will become applicable to such former controlled entity.
Special rules apply to the attribution of shares and/or voting rights which are part of the property of a partnership or other form of joint ownership. A holder of a pledge or right of usufruct in respect of shares can also be subject to notification obligations, if such person has, or can acquire, the right to vote on the shares. The acquisition of (conditional) voting rights by a pledgee or beneficial owner may also trigger notification obligations as if the pledgee or beneficial owner were the legal holder of the shares and/or voting rights.
Furthermore, when calculating the percentage of capital interest a person is also considered to be in possession of shares if (i) such person holds a financial instrument the value of which is (in part) determined by the value of the shares or any distributions associated therewith and which does not entitle such person to acquire any shares, (ii) such person may be obliged to purchase shares on the basis of an option, or (iii) such person has concluded another contract whereby such person acquires an economic interest comparable to that of holding a share.
Under the DFSA, we are required to notify the AFM promptly of any change of 1% or more in our issued and outstanding share capital or voting rights since the previous notification. Other changes in our issued and outstanding share capital or voting rights must be notified to the AFM within eight days after the end of the quarter in which the change occurred. If a person’s capital interest or voting rights reaches, exceeds or falls below the above-mentioned thresholds as a result of a change in our issued and outstanding share capital or voting rights, such person is required to make a notification not later than on the fourth trading day after the AFM has published our notification as described above.
Every holder of 3% or more of our share capital or voting rights who, in relation to its previous notification, reaches, exceeds or falls below any of the above mentioned thresholds as a consequence of a different composition by means of an exchange or conversion into shares or the exercise of rights pursuant to an agreement to acquire voting rights, must notify the AFM at the latest within four trading days.
Furthermore, each director must notify the AFM of each change in the number of shares he or she holds and of each change in the number of votes he or she is entitled to cast in respect of our issued and outstanding share capital, immediately after the relevant change.
The AFM does not issue separate public announcements of the notifications. It does, however, keep a public register of and publishes all notifications made pursuant to the DFSA at its website (www.afm.nl). Third parties can request to be notified automatically by email of changes to the public register in relation to a particular company’s shares or a particular notifying party.
Non-compliance with these notification obligations is an economic offence and may lead to criminal prosecution. The AFM may impose administrative penalties for non-compliance, and the publication thereof. In addition, a civil court can impose measures against any person who fails to notify or incorrectly notifies the AFM of matters required to be notified. A claim requiring that such measures be imposed may be
 
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instituted by us, or by one or more of our shareholders who alone or together with others represent at least 3% of our issued and outstanding share capital of or voting rights. The measures that the civil court may impose include:

an order requiring the person with a duty to disclose to make the appropriate disclosure;

suspension of the right to exercise the voting rights by the person with a duty to disclose for a period of up to three years as determined by the court;

voiding a resolution adopted by the shareholders at the General Meeting, if the court determines that the resolution would not have been adopted but for the exercise of the voting rights of the person with a duty to disclose, or suspension of a resolution adopted by the shareholders at the General Meeting until the court makes a decision about such voiding; and

an order to the person with a duty to disclose to refrain, during a period of up to five years as determined by the court, from acquiring shares or voting rights in the company.
Shareholders are advised to consult with their own legal advisors to determine whether the notification obligations apply to them.
Short Positions
Net Short Position
Pursuant to European Union regulation No. 236/2012, each person holding a net short position attaining 0.2% of our issued share capital must report it to the AFM. Each subsequent increase of this position by 0.1% above 0.2% will also have to be reported. Each net short position equal to 0.5% of our issued share capital and any subsequent increase of that position by 0.1% will be made public via the AFM short selling register. To calculate whether a natural person or legal person has a net short position, their short positions and long positions must be set off. A short transaction in a share can only be contracted if a reasonable case can be made that the shares sold can actually be delivered, which requires confirmation of a third party that the shares have been located. The notification shall be made no later than 15:30 CET on the following trading day.
Gross Short Position
Furthermore, each person holding a gross short position in relation to our issued share capital that reaches, exceeds or falls below one of the following thresholds: 3%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 75% and 95%, must immediately give written notice to the AFM. Potentially a threshold of 2% will be added to this list. It is not yet clear if and when this change will enter into effect.
If a person’s gross short position reaches, exceeds or falls below one of the abovementioned thresholds as a result of a change in our issued share capital, such person is required to make a notification not later than on the fourth trading day after the AFM has published our notification in the public register of the AFM.
The AFM keeps a public register of the short selling notifications. Shareholders are advised to consult with their own legal advisors to determine whether any of the above short selling notification obligations apply to them.
Group Structure
argenx SE is the top entity in our group. argenx SE is the sole shareholder of argenx BV and argenx IIP BV, each a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of Belgium, having its registered seat in Zwijnaarde, Belgium. argenx BV is the sole shareholder of argenx US, Inc., a Delaware corporation, argenx Japan KK, based in Japan, argenx Switzerland SA, based in Switzerland, argenx France SAS, based in France and argenx Germany GmbG, based in Germany.
argenx SE has no other direct or indirect subsidiaries.
 
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argenx SE holds a small minority stake of 1% in Bird Rock Bio, a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware with its registered seat in La Jolla, CA, United States. Pursuant to a license agreement, argenx SE owns 568,182 shares, or approximately 0.6% share ownership, of Zai Lab Limited.
Comparison of Dutch Corporate Law, our Articles of Association and Board By-Laws and U.S. Corporate Law
The following comparison between Dutch corporation law, which applies to us, and Delaware corporation law, the law under which many publicly listed corporations in the United States are incorporated, discusses additional matters not otherwise described in this prospectus. Because these statements are summaries, they do not address all aspects of Dutch law that may be relevant to us and our shareholders or all aspects of Delaware law which may differ from Dutch law, and they are not intended to be a complete discussion of the respective rights.
Shareholder Rights
ADS holders are not treated as our shareholders and will not have shareholder rights. ADS holder rights are limited to those under the deposit agreement. See “Description of Securities — ADSs.”
Voting Rights
The Netherlands.   In accordance with Dutch law and our Articles of Association, each issued ordinary share confers the right to cast one vote at the General Meeting. Each holder of ordinary shares may cast as many votes as it holds shares. Shares that are held by us or our direct or indirect subsidiaries do not confer the right to vote.
Shareholders may exercise their rights at a General Meeting if they are the holders of our shares on the record date as required by Dutch law, which is the 28th day before the day of the General Meeting, and they or their proxy have notified us of their intention to attend the General Meeting in writing or by any other electronic means that can be reproduced on paper ultimately at a date set for that purpose by our board of directors (which date was for the previous General Meetings set on the seventh day prior to the relevant General Meeting), specifying such person’s name and the number of shares for which such person may exercise the voting rights and/or meeting rights at such General Meeting. The record date and the manner in which shareholders can register and exercise their rights will be set out in the notice of the meeting.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, each stockholder is entitled to one vote per share of stock, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. In addition, the certificate of incorporation may provide for cumulative voting at all elections of directors of the corporation, or at elections held under specified circumstances. Either the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws may specify the number of shares or the amount of other securities that must be represented at a meeting in order to constitute a quorum, but in no event will a quorum consist of less than one third of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting.
Stockholders as of the record date for the meeting are entitled to vote at the meeting, and the board of directors may fix a record date that is no more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of the meeting, and if no record date is set then the record date is the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or if notice is waived then the record date is the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. The determination of the stockholders of record entitled to notice or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting, but the board of directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
Shareholder Proposals
The Netherlands.   Pursuant to our Articles of Association, extraordinary General Meetings will be held whenever our board of directors deems such to be necessary. Pursuant to Dutch law, one or more shareholders, who jointly represent at least one-tenth of the issued capital may request our board of directors to convene a General Meeting. If our board of directors has not taken the steps necessary to ensure that a General Meeting could be held within the relevant statutory period after the request, the requesting persons may, at his/her/their request, be authorized by Court in preliminary relief proceedings to convene a
 
