UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

 

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Filed by the Registrant x

 

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

o  Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

o  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

 

x  Definitive Proxy Statement

 

o  Definitive Additional Materials

 

o  Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12

 

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

x  No fee required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Snunit Street
Science Park
POB 455
Carmiel, Israel 20100

 

October 2, 2008

 

Dear Shareholder,

 

We cordially invite you to attend the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. to be held at 4:00 p.m., Israel time, on November 9, 2008 at the offices of our Israeli counsel, Baratz, Horn & Co., 1 Azrieli Center, Round Tower, 18th Floor, Tel Aviv, Israel 67021. The attached notice of annual meeting and proxy statement describe the business we will conduct at the meeting and provide information about us that you should consider when you vote your shares. As set forth in the attached proxy statement, the meeting will be held to consider the election of directors and the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending 2008. Please take the time to carefully read each of the proposals shareholders are being asked to consider and vote on.

 

When you have finished reading the proxy statement, please promptly vote your shares either via the Internet, by telephone or by marking, signing, dating and returning the proxy card in the enclosed envelope. Your vote is important, whether or not you attend the meeting in person. We encourage you to vote by proxy so that your shares will be represented and voted at the meeting. If you decide to attend the meeting and vote in person, your proxy may be revoked at your request.

 

We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

David Aviezer, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

PROTALIX BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.
2 Snunit Street
Science Park
POB 455
Carmiel, Israel 20100

 

 

 

NOTICE OF 2008 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 9, 2008

 

 

To the Shareholders of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.:

 

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. will be held at the following time, date and place for the following purposes:

 

TIME:        4:00 p.m., Israel time

 

DATE:        November 9, 2008

 

 

PURPOSES:

 

 

 

All of these proposals are more fully described in the proxy statement that follows. You may vote at the meeting and any adjournments if you were the record owner of our common stock at the close of business on October 2, 2008. A list of shareholders of record will be available at the meeting and, during the 10 days prior to the meeting, at the office of our Corporate Secretary at the above address.

 

Please sign, date and promptly return the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed envelope, or vote by telephone or Internet (instructions are on your proxy card), so that your shares will be represented whether or not you attend the annual meeting.

 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Yossi Maimon

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

and Corporate Secretary

 

Carmiel, Israel

October 2, 2008

 

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
2 Snunit Street
Science Park
POB 455
Carmiel, Israel 20100
972-4-988-9488

 

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT FOR PROTALIX BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

2008 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

 

TO BE HELD ON

 

 

NOVEMBER 9, 2008

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

 

Why Did You Send Me this Proxy Statement?

 

We sent you this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card because the Board of Directors of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. is soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders and any adjournments of the meeting to be held at 4:00 p.m., Israel time, on November 9, 2008 at the offices of our Israeli counsel, Baratz, Horn & Co., 1 Azrieli Center, Round Tower, 18th Floor, Tel Aviv, Israel 67021. This proxy statement along with the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders summarizes the purposes of the meeting and the information you need to know to vote at the annual meeting.

 

We anticipate that on or before October 9, 2008, we will begin sending this proxy statement, the attached Notice of Annual Meeting and the form of proxy enclosed to all shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting. Although not part of this proxy statement, we are also sending along with this proxy statement our Annual Report on Form 10-K which includes financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. You can also find a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, on the Internet through the electronic data system called EDGAR provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov or through the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.protalix.com. Additional copies of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007, as amended, are available upon request.

 

Who Can Vote?

 

Only holders of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of record, at the close of business on October 2, 2008 are entitled to vote at the annual meeting. On the record date, there were 75,930,235 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. The common stock is currently our only outstanding class of voting stock.

 

You do not need to attend the annual meeting to vote your shares. Shares represented by valid proxies, received in time for the meeting and not revoked prior to the meeting, will be voted at the meeting.

 

How Many Votes Do I Have?

 

Each share of common stock that you own entitles you to one vote.

How Do I Vote?

 

Whether you plan to attend the annual meeting or not, we urge you to vote by proxy. Voting by proxy will not affect your right to attend the annual meeting. If your shares are registered directly in your name through our stock transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, or you have stock certificates, you may vote:

 

 

If your shares are held in “street name” (held in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee), you must provide the bank, broker or other nominee with instructions on how to vote your shares and can generally do so as follows:

 

 

What am I Voting On?

 

You are voting on:

 

 

How Does the Board of Directors Recommend that I Vote at the Meeting?

 

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote as follows:

 

 

If any other matter is properly presented at the meeting or any adjournment, the proxy card provides that your shares will be voted by the proxy holder listed on the proxy card in accordance with his or her best judgment. At the time this proxy statement was printed, we knew of no matters that needed to be acted on at the annual meeting, other than those discussed in this proxy statement.

 

What Constitutes a Quorum for the Meeting?

 

The holders of a majority of all of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at the annual meeting. Of the 75,930,235 shares of common stock outstanding as of the record date, a majority, or more than 37,965,118 shares, must be present at the meeting in person or represented by proxy to hold the meeting and conduct business. Once a quorum is established at a meeting, it shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. Votes of shareholders of record who are present at the meeting in person or by proxy, abstentions, and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists. If a quorum is not present, the meeting will be adjourned until a quorum is obtained.

 

What are the Voting Requirements to Approve a Proposal?

 

Assuming a quorum is present at the annual meeting, nominees for director must receive a plurality of the votes cast to be elected. This means that the 10 nominees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. The ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accountant and any other proposal that may properly be brought before the meeting must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the shareholders. Neither abstentions nor withheld votes will have any effect on the outcome of the vote, but both abstentions and withheld votes will be counted for the purposes of determining whether a quorum is present.

 

How are My Votes Cast when I Sign and Return a Proxy Card?

