As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 7, 2023

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

CRINETICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware		26-3744114
(State or Other Jurisdiction		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
of Incorporation or Organization)

10222 Barnes Canyon Road, Bldg. #2

San Diego, California 92121

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan

(Full title of the plans)

R. Scott Struthers

President and Chief Executive Officer

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

10222 Barnes Canyon Road, Bldg. #2

San Diego, California 92121

(885) 450-6464

(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Cheston J. Larson, Esq.

Matthew T. Bush, Esq.

Kevin C. Reyes, Esq.

Latham & Watkins LLP

12670 High Bluff Drive

San Diego, CA 92130

(858) 523-5400

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer ý		Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer ¨		Smaller reporting company ¨
		Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ý

Proposed sales to take place as soon after the effective date of the Registration Statement as awards granted under the above-named plans are granted, exercised and/or distributed.

 

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed for the purpose of registering an additional 2,500,000 shares of common stock of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Registrant”) issuable or which may become issuable under the Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan (the “Inducement Plan”).

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the contents of the prior registration statements on Form S-8, File No. 333-264005, File No. 333-268328, and File No. 333-270125, previously filed with respect to the Inducement Plan, are incorporated into this Registration Statement by reference to the extent not modified or superseded hereby or by any subsequently filed document, which is incorporated by reference herein or therein.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

In this Registration Statement, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is sometimes referred to as “Registrant,” “we,” “us” or “our.”

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this Registration Statement, and later information filed with the SEC will update and supersede this information. We hereby incorporate by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with the SEC:

In addition, all documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement contained herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

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Under no circumstances shall any information furnished under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

 

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, ending or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors and officers for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments,

 

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fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

 

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

 

The above description of the indemnification provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and our indemnification agreements is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to these documents, each of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. Exhibits

				Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Number		Description		Form		Exhibit		Date Filed	File Number		Filed Herewith
3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation		8-K		3.1		7/20/2018	001-38583
3.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws		8-K		3.1		4/14/2020	001-38583
4.1		Specimen stock certificate evidencing the shares of common stock		S-1/A		4.1		7/9/2018	333-225824
4.2		Description of Registered Securities		10-K		4.3		3/30/2021	001-38583
5.1		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP									X
10.1		Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan and Form of Stock Option Agreement thereunder		8-K		10.1		12/23/2021	001-38583
10.2		Amendment to the Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan		10-Q		10.3		11/14/2022	001-38583
10.3		Amendment No. 2 to the Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan		10-K		10.19		2/28/2023	001-38583
10.4		Amendment No. 3 to the Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan		10-Q		10.1		11/7/2023	001-38583
23.1		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)									X
23.2		Consent of BDO USA, P.C., independent registered public accounting firm									X
24.1		Power of Attorney (included in the signature page to this Registration Statement)									X
107		Filing Fee Table									X

 

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Item 9. 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;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this 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 this 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 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee Tables” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if this registration statement is on Form S-8 and 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 Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, 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.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this 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.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 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 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

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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 S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, State of California, on November 7, 2023.

	CRINETICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
	By:	/s/ R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D.
	Name:	R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D.
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D. and Marc J.S. Wilson, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent 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 for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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 and on the date indicated.

Name		Title		Date
/s/ R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D.		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director		November 7, 2023
R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D.		(principal executive officer)
/s/ Marc J.S. Wilson		Chief Financial Officer		November 7, 2023
Marc J.S. Wilson		(principal financial and accounting officer)
/s/ Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D.		Chairman of the Board of Directors		November 7, 2023
Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D.
/s/ Camille Bedrosian, M.D.		Director		November 7, 2023
Camille Bedrosian, M.D.
/s/ Caren Deardorf		Director		November 7, 2023
Caren Deardorf
/s/ Matthew K. Fust		Director		November 7, 2023
Matthew K. Fust
/s/ Weston Nichols, Ph.D.		Director		November 7, 2023
Weston Nichols, Ph.D.
/s/ Stephanie Okey		Director		November 7, 2023
Stephanie Okey
/s/ Rogério Vivaldi Coelho, M.D.		Director		November 7, 2023
Rogério Vivaldi Coelho, M.D.

 

 

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Exhibit 5.1

 

	12670 High Bluff Drive San Diego, California 92130 Tel: +1.858.523.5400 Fax: +1.858.523.5450 www.lw.com
	FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
	Austin	Milan
	Beijing	Munich
	Boston	New York
	Brussels	Orange County
	Century City	Paris
November 7, 2023	Chicago	Riyadh
	Dubai	San Diego
	Düsseldorf	San Francisco
	Frankfurt	Seoul
	Hamburg	Shanghai
	Hong Kong	Silicon Valley
	Houston	Singapore
	London	Tel Aviv
	Los Angeles	Tokyo
	Madrid	Washington, D.C.

 

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

10222 Barnes Canyon Road, Bldg. #2

San Diego, CA 92121

 

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8; 2,500,000 Shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

 

To the addressees set forth above:

 

We have acted as special counsel to Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance of an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Shares”), of the Company, pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan (the “Inducement Plan”). The Shares are included in a Registration Statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 7, 2023 (the “Registration Statement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Shares.

 

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

 

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November 14, 2022

Page 2

 

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the recipients, or certificates representing the Shares (in the form of the specimen certificate filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1) have been manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar therefor, and subject to the Company completing all actions and proceedings required on its part to be taken prior to the issuance of the Shares, and when the Shares have been issued by the Company in the circumstances contemplated by the Inducement Plan for legal consideration in excess of par value, the issuance of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP

 

 

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Exhibit 23.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

San Diego, California

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement of our reports dated February 28, 2023, relating to the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s (the “Company”) internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

/s/ BDO USA, P.C.

San Diego, California

November 7, 2023

 

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Exhibit 107

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

Form S-8

(Form Type)

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1—Newly Registered Securities

Security Type	Security Class Title	Fee Calculation Rule	Amount to be Registered (1)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Share	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Fee Rate	Amount of Registration Fee
Equity	Common stock, $0.001 par value	Rules 457(c) and 457(h)	2,500,000 (2)	$28.66 (3)	$71,650,000	$147.60 per $1,000,000	$10,575.54
Total Offering Amounts							$10,575.54
Total Fee Offsets (4)							$0
Net Fee Due							$10,575.54

(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement also registers an indeterminate number of additional shares that may be issued pursuant to the above-named plans as a result of any future stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of our outstanding shares of common stock.

(2) Represents 2,500,000 shares of the Registrant’s common stock available for issuance pursuant to awards that may be granted under the Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2021 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan (the “Inducement Plan”) pursuant to the third amendment to the Inducement Plan.

(3) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. The maximum price per share and the maximum aggregate offering price are based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant's common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on October 31, 2023, which date is within five business days prior to filing this Registration Statement.

(4) The Registrant does not have any fee offsets.

 

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