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General Meeting. The court shall disallow the application if it does not appear that the applicants have previously requested our board of directors to convene a General Meeting and our board of directors has not taken the necessary steps so that the General Meeting could be held within six weeks after the request.
Also, the agenda for a General Meeting shall include such items requested by one or more shareholders, and others entitled to attend General Meetings, representing at least 3% of the issued share capital, except where the articles of association state a lower percentage. Our Articles of Association do not state such lower percentage. Requests must be made in writing and received by our board of directors at least 60 days before the day of the convocation of the meeting. In accordance with the DCGC, a shareholder shall exercise the right of putting an item on the agenda only after consulting our board of directors in that respect. If one or more shareholders intends to request that an item be put on the agenda that may result in a change in the company’s strategy, our board of directors may invoke a response time of a maximum of 180 days until the day of the General Meeting.
Delaware.   Delaware law does not specifically grant stockholders the right to bring business before an annual or special meeting. However, if a Delaware corporation is subject to the SEC’s proxy rules, a stockholder who owns at least $2,000 in market value, or 1% of the corporation’s securities entitled to vote, may propose a matter for a vote at an annual or special meeting in accordance with those rules.
Action by Written Consent
The Netherlands.    Our Articles of Association do not provide for the possibility that shareholders’ resolutions can also be adopted in writing without holding a meeting of shareholders. Although permitted by Dutch law, for a listed company, this method of adopting resolutions is not feasible.
Delaware.   Although permitted by Delaware law, publicly listed companies do not typically permit stockholders of a corporation to take action by written consent.
Appraisal Rights
The Netherlands.   The concept of appraisal rights is not known as such under Dutch law.
However, pursuant to Dutch law a shareholder who for his own account contributes at least 95% of our issued share capital may initiate proceedings against our minority shareholders jointly for the transfer of their shares to the claimant. The proceedings are held before the Enterprise Chamber. The Enterprise Chamber may grant the claim for squeeze out in relation to all minority shareholders and will determine the price to be paid for the shares, if necessary after appointment of one or three experts who will offer an opinion to the Enterprise Chamber on the value to be paid for the shares of the minority shareholders. Once the order to transfer becomes final before the Enterprise Chamber, the person acquiring the shares shall give written notice of the date and place of payment and the price to the holders of the shares to be acquired whose addresses are known to him. Unless the addresses of all of them are known to the acquiring person, such person is required to publish the same in a daily newspaper with a national circulation.
Furthermore, in accordance with the Directive (EU) 2017/1132 of the European Parliament and the Council of June 14, 2017 on cross-border mergers of limited liability companies, Dutch law provides that, to the extent that the acquiring company in a cross-border merger is organized under the laws of another European Union member state, a shareholder of a Dutch disappearing company who has voted against the cross-border merger may file a claim with the Dutch company for compensation. Such compensation to be determined by one or more independent experts. The shares of such shareholder that are subject to such claim will cease to exist as of the moment of entry into effect of the cross-border merger.
Payment by the acquiring company is only possible if the resolution to approve the cross-border merger by the corporate body of the other company or companies involved in the cross-border merger includes the acceptance of the rights of the shareholders of the Dutch company to oppose the cross-border merger.
Delaware.   The Delaware General Corporation Law provides for stockholder appraisal rights, or the right to demand payment in cash of the judicially determined fair value of the stockholder’s shares, in connection with certain mergers and consolidations.
 
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Shareholder Suits
The Netherlands.   In the event a third party is liable to a Dutch company, only the company itself can bring a civil action against that party. The individual shareholders do not have the right to bring an action on behalf of the company. Only in case cause for the liability of a third party to the company also constitutes a tortious act directly against a shareholder such shareholder has an individual right of action against such third party in its own name. The Dutch Civil Code provides for the possibility to initiate such actions collectively. A foundation or an association whose objective is to protect the rights of a group of persons having similar interests can institute a collective action. The collective action itself cannot result in an order for payment of monetary damages but may only result in a declaratory judgment (verklaring voor recht). In order to obtain compensation for damages, the foundation or association and the defendant may reach — often on the basis of such declaratory judgment — a settlement. A Dutch court may declare the settlement agreement binding upon all the injured parties with an opt-out choice for an individual injured party. An individual injured party may also itself institute a civil claim for damages.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a stockholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the corporation to enforce the rights of the corporation. An individual also may commence a class action suit on behalf of himself and other similarly situated stockholders where the requirements for maintaining a class action under Delaware law have been met. A person may institute and maintain such a suit only if that person was a stockholder at the time of the transaction which is the subject of the suit. In addition, under Delaware case law, the plaintiff normally must be a stockholder at the time of the transaction that is the subject of the suit and throughout the duration of the derivative suit. Delaware law also requires that the derivative plaintiff make a demand on the directors of the corporation to assert the corporate claim before the suit may be prosecuted by the derivative plaintiff in court, unless such a demand would be futile.
Repurchase of Shares
The Netherlands.   Under Dutch law, a company such as ours may not subscribe for newly issued shares in its own capital. Such company may, however, subject to certain restrictions of Dutch law and its Articles of Association, acquire shares in its own capital. We may acquire fully paid shares in our own capital at any time for no valuable consideration. Furthermore, we may repurchase fully paid shares in our own capital if (i) such repurchase would not cause our shareholders’ equity to fall below an amount equal to the sum of the paid-up and called-up part of the issued share capital and the reserves we are required to maintain pursuant to applicable law, (ii) we (including our subsidiaries) would thereafter not hold shares or hold a pledge over shares with an aggregate nominal value exceeding 50% of our issued share capital and (iii) our board of directors has been authorized thereto by the shareholders at the General Meeting.
An authorization by the shareholders at the General Meeting to our board of directors for the repurchase of shares can be granted for a maximum period of 18 months. Such authorization must specify the number and class of shares that may be acquired, the manner in which these shares may be acquired and the price range within which the shares may be acquired.
No authorization of the shareholders at the General Meeting is required if ordinary shares are acquired by us with the intention of transferring such ordinary shares to our employees under an applicable employee stock purchase plan.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may purchase or redeem its own shares unless the capital of the corporation is impaired or the purchase or redemption would cause an impairment of the capital of the corporation. A Delaware corporation may, however, purchase or redeem out of capital any of its preferred shares or, if no preferred shares are outstanding, any of its own shares if such shares will be retired upon acquisition and the capital of the corporation will be reduced in accordance with specified limitations.
Anti-takeover Provisions
The Netherlands.   Under Dutch law, various protective measures are possible and permissible within the boundaries set by Dutch law and Dutch case law. We have adopted several provisions that may have the
 
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effect of making a takeover of our company more difficult or less attractive, including requirements that certain matters, including an amendment of our Articles of Association, may only be brought to our shareholders for a vote upon a proposal by our board of directors.
Delaware.   In addition to other aspects of Delaware law governing fiduciary duties of directors during a potential takeover, the Delaware General Corporation Law also contains a business combination statute that protects Delaware companies from hostile takeovers and from actions following the takeover by prohibiting some transactions once an acquirer has gained a significant holding in the corporation.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits “business combinations,” including mergers, sales and leases of assets, issuances of securities and similar transactions by a corporation or a subsidiary with an interested stockholder that beneficially owns 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock, within three years after the person becomes an interested stockholder, unless:

the transaction that will cause the person to become an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors of the target prior to the transactions;

after the completion of the transaction in which the person becomes an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder holds at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation not including shares owned by persons who are directors and officers of interested stockholders and shares owned by specified employee benefit plans; or

after the person becomes an interested stockholder, the business combination is approved by the board of directors of the corporation and holders of at least 66.67% of the outstanding voting stock, excluding shares held by the interested stockholder.
A Delaware corporation may elect not to be governed by Section 203 by a provision contained in the original certificate of incorporation of the corporation or an amendment to the original certificate of incorporation or to the bylaws of the company, which amendment must be approved by a majority of the shares entitled to vote and may not be further amended by the board of directors of the corporation. Such an amendment is not effective until twelve months following its adoption.
Inspection of Books and Records
The Netherlands.   The board of directors provides the shareholders at the General Meeting in good time with all information that the shareholders require for the exercise of their powers, unless this would be contrary to an overriding interest of us. If the board of directors invokes an overriding interest, it must give reasons.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any stockholder may inspect for any proper purpose certain of the corporation’s books and records during the corporation’s usual hours of business.
Removal of Board Member
The Netherlands.   The shareholders at a General Meeting have the authority to suspend or remove members of our board of directors at any time, with or without cause, by means of a resolution passed by a simple majority of the votes cast. Executive directors may also be suspended by our board of directors. A suspension by our board of directors may be discontinued by the shareholders at a General Meeting at any time.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any director or the entire board of directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except (i) unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, in the case of a corporation whose board is classified, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause or (ii) in the case of a corporation having cumulative voting, if less than the entire board of directors is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his removal would be sufficient to elect him if then cumulatively voted at an election of the entire board of directors, or, if there are classes of directors, at an election of the class of directors of which he is a part.
 
