| SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | |||
| Washington, D.C. 20549 | |||
| SCHEDULE 13G | |||
| Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | |||
| (Amendment No. )* | |||
|
Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. | |||
| (Name of Issuer) | |||
|
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share | |||
| (Title of Class of Securities) | |||
|
74365A309 | |||
| (CUSIP Number) | |||
|
March 12, 2020 | |||
| (Date of event which requires filing of this statement) | |||
| Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule 13G is filed: | |||
| ¨ | Rule 13d-1(b) | ||
| x | Rule 13d-1(c) | ||
| ¨ | Rule 13d-1(d) | ||
| (Page 1 of 9 Pages) | |||
______________________________
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 2 of 9 Pages |
| 1 |
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS Highbridge Capital Management, LLC | |||
| 2 | CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP |
(a) ¨ (b) ¨ | ||
| 3 | SEC USE ONLY | |||
| 4 |
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION State of Delaware | |||
| NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH |
5 |
SOLE VOTING POWER 0 | ||
| 6 |
SHARED VOTING POWER 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 7 |
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 | |||
| 8 |
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 9 |
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 10 | CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES | ¨ | ||
| 11 |
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 9.99% (See Item 4)* | |||
| 12 |
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON IA, OO | |||
* As more fully described in Item 4, these shares of Common Stock are issuable upon conversion of convertible notes. The convertible notes are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership blocker and the percentage set forth on row (11) and the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on rows (6), (8) and (9) give effect to such blocker.
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 3 of 9 Pages |
| 1 |
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P. | |||
| 2 | CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP |
(a) ¨ (b) ¨ | ||
| 3 | SEC USE ONLY | |||
| 4 |
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION State of Delaware | |||
| NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH |
5 |
SOLE VOTING POWER 0 | ||
| 6 |
SHARED VOTING POWER 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 7 |
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 | |||
| 8 |
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 9 |
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) (See Item 4)* | |||
| 10 | CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES | ¨ | ||
| 11 |
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 9.99% (See Item 4)* | |||
| 12 |
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON PN | |||
* As more fully described in Item 4, these shares of Common Stock are issuable upon conversion of convertible notes. The convertible notes are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership blocker and the percentage set forth on row (11) and the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on rows (6), (8) and (9) give effect to such blocker.
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 4 of 9 Pages |
| Item 1(a). | NAME OF ISSUER: |
| The name of the issuer is Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"). |
| Item 1(b). | ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES: |
| The Company's principal executive offices are located at 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, POB 455, Carmiel, Israel 2161401. |
| Item 2(a). | NAME OF PERSON FILING: |
| Item 2(b). | ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE: |
| Item 2(c). | CITIZENSHIP: |
| This statement is filed by: | ||
| (i) |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC 277 Park Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, New York 10172 Citizenship: State of Delaware | |
| (ii) |
Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P. 277 Park Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, New York 10172 Citizenship: State of Delaware | |
| The foregoing persons are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the "Reporting Persons." | ||
| Item 2(d). | TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES: |
| Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock"). |
| Item 2(e). | CUSIP NUMBER: |
| 74365A309 |
| Item 3. | IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO RULES 13d-1(b) OR 13d-2(b) OR (c), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A: |
| (a) | ¨ | Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act, | |
| (b) | ¨ | Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act, | |
| (c) | ¨ | Insurance Company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act, | |
| (d) | ¨ | Investment Company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, | |
| (e) | ¨ | An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); |
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 5 of 9 Pages |
| (f) | o | Employee Benefit Plan or Endowment Fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F), | |
| (g) | ¨ | Parent Holding Company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G), | |
| (h) | ¨ | Savings Association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, | |
| (i) | ¨ | A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act; | |
| (j) | ¨ | A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); | |
| (k) | ¨ | Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). |
| If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: _________________________________________ |
| Item 4. | OWNERSHIP. |
|
(a) Amount beneficially owned: As of the date hereof, subject to the 9.99% Blocker (as defined in Item 4(b) below), (i) Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, as the trading manager of Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P., may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) held by Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P. and (ii) Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P. may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the 3,332,754 shares of Common Stock (including 918,267 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes) held by it. (b) Percent of class: The percentages used herein and in the rest of this Schedule 13G are calculated based upon 32,438,213 shares of Common Stock reported to be outstanding, which is the sum of the (i) 14,838,213 shares outstanding as of March 1, 2020, as reported in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 12, 2020 and (ii) 17,604,423 shares issued by the Company pursuant to that certain private placement described in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 18, 2020. The percentage set forth on Row (11) and the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on rows (6), (8) and (9) of the cover page for each Reporting Person are based on the Company's total number of outstanding shares of Common Stock and assumes the conversion of the convertible notes held by Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P., subject to the 9.99% Blocker. |
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 6 of 9 Pages |
| Pursuant to the terms of the reported convertible notes, the Reporting Persons cannot convert any of the reported convertible notes if the Reporting Persons would beneficially own, after any such conversion, more than 9.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "9.99% Blocker"). The percentage set forth on Row (11) and the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on rows (6), (8) and (9) of the cover page for each Reporting Person give effect to the 9.99% Blocker. Consequently, at this time, the Reporting Persons are not able to convert all of such reported convertible notes due to the 9.99% Blocker. | |
| The foregoing should not be construed in and of itself as an admission by any Reporting Person as to beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock (including the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the convertible notes) held by Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P. | |
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
0
(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote
See Item 4(a)
(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
0
(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
See Item 4(a) |
| Item 5. | OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS. |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 6. | OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON. |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 7. | IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY. |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 8. | IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP. |
| Not applicable. |
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 7 of 9 Pages |
| Item 9. | NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP. |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 10. | CERTIFICATION. |
| Each Reporting Person hereby makes the following certification: | |
| By signing below the Reporting Person certifies that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect. |
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 8 of 9 Pages |
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
DATED: March 23, 2020
| HIGHBRIDGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ John Oliva | |
| Name: | John Oliva | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |
| HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P. | ||
| By: | Highbridge Capital Management, LLC | |
| its Trading Manager | ||
| By: | /s/ John Oliva | |
| Name: | John Oliva | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |
| CUSIP No. 74365A309 | 13G | Page 9 of 9 Pages |
EXHIBIT 1
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
The undersigned acknowledge and agree that the foregoing statement on Schedule 13G is filed on behalf of each of the undersigned and that all subsequent amendments to this statement on Schedule 13G shall be filed on behalf of each of the undersigned without the necessity of filing additional joint filing agreements. The undersigned acknowledge that each shall be responsible for the timely filing of such amendments, and for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning him or it contained herein and therein, but shall not be responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning the others, except to the extent that he or it knows or has reason to believe that such information is inaccurate.
DATED: March 23, 2020
| HIGHBRIDGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ John Oliva | |
| Name: | John Oliva | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |
| HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P. | ||
| By: | Highbridge Capital Management, LLC | |
| its Trading Manager | ||
| By: | /s/ John Oliva | |
| Name: | John Oliva | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |