XOMA Royalty completes HilleVax takeover; options canceled, reporting group drops below 5%
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Frazier-affiliated reporting persons filed Amendment No. 5 to their Schedule 13D for HilleVax, Inc. (HLVX). The amendment reports that XOMA Royalty Corporation and its subsidiary entered into a merger agreement and commenced a tender offer to acquire all outstanding HilleVax common shares for $1.95 in cash per share plus one non-transferable contingent value right (CVR). The Offer expired September 15, 2025, and on September 17, 2025 Purchaser accepted all validly tendered shares and completed a merger under Delaware law, leaving HilleVax as a wholly owned subsidiary of Purchaser.
At the Effective Time each Share held by the reporting persons converted into the right to receive the stated Offer Price. The Merger Agreement also provided that any outstanding stock option with an exercise price greater than the Offer Price was canceled for no consideration, which included options held by Mr. Heron. As of September 17, 2025 the reporting persons ceased to be beneficial owners of more than 5% of the class.
Positive
- Acquisition completed: Purchaser accepted valid tenders and completed the merger, converting reported shares into the stated Offer Price.
- Certainty of cash consideration: Reporting persons received $1.95 cash per share plus one CVR per share.
- Reporting threshold change: As of September 17, 2025 the reporting persons ceased to be beneficial owners of more than 5% of the class.
Negative
- Cancellation of options: All outstanding stock options with exercise prices greater than the Offer Price were canceled for no consideration, including options held by Patrick J. Heron.
- Loss of public ownership: Merger resulted in HilleVax becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Purchaser, eliminating the public float for remaining shareholders who did not receive cash/CVR through the offer.
Insights
TL;DR: The tender offer and merger completed, converting shares to $1.95 cash plus CVR and delivering full ownership to Purchaser.
The filing documents a completed acquisition structure where Purchaser executed a tender offer followed by a short-form merger under Delaware law, achieving 100% control of HilleVax through acceptance of valid tenders and a Section 251(h) merger. The offer consideration consists of fixed cash plus contingent value rights, preserving potential upside tied to the CVR. The replacement of equity with cash and CVRs crystallizes value for shareholders who tendered but eliminates public float and typical minority protections going forward. Cancellation of options with exercise prices above $1.95 removed upside for option holders and simplifies the post-closing capital structure.
TL;DR: Transaction closed via tender offer and short-form merger; reporting persons no longer hold >5% and certain options were canceled.
The amendment is a routine post-closing disclosure updating ownership and transaction effects. It confirms that the reporting group received the Offer Price and that their beneficial ownership fell below the 5% reporting threshold as of the Effective Time. The filing also documents the contractual cancellation of in-the-money options for no consideration, a material governance outcome for option holders but a standard contractual provision in many acquisition agreements. The disclosure does not present new litigation, financing, or governance disputes.