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Preemptive Rights
The Netherlands.   Under Dutch law, in the event of an issuance of ordinary shares or upon a grant of rights to subscribe for ordinary shares, each shareholder will have a pro rata preemptive right in proportion to the aggregate nominal value of the ordinary shares held by such holder (with the exception of ordinary shares to be issued to employees or ordinary shares issued against a contribution other than in cash or the issue of shares to persons exercising a previously granted right to subscribe for shares). A shareholder may exercise preemptive rights during a period of at least two weeks from the date of the announcement of the issue of shares. Under our Articles of Association, the preemptive rights in respect of newly issued ordinary shares may be restricted or excluded by a resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting upon proposal of our board of directors with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors.
Our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, may restrict or exclude the preemptive rights in respect of newly issued ordinary shares if it has been designated as the authorized body to do so by the shareholders at the General Meeting. Such designation can be granted for a period not exceeding five years. A resolution of the shareholders at the General Meeting to restrict or exclude the preemptive rights or to designate our board of directions as the authorized body to do so requires a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, if less than one half of our issued share capital is represented at the meeting.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders have no preemptive rights to subscribe for additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and to the extent that, such rights are expressly provided for in the certificate of incorporation.
Dividends
The Netherlands.   Pursuant to Dutch law and the Articles of Association, the distribution of profits will take place following the adoption of our annual accounts, from which we will determine whether such distribution is permitted. We may only make distributions to the shareholders, whether from profits or from its freely distributable reserves, only insofar as its shareholders’ equity exceeds the sum of the paid-up and called-up share capital plus the reserves required to be maintained by Dutch law.
The shareholders at the General Meeting may determine which part of our profits will be added to the reserves in consideration of our reserves and dividends policy. The remaining part of the profits after the addition to the reserves will be at the disposal of the shareholders at the General Meeting. Distributions of dividends will be made pro rata to the nominal value of each share.
Subject to Dutch law and the Articles of Association, our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, may resolve to distribute an interim dividend if it determines such interim dividend to be justified by our profits. For this purpose, our board of directors must prepare an interim statement of assets and liabilities. Such interim statement shall show our financial position not earlier than on the first day of the third month before the month in which the resolution to make the interim distribution is announced. An interim dividend can only be paid if (a) an interim statement of assets and liabilities is drawn up showing that the funds available for distribution are sufficient, and (b) our shareholders’ equity exceeds the sum of the paid-up and called-up share capital plus the reserves required to be maintained by Dutch law.
Our board of directors, with the consent of the majority of the non-executive directors, may resolve that we make distributions to shareholders from one or more of its freely distributable reserves, other than by way of profit distribution, subject to the due observance of our policy on reserves and dividends. Any such distributions will be made pro rata to the nominal value of each share.
Dividends and other distributions shall be made payable not later than the date determined by our board of directors. Claims to dividends and other distribution not made within five years from the date that such dividends or distributions became payable, will lapse and any such amounts will be considered to have been forfeited to us (verjaring).
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a Delaware corporation may pay dividends out of its surplus (the excess of net assets over capital), or in case there is no surplus, out of its net profits
 
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for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year (provided that the amount of the capital of the corporation is not less than the aggregate amount of the capital represented by the issued and outstanding stock of all classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets). In determining the amount of surplus of a Delaware corporation, the assets of the corporation, including stock of subsidiaries owned by the corporation, must be valued at their fair market value as determined by the board of directors, without regard to their historical book value. Dividends may be paid in the form of ordinary shares, property or cash.
Shareholder Vote on Certain Reorganizations
The Netherlands.   Under Dutch law, the shareholders at the General Meeting must approve resolutions of our board of directors relating to a significant change in the identity or the character of the company or the business of the company, which includes:

a transfer of the business or virtually the entire business to a third party;

the entry into or termination of a long-term cooperation of the company or a subsidiary with another legal entity or company or as a fully liable partner in a limited partnership or general partnership, if such cooperation or termination is of a far-reaching significance for the company; and

the acquisition or divestment by the company or a subsidiary of a participating interest in the capital of a company having a value of at least one third of the amount of its assets according to its statement of financial position and explanatory notes or, if the company prepares a consolidated statement of financial position, according to its consolidated statement of financial position and explanatory notes in the last adopted annual accounts of the company.
Under Dutch law, a shareholder who, for its own account, owns shares representing at least 95% of the nominal value of a company’s issued share capital may institute proceedings against the company’s other shareholders jointly for the transfer of their shares to that shareholder. The proceedings are held before the Enterprise Chamber, which may grant the claim for squeeze-out in relation to all minority shareholders and will determine the price to be paid for the shares, if necessary after appointment of experts who will offer an opinion to the Enterprise Chamber on the value of the shares.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon generally is necessary to approve a merger or consolidation or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a corporation. The Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision requiring for any corporate action the vote of a larger portion of the stock or of any class or series of stock than would otherwise be required.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, no vote of the stockholders of a surviving corporation to a merger is needed, however, unless required by the certificate of incorporation, if (i) the agreement of merger does not amend in any respect the certificate of incorporation of the surviving corporation, (ii) the shares of stock of the surviving corporation are not changed in the merger and (iii) the number of shares of common stock of the surviving corporation into which any other shares, securities or obligations to be issued in the merger may be converted does not exceed 20% of the surviving corporation’s common stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective date of the merger. In addition, stockholders may not be entitled to vote in certain mergers with other corporations that own 90% or more of the outstanding shares of each class of stock of such corporation, but the stockholders will be entitled to appraisal rights.
Remuneration of Board Members
The Netherlands.   Under Dutch law and our Articles of Association, we must adopt a remuneration policy for our board members. Such remuneration policy shall be adopted by the shareholders at the General Meeting upon the proposal of the non-executive directors. The remuneration of the individual members of the board of directors shall be determined by the non-executive directors, at the recommendation of the remunerations and nominations committee, within the limits of the remuneration policy adopted by the shareholders at the General Meeting. With respect to remuneration schemes in the form of shares or rights
 
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to shares a proposal is submitted by the board to the shareholders at the General Meeting for their approval. This proposal must set out at least the maximum number of shares or rights to shares to be granted to our board of directors and the criteria for granting or amendment.
Delaware.   Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the stockholders do not generally have the right to approve the compensation policy for directors or the senior management of the corporation, although certain aspects of executive compensation may be subject to stockholder vote due to the provisions of U.S. federal securities and tax law, as well as exchange requirements.
Dutch Corporate Governance Code
As a Dutch company we are subject to the DCGC. On December 8, 2016, the monitoring committee for the DCGC has published the revised DCGC, which is in force as of the financial year starting on or after January 1, 2017 and replaces the DCGC dated December 10, 2008 which was in force as of January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2016. On September 7, 2017, the revised DCGC was formally enshrined in Dutch law by the Dutch legislator as of January 1, 2018.
The DCGC contains both principles and best practice provisions for management boards, supervisory boards, shareholders and general meetings of shareholders, financial reporting, auditors, disclosure, compliance and enforcement standards. A copy of the DCGC can be found on www.mccg.nl. As a Dutch company, we are subject to the DCGC and are required to disclose in our annual report, filed in the Netherlands, whether we comply with the provisions of the DCGC. If we do not comply with the provisions of the DCGC (for example, because of a conflicting Nasdaq requirement or otherwise), we must list the reasons for any deviation from the DCGC in our annual report.
We acknowledge the importance of good corporate governance. However, at this stage, we do not comply with all the provisions of the DCGC, to a large extent because such provisions conflict with or are inconsistent with the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq and U.S. securities laws that apply to us, or because such provisions do not reflect best practices of global companies listed on Nasdaq.
The discussions below summarize the most important differences between our expected governance structure following this offering and the principles and best practices of the DCGC that has come into force as of the financial year starting on or after January 1, 2017:

We do not comply with best practice provision 3.2.3 of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, which requires that the severance payment in the event of dismissal should not exceed one year’s base compensation. The agreement of our chief executive officer stipulates that a severance payment equal to eighteen months base compensation may become payable by the Company to our chief executive officer. The severance component of the remuneration package is, like all other components and in accordance with our remuneration policy as approved by the General Meeting, benchmarked against and aligned with the severance components as identified within the reference group. On this particular topic, considering the importance of competitive remuneration for our ability to attract and retain highly qualified persons, alignment with the reference group is prioritized over compliance with this best practice provision 3.2.3. This policy was last subjected to shareholder approval on May 11, 2021 where it was approved with a majority of more than 75% of the votes cast. We currently do not envision to change our practice in this respect.

We do not comply with best practice provision 3.3.2. of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, which requires that non-executive directors will not be granted any shares or rights to shares as remuneration. In accordance with our remuneration policy, non-executive directors may be granted equity incentives by way of remuneration, in recognition of the substantial industry expertise they bring to us. Our remuneration policy, as was presented to and approved by the General Meeting on May 11, 2021 where it was approved with a majority of more than 75% of the votes cast, and this equity element for non-executive directors in particular is geared at a fair but competitive compensation package and takes a number of relevant benchmarks into account. We currently do not envision to change our practice in this respect.

We do not comply with best practice provision 3.1.2 (vi) of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, which requires that any shares granted to members of our board of directors must be held for a period
 
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of 5 years. Our equity incentive plan, in which our full board of directors as well as all of our employees globally, participate, provides for a 4 year vesting annual vesting scheme for RSUs, with no additional restrictions on the sale of shares issued pursuant to vested RSUs. This means that our board of directors is able to sell vested shares as from the 1st year after each grant. Through our benchmarking exercises and shareholder approval we regularly confirm that this practice is competitive, in line with market practice, and has significant shareholder support. We currently do not envisage to change our practice in this respect.
Limitations on the Right to Own Securities
Neither Dutch law nor our Articles of Association impose any general limitation on the right of non-residents or foreign persons to hold our securities or exercise voting rights on our securities other than those limitations that would generally apply to all shareholders.
 
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
We or our selling securityholders may offer ordinary shares, ordinary shares represented by ADSs, warrants, units, debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, or any combination thereof from time to time in one or more offerings under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities.
ADSs
A description of our ordinary share ADSs, each of which represents one of our ordinary shares, can be found in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein.
Ordinary Shares
See “Description of Share Capital” for a description of certain information relating to the rights and benefits attached to our ordinary shares, certain provisions of our Articles of Association and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code. Because such description is a summary, it may not contain all of the information important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by reference to the description of our share capital and the material terms of our articles of association contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, together with our articles of association, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit hereto. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Warrants
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our ordinary shares and/or ordinary shares represented by ADSs and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the particular series of warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements and/or warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants. Forms of the warrant agreements and/or forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
We may evidence series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue. Warrants may be issued under an applicable warrant agreement that we enter into with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of warrants being offered.
The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:

the title of the warrants;

the aggregate number of warrants offered;

the designation, number and terms of the debt securities, ordinary shares or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and procedures by which those numbers may be adjusted;

the exercise price of the warrants;

the dates or periods during which the warrants are exercisable;

the designation and terms of any securities with which the warrants are issued;
 
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if the warrants are issued as a unit with another security, the date on and after which the warrants and the other security will be separately transferable;

if the exercise price is not payable in U.S. dollars, the foreign currency, currency unit or composite currency in which the exercise price is denominated;

any minimum or maximum amount of warrants that may be exercised at any one time;

any terms relating to the modification of the warrants;

any terms, procedures and limitations relating to the transferability, exchange or exercise of the warrants; and

any other specific terms of the warrants.
The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Units
We may issue, in one or more series, units consisting of ordinary shares, ordinary shares represented by ADSs, debt securities and/or warrants for the purchase of ordinary shares and/or debt securities in any combination. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreement that contains the terms of the units. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units.
We will evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue. Units may be issued under a unit agreement that we enter into with a unit agent. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of units being offered.
Debt Securities
This prospectus describes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities we and/or our selling security holders may offer under this prospectus. When we and/or our selling security holders offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the securities in a supplement to this prospectus, including any additional covenants or changes to existing covenants relating to such series. The prospectus supplement also will indicate whether any of the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. You should read the applicable indenture if you do not fully understand a term or the way we use it in this prospectus.
We and/or our selling security holders may offer senior or subordinated debt securities, which may be convertible. Each series of debt securities may have different terms. The senior debt securities will be issued under one or more senior indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the “senior indenture.” Any subordinated debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the “subordinated indenture and to the trustee under the senior or subordinated indenture as the “trustee.” The senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are sometimes collectively referred to in this prospectus as the indentures.” The indentures will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. We included copies of the forms of the indentures as exhibits to this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
If we issue debt securities at a discount from their principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the aggregate initial offering price of the offered securities issued under this prospectus, we will include only the initial offering price of the debt securities and not the principal amount of the debt securities.
 
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We have summarized below the material provisions of the indentures and the debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the debt securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. Because the summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information that you may find useful, you should read the documents relating to the debt securities that are described in this prospectus or in any applicable prospectus supplement. The statements below are not complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the applicable indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information” to find out how you can obtain a copy of those documents. Except as otherwise indicated, the terms of the indentures are identical. As used under this caption, the term “debt securities” includes the debt securities being offered by this prospectus and all other debt securities issued by us under the indentures.
General
We expect that the indentures will:

not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue;

allow us to issue debt securities in one or more series;

not require us to issue all of the debt securities of a series at the same time;

allow us to reopen a series to issue additional debt securities without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series; and

provide that the debt securities will be unsecured, except as may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the senior debt securities will be unsubordinated obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. Payments on the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the prior payment in full of all of our senior indebtedness, as described under “— Subordination” and in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each indenture will provide that we may, but need not, designate more than one trustee under an indenture. Any trustee under an indenture may resign or be removed and a successor trustee may be appointed to act with respect to the series of debt securities administered by the resigning or removed trustee. If two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of debt securities, each trustee shall be a trustee of a trust under the applicable indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee. Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, any action described in this prospectus to be taken by each trustee may be taken by each trustee with respect to, and only with respect to, the one or more series of debt securities for which it is trustee under the applicable indenture.
The prospectus supplement for each offering will provide the following terms, where applicable:

the title of the debt securities and whether they are senior or subordinated;

the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities outstanding as of the most recent practicable date and any limit on their aggregate principal amount, including the aggregate principal amount of debt securities authorized;

the price at which the debt securities will be issued, expressed as a percentage of the principal and, if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or, if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into ordinary shares or the method by which any such portion shall be determined;

if convertible, the terms on which such debt securities are convertible, including the initial conversion price or rate and the conversion period and any applicable limitations on the ownership or transferability of ordinary shares received on conversion;
 
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the date or dates, or the method for determining the date or dates, on which the principal of the debt securities will be payable;

the fixed or variable interest rate or rates of the debt securities, or the method by which the interest rate or rates is determined;

the date or dates, or the method for determining the date or dates, from which interest will accrue;

the dates on which interest will be payable;

the record dates for interest payment dates, or the method by which we will determine those dates;

the persons to whom interest will be payable;

the basis upon which interest will be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months;

any make-whole amount, which is the amount in addition to principal and interest that is required to be paid to the holder of a debt security as a result of any optional redemption or accelerated payment of such debt security, or the method for determining the make-whole amount;

the place or places where the principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, the debt securities will be payable;

where the debt securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or conversion or exchange;

where notices or demands to or upon us in respect of the debt securities and the applicable indenture may be served;

the times, prices and other terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;

any obligation we have to redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the times and prices at which we must redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities as a result of such an obligation;

the currency or currencies in which the debt securities are denominated and payable if other than United States dollars, which may be a foreign currency or units of two or more foreign currencies or a composite currency or currencies and the terms and conditions relating thereto, and the manner of determining the equivalent of such foreign currency in United States dollars;

whether the principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest on, the debt securities of the series are to be payable, at our election or at the election of a holder, in a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or stated to be payable, and other related terms and conditions;

whether the amount of payments of principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest on, the debt securities may be determined according to an index, formula or other method and how such amounts will be determined;

whether the debt securities will be in registered form, bearer form or both and (1) if in registered form, the person to whom any interest shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name the security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, or (2) if in bearer form, the manner in which, or the person to whom, any interest on the security shall be payable if otherwise than upon presentation and surrender upon maturity;

any restrictions applicable to the offer, sale or delivery of debt securities in bearer form and the terms upon which securities in bearer form of the series may be exchanged for debt securities in registered form of the series and vice versa if permitted by applicable laws and regulations;

whether any debt securities of the series are to be issuable initially in temporary global form and whether any debt securities of the series are to be issuable in permanent global form with or without coupons and, if so, whether beneficial owners of interests in any such permanent global security may or shall be required to exchange their interests for other debt securities of the series, and the manner in which interest shall be paid;

the identity of the depositary for securities in registered form, if such series are to be issuable as a global security;
 
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the guarantors of each series, if any, and the extent of the guarantees (including provisions relating to seniority, subordination, security and release of the guarantees), if any;

the date as of which any debt securities in bearer form or in temporary global form shall be dated if other than the original issuance date of the first security of the series to be issued;

the applicability, if any, of the defeasance and covenant defeasance provisions described in this prospectus or in the applicable indenture;

whether and under what circumstances we will pay any additional amounts on the debt securities in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether we will have the option to redeem the debt securities in lieu of making such a payment;

whether and under what circumstances the debt securities being offered are convertible into ordinary shares, including the conversion price or rate or the manner of calculation thereof;

the circumstances, if any, specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, under which beneficial owners of interests in the global security may obtain definitive debt securities and the manner in which payments on a permanent global debt security will be made if any debt securities are issuable in temporary or permanent global form;

any provisions granting special rights to holders of securities upon the occurrence of such events as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement;

if the debt securities of such series are to be issuable in definitive form only upon receipt of certain certificates or other documents or satisfaction of other conditions, then the form and/or terms of such certificates, documents or conditions;

the name of the applicable trustee and the nature of any material relationship between the trustee and us or any of our affiliates, and the percentage of debt securities of the class necessary to require the trustee to take action;

any deletions from, modifications of, or additions to our events of default or covenants and any change in the right of any trustee or any of the holders to declare the principal amount of any of such debt securities due and payable;

provisions related to the modification of the indentures;

applicable CUSIP numbers; and

any other terms of such debt securities not inconsistent with the provisions of the applicable indenture or the Trust Indenture Act.
We may issue debt securities at a discount below their principal amount and provide for less than the entire principal amount thereof to be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities. We refer to any such debt securities throughout this prospectus as “original issue discount securities.” The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the United States federal income tax consequences and other relevant considerations applicable to original issue discount securities.
We also may issue indexed debt securities. Payments of principal, premium and interest on indexed debt securities are determined with reference to the rate of exchange between the currency or currency unit in which the debt security is denominated and any other currency or currency unit specified by us, to the relationship between two or more currencies or currency units or by other similar methods or formulas specified in the prospectus supplement.
Except as described under “— Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets” or as may be set forth in any prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that (1) would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or (2) would afford holders of debt securities protection in the event of (a) a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving us, or (b) a change of control or reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction involving us that may adversely affect the holders of the debt securities. In the future, we may enter into transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a merger or consolidation, that may have an adverse effect on our ability to service our indebtedness, including the debt securities, by, among other things, substantially reducing or eliminating our assets.
 
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We will provide you with more information in the applicable prospectus supplement regarding any deletions, modifications, or additions to the events of default or covenants that are described below, including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection.
Payment
Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, any series of the debt securities will be payable at the corporate trust office of the trustee. We will provide you with the address of the trustee in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may also pay interest by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled to it as it appears in the applicable register for the debt securities or by wire transfer of funds to that person at an account maintained within the United States.
All monies that we pay to a paying agent or a trustee for the payment of the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, or interest on, any debt security will be repaid to us if unclaimed at the end of two years after the obligation underlying payment becomes due and payable. After funds have been returned to us, the holder of the debt security may look only to us for payment, without payment of interest for the period which we hold the funds.
Denomination, Interest, Registration and Transfer
Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of any series will be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
Subject to the limitations imposed upon debt securities that are evidenced by a computerized entry in the records of a depository company rather than by physical delivery of a note, a holder of debt securities of any series may:

exchange them for any authorized denomination of other debt securities of the same series and of a like aggregate principal amount and kind upon surrender of such debt securities at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate for such purpose; and

surrender them for registration of transfer or exchange at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate for such purpose.
Every debt security surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange must be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer satisfactory to the applicable trustee or transfer agent. Payment of a service charge will not be required for any registration of transfer or exchange of any debt securities, but we or the trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith. If in addition to the applicable trustee, the applicable prospectus supplement refers to any transfer agent initially designated by us for any series of debt securities, we may at any time rescind the designation of any such transfer agent or approve a change in the location through which any such transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for such series. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents for any series of debt securities.
Neither we, nor any trustee, will be required to:

issue, register the transfer of or exchange debt securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 calendar days before the day that the notice of redemption of any debt securities selected for redemption is mailed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing;

register the transfer of or exchange any debt security, or portion thereof, so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt security being redeemed in part; and

issue, register the transfer of or exchange any debt security that has been surrendered for repayment at the option of the holder, except the portion, if any, of such debt security not to be so repaid.
 
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Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets
The indentures provide that we may, without the consent of the holders of any outstanding debt securities, (1) consolidate with, (2) sell, lease or convey all or substantially all of our assets to, or (3) merge with or into, any other entity provided that:

either we are the continuing entity, or the successor entity, if other than us, assumes the obligations (A) to pay the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, all of the debt securities and (B) to duly perform and observe all of the covenants and conditions contained in each indenture;

after giving effect to the transaction, there is no event of default under the indentures and no event which, after notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become such an event of default, occurs and continues; and

an officers’ certificate and legal opinion covering such conditions are delivered to each applicable trustee.
Covenants
Existence.  Except as permitted under “— Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets,” the indentures require us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence, rights and franchises. However, the indentures do not require us to preserve any right or franchise if we determine that any right or franchise is no longer desirable in the conduct of our business.
Payment of taxes and other claims.  The indentures require us to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before they become delinquent (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed on us, our subsidiaries or our subsidiaries’ income, profits or property, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon our property or the property of our subsidiaries. However, we will not be required to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
Provision of financial information.  The indentures require us to (1) within 15 days of each of the respective dates by which we are required to file our annual reports and other documents with the SEC, file with the trustee copies of the annual report and other documents that we file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), (2) file with the trustee and the SEC any additional information, documents and reports regarding compliance by us with the conditions and covenants of the indentures, as required, (3) within 30 days after the filing with the trustee, mail to all holders of debt securities, as their names and addresses appear in the applicable register for such debt securities, without cost to such holders, summaries of any documents and reports required to be filed by us pursuant to (1) and (2) above, and (4) supply, promptly upon written request and payment of the reasonable cost of duplication and delivery, copies of such documents to any prospective holder.
Additional covenants.  The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any additional covenants relating to any series of debt securities.
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, when we refer to “events of default” as defined in the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities, we mean:

default in the payment of any installment of interest on any debt security of such series continuing for 30 calendar days;

default in the payment of principal of, or any premium, or make-whole amount, on any debt security of such series for five business days at its stated maturity;

default in making any sinking fund payment as required for any debt security of such series for five business days;
 
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default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty in the debt securities or in the indenture by us continuing for 90 calendar days after written notice as provided in the applicable indenture, but not of a covenant added to the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities issued thereunder other than such series;

a default under any bond, debenture, note, mortgage, indenture or instrument:
(1)
having an aggregate principal amount in excess of a minimum amount as specified in a prospectus supplement; or
(2)
under which there may be issued, secured or evidenced any existing or later created indebtedness for money borrowed by us or our subsidiaries, if we are directly responsible or liable as obligor or guarantor, if the default results in the indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date it otherwise would have, without such indebtedness having been discharged, or such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled, within 30 days after notice to the issuing company specifying such default. Such notice shall be given to us by the trustee, or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. The written notice specifying such default and requiring us to cause such indebtedness to be discharged or cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled and shall state that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under such indenture;

bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, or court appointment of a receiver, liquidator or trustee of Orchard Therapeutics or any significant subsidiary that, if contested, is not dismissed or stayed within 90 calendar days; and

any other event of default provided with respect to a particular series of debt securities.
When we use the term “significant subsidiary,” we refer to the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act.
If an event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to debt securities of any series outstanding, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 33% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. If the debt securities of that series are original issue discount securities or indexed securities, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 33% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms thereof to be due and payable. However, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the applicable trustee, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of such series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

we have deposited with the applicable trustee all required payments of the principal, any premium, or make-whole amount, interest and, to the extent permitted by law, interest on overdue installment of interest, plus applicable fees, expenses, disbursements and advances of the applicable trustee; and

all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal, or a specified portion thereof, and any premium, or make-whole amount, have been cured or waived.
We expect that the indentures will also provide that the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may, on behalf of all holders, waive any past default with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:

in the payment of the principal, any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest;

in respect of a covenant or provision contained in the applicable indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holders of the outstanding debt security that is affected by the default; or
 
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in respect of a covenant or provision for the benefit or protection of the trustee, without its express written consent.
We expect that the indentures will require each trustee to give notice to the holders of debt securities within 90 days of a default unless such default has been cured or waived. However, the trustee may withhold notice if specified persons of such trustee consider such withholding to be in the interest of the holders of debt securities. The trustee may not withhold notice of a default in the payment of principal, any premium or interest on any debt security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment in respect of any debt security of such series.
We expect that the indentures will provide that holders of debt securities of any series may not institute any proceedings, judicial or otherwise, with respect to such indenture or for any remedy under the indenture, unless the trustee fails to act for a period of 60 days after the trustee has received a written request to institute proceedings in respect of an event of default from the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, as well as an offer of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. However, this provision will not prevent any holder of debt securities from instituting suit for the enforcement of payment of the principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt securities at the respective due dates thereof.
We expect that the indentures will provide that, subject to provisions in each indenture relating to its duties in the case of a default, a trustee has no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any holders of any series of debt securities then outstanding under the indenture, unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable security or indemnity. The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under an indenture shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the applicable trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon such trustee. However, a trustee may refuse to follow any direction which:

is in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture;

may involve the trustee in personal liability; or

may be unduly prejudicial to the holders of debt securities of the series not joining the proceeding.
Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, we will be required to deliver to each trustee a certificate, signed by one of our several specified officers, stating whether or not that officer has knowledge of any default under the applicable indenture. If the officer has knowledge of any default, the notice must specify the nature and status of the default.
Modification of the Indentures
We expect that the indentures will provide that modifications and amendments may be made only with the consent of the affected holders of at least a majority in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities issued under that indenture. However, no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of each of the affected holders of the debt securities affected by the modification or amendment:

change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any premium, or make-whole amount, on, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any such debt security;

reduce the principal amount of, the rate or amount of interest on or any premium, or make-whole amount, payable on redemption of any such debt security;

reduce the amount of principal of an original issue discount security that would be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the holder of any such debt security;

change the place of payment or the coin or currency for payment of principal of, or any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest on, any such debt security;

impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any such debt security;
 
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reduce the percentage in principal amount of any outstanding debt securities necessary to modify or amend the applicable indenture with respect to such debt securities, to waive compliance with particular provisions thereof or defaults and consequences thereunder or to reduce the quorum or voting requirements set forth in the applicable indenture; or

modify any of the foregoing provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of particular past defaults or covenants, except to increase the required percentage to effect such action or to provide that some of the other provisions may not be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of such debt security.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series may, on behalf of all holders of debt securities of that series, waive, insofar as that series is concerned, our compliance with material restrictive covenants of the applicable indenture.
We and our respective trustee may make modifications and amendments of an indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities for any of the following purposes:

to evidence the succession of another person to us as obligor under such indenture;

to add to our covenants for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in such indenture;

to add events of default for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities;

to add or change any provisions of an indenture (1) to change or eliminate restrictions on the payment of principal of, or premium, or make-whole amount, or interest on, debt securities in bearer form, or (2) to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities in uncertificated form, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities of any series in any material respect;

to change or eliminate any provisions of an indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there are no debt securities outstanding of any series created prior thereto which are entitled to the benefit of such provision;

to secure the debt securities;

to establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series;

to provide for the acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under an indenture by more than one trustee;

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in an indenture, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of holders of debt securities of any series issued under such indenture; and

to supplement any of the provisions of an indenture to the extent necessary to permit or facilitate defeasance and discharge of any series of such debt securities, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the outstanding debt securities of any series.
Voting
We expect the indentures will provide that in determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding debt securities of a series have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver under the indentures or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of holders of debt securities:

the principal amount of an original issue discount security that shall be deemed to be outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof;

the principal amount of any debt security denominated in a foreign currency that shall be deemed outstanding shall be the United States dollar equivalent, determined on the issue date for such debt security, of the principal amount or, in the case of an original issue discount security, the United States
 
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dollar equivalent on the issue date of such debt security of the amount determined as provided in the preceding bullet point;

the principal amount of an indexed security that shall be deemed outstanding shall be the principal face amount of such indexed security at original issuance, unless otherwise provided for such indexed security under such indenture; and

debt securities owned by us or any other obligor upon the debt securities or by any affiliate of ours or of such other obligor shall be disregarded.
The indentures contain provisions for convening meetings of the holders of debt securities of a series. A meeting will be permitted to be called at any time by the applicable trustee, and also, upon request, by us or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, in any such case upon notice given as provided in such indenture. Except for any consent that must be given by the holder of each debt security affected by the modifications and amendments of an indenture described above, any resolution presented at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series represented at such meeting.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, except as referred to above, any resolution relating to a request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, may be adopted at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present by the affirmative vote of such specified percentage.
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any properly held meeting of holders of debt securities of any series will be binding on all holders of such series. The quorum at any meeting called to adopt a resolution, and at any reconvened meeting, will be persons holding or representing a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series. However, if any action is to be taken relating to a consent or waiver which may be given by the holders of at least a specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, the persons holding such percentage will constitute a quorum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, we expect that the indentures will provide that if any action is to be taken at a meeting with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that such indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities affected by such action, or of the holders of such series and one or more additional series:

there shall be no minimum quorum requirement for such meeting; and

the principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series that vote in favor of such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action shall be taken account in determining whether such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action has been made, given or taken under such indenture.
Subordination
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement and indenture, subordinated securities will be subject to the following subordination provisions.
Upon any distribution to our creditors in a liquidation, dissolution or reorganization, the payment of the principal of and interest on any subordinated securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the applicable indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all senior debt. However, our obligation to make payments of the principal of and interest on such subordinated securities otherwise will not be affected. No payment of principal or interest will be permitted to be made on subordinated securities at any time if a default on senior debt exists that permits the holders of such senior debt to accelerate its maturity and the default is the subject of judicial proceedings or we receive notice of the default. After all senior debt is paid in full and until the subordinated securities are paid in full, holders of subordinated securities will be subrogated to the rights of holders of senior debt to the extent that distributions otherwise payable to holders of subordinated securities have been applied to the payment of senior debt. The
 
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subordinated indenture will not restrict the amount of senior debt or other indebtedness of Orchard Therapeutics and its subsidiaries. As a result of these subordination provisions, in the event of a distribution of assets upon insolvency, holders of subordinated securities may recover less, ratably, than our general creditors.
The term “senior debt” will be defined in the applicable indenture as the principal of and interest on, or substantially similar payments to be made by us in respect of, other outstanding indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the applicable indenture or subsequently incurred, created or assumed. The prospectus supplement may include a description of additional terms implementing the subordination feature.
No restrictions will be included in any indenture relating to subordinated securities upon the creation of additional senior debt.
If this prospectus is being delivered in connection with the offering of a series of subordinated securities, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the information incorporated in this prospectus by reference will set forth the approximate amount of senior debt outstanding as of the end of our most recent fiscal quarter.
Defeasance and Discharge
The terms of each indenture are expected to provide us with the option to be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities issued thereunder upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money or government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of the payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing the debt securities. We expect that this right may only be exercised if, among other things, we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that such a discharge will not be deemed, or result in, a taxable event with respect to holders. This discharge would not apply to our obligations to register the transfer or exchange of debt securities, to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities, to maintain paying agencies and hold moneys for payment in trust.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants
We expect that the terms of the debt securities will provide us with the right not to comply with specified covenants and that specified events of default described in a prospectus supplement will not apply provided we deposit with the trustee money or government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium, and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing such debt securities. We expect that to exercise this right, we will also be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the deposit and related covenant defeasance should not cause the holders of such series to recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
Conversion Rights
The terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities are convertible into ordinary shares will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms will include whether the debt securities are convertible into ordinary shares, the conversion price, or manner of calculation thereof, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at the issuing company’s option or the option of the holders, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption of the debt securities and any restrictions on conversion.
Global Securities
The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depository identified in the applicable prospectus
 
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supplement relating to such series. Global securities, if any, issued in the United States are expected to be deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, as depository. We may issue global securities in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. We will describe the specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such series. We expect that unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.
Once a global security is issued, the depository for such global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by such global security to the accounts of participants that have accounts with such depository. Such accounts shall be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to such debt securities or by us if we offer such debt securities directly. Ownership of beneficial interests in such global security will be limited to participants with the depository or persons that may hold interests through those participants.
We expect that, under procedures established by DTC, ownership of beneficial interests in any global security for which DTC is the depository will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its nominee, with respect to beneficial interests of participants with the depository, and records of participants, with respect to beneficial interests of persons who hold through participants with the depository. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records of DTC or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of DTC or any of its participants relating to beneficial ownership interests in the debt securities. The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.
So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as described below or in the applicable prospectus supplement, owners of beneficial interest in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual debt securities represented by such global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such debt securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture. Beneficial owners of debt securities evidenced by a global security will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture for any purpose, including with respect to the giving of any direction, instructions or approvals to the trustee under the indenture. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a global security with respect to which DTC is the depository must rely on the procedures of DTC and, if such person is not a participant with the depository, on the procedures of the participant through which such person owns its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture. We understand that, under existing industry practice, if DTC requests any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security desires to give or take any action which a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, DTC would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interest to give or take such action, and such participants would authorize beneficial owners through such participants to give or take such actions or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Payments of principal of, and any premium, or make-whole amount, and interest on, individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to or at the direction of the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security under the applicable indenture. Under the terms of the applicable indenture, we and the trustee may treat the persons in whose name debt securities, including a global security, are registered as the owners thereof for the purpose of receiving such payments. Consequently, neither we nor the trustee have or will have any responsibility or liability for the payment of such amounts to beneficial owners of debt securities including principal, any premium, or make-whole amount, or interest. We believe, however, that it is currently the policy of DTC to immediately credit the accounts of relevant participants with such payments, in amounts proportionate to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the relevant global security as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers
 
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in bearer form or registered in street name, and will be the responsibility of such participants. Redemption notices with respect to any debt securities represented by a global security will be sent to the depository or its nominee. If less than all of the debt securities of any series are to be redeemed, we expect the depository to determine the amount of the interest of each participant in such debt securities to be redeemed to be determined by lot. Neither we, the trustee, any paying agent nor the security registrar for such debt securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such debt securities or for maintaining any records with respect thereto.
Neither we nor the trustee will be liable for any delay by the holders of a global security or the depository in identifying the beneficial owners of debt securities, and we and the trustee may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from the holder of a global security or the depository for all purposes. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
If a depository for any debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and we do not appoint a successor depository within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security representing such debt securities. In addition, we may at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, determine not to have any of such debt securities represented by one or more global securities and in such event will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security or securities representing such debt securities. Individual debt securities so issued will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
The debt securities of a series may also be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more bearer global securities that will be deposited with a depository, or with a nominee for such depository, identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any such bearer global securities may be issued in temporary or permanent form. The specific terms and procedures, including the specific terms of the depositary arrangement, with respect to any portion of a series of debt securities to be represented by one or more bearer global securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Recourse
There is no recourse under any obligation, covenant or agreement in the applicable indenture or with respect to any security against any of our or our successor’s past, present or future stockholders, employees, officers or directors.
We refer you to any applicable prospectus supplement with respect to any deletions or additions or modifications to the descriptions above.
SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS
Information about selling securityholders, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as described in any prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, the net proceeds received by us from our sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for our general corporate purposes. From time to time, we may engage in additional public or private financings of a character and amount which we may deem appropriate. Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by any selling securityholders.
TAXATION
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
Our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, provides a discussion
 
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of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to prospective investors in our ordinary shares (including those represented by ADSs). The applicable prospectus supplement may also contain information about any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the securities covered by such prospectus supplement.
Non-U.S. Tax Considerations
Our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, provides a discussion of the material Dutch tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective investors in our ordinary shares (including those represented by ADSs). The applicable prospectus supplement may also contain information about any non-U.S. tax considerations relating to the securities covered by such prospectus supplement.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are a European public company with limited liability (Societas Europaea or SE) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands. Substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. The majority of our directors reside outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon such persons or to enforce against them or us in U.S. courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States.
The United States and the Netherlands currently do not have a treaty providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitration awards, in civil and commercial matters. Consequently, a final judgment for payment given by a court in the United States, whether or not predicated solely upon U.S. securities laws, would not automatically be recognized or enforceable in the Netherlands. In order to obtain a judgment which is enforceable in the Netherlands, the party in whose favor a final and conclusive judgment of the U.S. court has been rendered will be required to file its claim with a court of competent jurisdiction in the Netherlands. Such party may submit to the Dutch court the final judgment rendered by the U.S. court. This court will have discretion to attach such weight to the judgment rendered by the relevant U.S. court as it deems appropriate. The Dutch courts can be expected to give conclusive effect to a final and enforceable judgment of such court in respect of the contractual obligations thereunder without re-examination or re-litigation of the substantive matters adjudicated upon, provided that: (i) the U.S. court involved accepted jurisdiction on the basis of internationally recognized grounds to accept jurisdiction, (ii) the proceedings before such court being in compliance with principles of proper procedure (behoorlijke rechtspleging), (iii) such judgment not being contrary to the public policy of the Netherlands and (iv) such judgment not being incompatible with a judgment given between the same parties by a Netherlands court or with a prior judgment given between the same parties by a foreign court in a dispute concerning the same subject matter and based on the same cause of action, provided such prior judgment fulfills the conditions necessary for it to be given binding effect in the Netherlands. Dutch courts may deny the recognition and enforcement of punitive damages or other awards. Moreover, a Dutch court may reduce the amount of damages granted by a U.S. court and recognize damages only to the extent that they are necessary to compensate actual losses or damages. Enforcement and recognition of judgments of U.S. courts in the Netherlands are solely governed by the provisions of the Dutch Civil Procedure Code.
Dutch civil procedure differs substantially from U.S. civil procedure in a number of respects. Insofar as the production of evidence is concerned, U.S. law and the laws of several other jurisdictions based on common law provide for pre-trial discovery, a process by which parties to the proceedings may prior to trial compel the production of documents by adverse or third parties and the deposition of witnesses. Evidence obtained in this manner may be decisive in the outcome of any proceeding. No such pre-trial discovery process exists under Dutch law.
Subject to the foregoing and service of process in accordance with applicable treaties, investors may be able to enforce in the Netherlands judgments in civil and commercial matters obtained from U.S. federal or state courts. However, no assurance can be given that those judgments will be enforceable. In addition, it is doubtful whether a Dutch court would accept jurisdiction and impose civil liability in an original action commenced in the Netherlands and predicated solely upon U.S. federal securities laws.
 
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LEGAL MATTERS
Unless otherwise indicated in any accompanying prospectus supplement, certain legal matters with respect to United States and New York law with respect to the validity of certain of the offered securities will be passed upon for the issuer by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Unless otherwise indicated in any accompanying prospectus supplement, certain legal matters with respect to Dutch law with respect to the validity of certain of the offered securities will be passed upon for the issuer by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Any underwriters will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference from our Annual Report on Form 20-F and the effectiveness of argenx SE’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte Accountants B.V., an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. The offices of Deloitte Accountants B.V. are located at Wilhelminakade 1, 3072 AP Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
EXPENSES
The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by us) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby, other than the FINRA filing fee.
SEC registration fee
$ (1)
FINRA filing fee
$ 225,500
Legal fees and expenses
$ (1)
Accounting fees and expenses
$ (1)
Miscellaneous expenses
$ (1)
Total
$ (1)
(1)
In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act, we are deferring payment of the SEC registration fee for the securities offered by this registration statement.
(2)
These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, covering the securities offered hereby. As allowed by SEC rules, this prospectus does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement. You are referred to the registration statement and the included exhibits for further information. This prospectus is qualified in its entirety by such other information.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K. Those reports may be inspected without charge at the locations described above. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, although we intend to report our results of operations voluntarily on a quarterly basis.
You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facility. Additionally, we make these filings
 
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available, free of charge, on our website at www.argenx.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such materials with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with it, which means that:

incorporated documents are considered part of this prospectus;

we can disclose important information to you by referring to those documents; and

information that we file with the SEC in the future and incorporate by reference herein will automatically update and supersede information in this prospectus and information previously incorporated by reference herein.
The information that we incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus.
Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. Any statement contained in such incorporated documents shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purpose of this prospectus to the extent that a subsequent statement contained in another document we incorporate by reference at a later date modifies or supersedes that statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We incorporate herein by reference:




any document filed in the future with the SEC under Sections 13(a) and 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and until this offering is completed. Any report on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC on or after the date of this prospectus (or portions thereof) is incorporated by reference in this prospectus only to the extent that the report expressly states that we incorporate it (or such portions) by reference in this prospectus and that it is not subsequently superseded.
You may also request a copy of documents incorporated by reference at no cost, by contacting us orally or in writing at the following address and telephone number: Investor Relations, Willemstraat 5, 4811 AH, Breda, the Netherlands, Tel. No.: +32 9 310 34 00.
Our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 and any other information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus. The information in this prospectus and any supplement to this prospectus, to the extent applicable, automatically updates and supersedes the information in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020.
You should rely only on the information that we incorporate by reference or provide in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement(s). We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.
 
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Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Warrants
Units
Debt Securities
PROSPECTUS

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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 8.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Under Dutch law, our board of directors and certain other officers may be held liable for damages in the event of improper or negligent performance of their duties. They may be held jointly and severally liable for damages to our company and to third parties for infringement of the Articles of Association or of certain provisions of the Dutch Civil Code. In certain circumstances, they may also incur additional specific civil and criminal liabilities. Directors and certain other officers are insured under an insurance policy taken out by us against damages resulting from their conduct when acting in the capacities as such directors or officers. In addition, our Articles of Association provide for indemnification of our directors, including reimbursement for reasonable legal fees and damages or fines based on acts or failures to act in their duties. No indemnification shall be given to a member of our board of directors if a Dutch court has established, without possibility for appeal, that the acts or omissions of such indemnified person that led to the financial losses, damages, suit, claim, action or legal proceedings resulted from either an improper performance of his or her duties as a director or an officer of our company or an unlawful or illegal act, and only to the extent that his or her financial losses, damages and expenses are covered by an insurance and the insurer has settled these financial losses, damages and expenses (or has indicated that it would do so). Furthermore, such indemnification will generally not be available in instances of willful (opzettelijk), intentionally reckless (bewust roekeloos) or seriously culpable (ernstig verwijtbaar) conduct unless Dutch law provides otherwise.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our non-executive directors and the members of our executive management.
In the underwriting agreements we entered into in connection with our May 2017 initial U.S. public offering, and each of our December 2017, September 2018, November 2019, May 2020 and February 2021 U.S. follow-on offerings, the underwriters agreed to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, the members of our board of directors and persons who control our company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities, but only to the extent that such liabilities are caused by information relating to the underwriters furnished to us in writing expressly for use in our registration statement and certain other disclosure documents.
Item 9.   Exhibits
A list of exhibits filed with this registration statement is set forth on the Exhibit Index and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 10.   Undertakings
(a)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
 
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(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment 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.
(3)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4)
To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement;
(5)
(i) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(A)
Each prospectus filed by a registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(B)
Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date;
(6)
That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration
 
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statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement 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.
(e)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report, to security holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and, where interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X is not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.
(h)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 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 of 1933, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(j)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)2 of the Trust Indenture Act.
 
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Exhibit
Number
Description
 1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement.
 4.1
 4.2 Form of Deposit Agreement and Form of American Depositary Receipt, incorporated by reference to Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form F-1/A (File No. 333-217417) filed with the SEC on May 16, 2017.
 4.3* Form of Warrant Agreement (including Warrant Certificate).
 4.4* Form of Unit Agreement.
 4.5
 4.6
 5.1
 5.2
23.1
23.2
23.3
24.1
25.1** Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee for Senior Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
25.2** Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee for Subordinated Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
*
To be filed, if necessary, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.
**
To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
 
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Breda, the Netherlands on July 29, 2021.
ARGENX SE
By:
Tim Van Hauwermeiren
Chief Executive Officer
We, the undersigned directors, officers and/or authorized representative in the United States of argenx SE, hereby severally constitute and appoint Tim Van Hauwermeiren and Eric Castaldi, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below the registration statement on Form F-3 filed herewith, and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said registration statement, and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of equity securities of argenx SE, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as each of them might or could do in person, and hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or their substitute or substitutes, shall do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on July 29, 2021.
Signature
Title
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Chairperson of the Board
Director
Director (and Vice Chairperson)
Director
 
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Signature
Title
Director
Director
Director
Puglisi & Associates
By:
Name:   Donald J. Puglisi
Title:   Managing Director
Authorized Representative in the United States
 
II-6


Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

This ‘F-3ASR’ Filing    Date    Other Filings
Filed on / Effective on:7/29/216-K,  S-8
6/30/216-K
5/11/216-K
12/31/2020-F
5/12/206-K
1/24/20
1/1/18
9/7/17
6/14/176-K
5/18/17424B4,  CERTNAS,  CT ORDER,  EFFECT
4/26/17
1/1/17
12/31/16
12/8/16
7/3/16
5/28/14
4/5/12
1/1/09
12/10/08
4/25/08
11/14/07
5/2/07
4/1/07
 List all Filings 


44 Subsequent Filings that Reference this Filing

  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 5/09/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/09/24    2:96K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/08/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/08/24    2:28K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 4/16/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         4/16/24    2:52K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/27/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/27/24    2:27K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/27/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/27/24    6:169K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/26/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/26/24    2:39K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/21/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/21/24    2:98M                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/08/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/07/24    2:64K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 2/29/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         2/29/24    4:3.9M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 2/20/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         2/20/24    2:43K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/18/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/18/24    2:28K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/08/24  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/08/24    3:5.5M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
12/20/23  Argenx Se                         6-K        12/20/23    2:43K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
11/28/23  Argenx Se                         6-K        11/28/23    2:41K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
11/17/23  Argenx Se                         6-K        11/17/23    2:34K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
11/01/23  Argenx Se                         6-K        11/01/23    2:82K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 7/21/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         7/18/23    5:448K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 7/17/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         7/17/23    3:10M                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 6/21/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         6/21/23    4:3.5M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/05/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/05/23    3:3M                                     Toppan Merrill/FA
 4/18/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         4/18/23    2:46K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 4/17/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         4/17/23    2:37K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/16/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/15/23    2:33K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/02/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/02/23    4:5M                                     Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/27/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/27/23    2:25K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/09/23  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/09/23    3:24M                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
12/12/22  Argenx Se                         6-K        12/12/22    2:49K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
11/30/22  Argenx Se                         6-K        11/30/22    3:182K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
11/22/22  Argenx Se                         6-K        11/22/22    2:43K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
10/27/22  Argenx Se                         6-K        10/27/22    2:98K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 9/21/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         9/21/22    3:112K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 9/08/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         9/08/22    2:21K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 8/12/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         8/11/22    2:38K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 6/27/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         6/27/22    2:32K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/19/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/19/22    2:34K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/05/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/05/22    3:117K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/25/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/23/22    5:436K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/22/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/22/22    3:3.8M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/03/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/02/22    2:93K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/20/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/20/22    2:42K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/10/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/10/22    2:5.6M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/07/22  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/01/22    2:49K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
12/22/21  Argenx Se                         6-K        12/21/21    2:55K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 7/29/21  Argenx Se                         S-8         7/29/21    4:210K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA


13 Previous Filings that this Filing References

  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 7/29/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         6/30/21   61:4M                                     Toppan Merrill Bridge/FA
 6/07/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         6/07/21    2:30K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 6/01/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         6/01/21    2:29K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/14/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/14/21    2:79K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/11/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         5/01/21    2:28K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/30/21  Argenx Se                         20-F       12/31/20  136:21M                                    Toppan Merrill Bridge/FA
 3/30/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         3/30/21    2:33K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 2/04/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         2/04/21    5:466K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 2/01/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         2/01/21    3:4.1M                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/08/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/08/21    2:54K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 1/06/21  Argenx Se                         6-K         1/06/21    2:45K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/16/17  Argenx Se                         8-A12B                 1:26K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 5/16/17  Argenx Se                         F-1/A                  5:5.4M                                   Toppan Merrill-FA
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