 

When you sign the proxy card or submit your proxy by telephone or over the Internet, you appoint David Aviezer, Ph.D., our president and chief executive officer, and Yossi Maimon, our Vice President and chief financial officer, as your representatives at the meeting. Either David Aviezer or Yossi Maimon will vote your shares at the meeting as you have instructed them on the proxy card. Each of such persons may appoint a substitute for himself.

 

Even if you plan to attend the meeting, it is a good idea to complete, sign and return your proxy card or submit your proxy by telephone or over the Internet in advance of the meeting in case your plans change. This way, your shares will be voted by you whether or not you actually attend the meeting.

 

May I Revoke My Proxy?

 

If you give us your proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is voted at the meeting. There will be no double counting of votes. You may revoke your proxy in any one of the following ways:

 

 

What if I Receive More than One Proxy Card?

 

You may receive more than one proxy card or voting instruction form if you hold shares of our common stock in more than one account, which may be in registered form or held in street name. Please vote in the manner described under “How Do I Vote?” for each account to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

 

What if I do not Vote for Some of the Matters Listed on My Proxy Card?

 

If you return your proxy card without indicating your vote, your shares will be voted for the nominees listed on the card and for the ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman.

What if I Vote “Abstain”?

 

A vote to “abstain” on any matter will have the effect of a vote against the matter.

 

Will My Shares be Voted if I do not Return My Proxy Card and do not Attend the Annual Meeting?

 

If your shares are registered in your name or if you have stock certificates, they will not be voted if you do not return your proxy card by mail or vote at the meeting as described above under “How Do I Vote?”.

 

If your shares are held in street name and you do not provide voting instructions to the bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares as described above under “How Do I Vote?,” the bank, broker or other nominee has the authority to vote your un-voted shares on any of the matters scheduled to come before the meeting even if it does not receive instructions from you. We encourage you to provide voting instructions. This ensures your shares will be voted at the meeting in the manner you desire. If your broker cannot vote your shares on a particular matter because it has not received instructions from you and does not have discretionary voting authority on that matter or because your broker chooses not to vote on a matter for which it does have discretionary voting authority, this is referred to as a “broker non-vote.” A broker non-vote will have no effect on the vote for any matter scheduled to be considered at the meeting but is counted as present for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the annual meeting.

 

Is Voting Confidential?

 

Yes. Only the inspector of elections and our employees that have been assigned the responsibility for overseeing the legal aspects of the annual meeting will have access to your proxy card. The inspector of elections will tabulate and certify the vote. Any comments written on the proxy card will remain confidential unless you ask that your name be disclosed.

 

What are the Costs of Soliciting these Proxies?

 

We will pay all of the costs of soliciting these proxies. Our directors and employees may solicit proxies in person or by telephone, fax or email. We will pay these employees and directors no additional compensation for these services. We will ask banks, brokers and other institutions, nominees and fiduciaries to forward these proxy materials to their principals and to obtain authority to execute proxies. We will then reimburse them for their expenses.

 

Could other Matters be Decided at the Annual Meeting?

 

We do not know of any other matters that will be considered at the annual meeting. If any other matters arise at the annual meeting, the proxies will be voted at the discretion of the proxy holders.

 

What Happens if the Annual Meeting is Postponed or Adjourned?

 

Your proxy will still be valid and may be voted at the postponed or adjourned meeting. You will still be able to change or revoke your proxy until it is voted.

 

Do I Need a Ticket to Attend the Annual Meeting?

 

Yes, you will need an admission ticket or proof of ownership of common stock to enter the annual meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, your admission ticket is the bottom half of the proxy card sent to you. If you plan to attend the annual meeting, please so indicate when you vote and bring the ticket with you to the annual meeting. If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, your admission ticket is the left side of your voting information form. If you do not bring your admission ticket, you will need proof of ownership to be admitted to the annual meeting. A recent brokerage statement or letter from a bank or broker is an example of proof of ownership. If you arrive at the annual meeting without an admission ticket, we will admit you only if we are able to verify that you are a shareholder of our company.

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

The following table sets forth information, as of September 30, 2008, regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock:

 

 

Unless otherwise noted, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our common stock beneficially owned by them. For purposes of these tables, a person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of securities that can be acquired by such person within 60 days from September 30, 2008 upon exercise of options, warrants and convertible securities. Each beneficial owner’s percentage ownership is determined by assuming that options, warrants and convertible securities that are held by such person (but not those held by any other person) and that are exercisable within such 60 days from such date have been exercised.

 

The address for all directors and officers is c/o Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, POB 455, Carmiel, Israel, 20100.

 

 

 

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

 

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, requires our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of our common stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission reports regarding their ownership and changes in ownership of our equity securities. All of our officers, directors and 10% shareholders failed to file Form 3s and Form 4s on a timely basis upon the closing of the merger of our subsidiary with Protalix Ltd. on December 31, 2006, their receipt of interests in our company in connection therewith and, to the extent applicable, their appointment as officers and/or directors of our company. In addition, Dr. Shaaltiel failed to file a Form 4 on a timely basis on two subsequent occasions during 2007. Otherwise, we believe that all Section 16 filings requirements were met during 2007. In making this statement, we have relied solely upon examination of the copies of Forms 3, 4 and 5 provided to us and the written representations of our former and current directors, officers and 10% shareholders.

 

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

At the annual meeting, our shareholders will be asked to elect ten directors for a one-year term expiring at the next annual meeting of shareholders. Each director will hold office until his or her successor has been elected and qualified or until the director’s earlier resignation or removal.

 

Our Board of Directors recommends that the persons named below be elected as directors of our company and it is intended that the accompanying proxy will be voted for their election as directors, unless the proxy contains contrary instructions. Shares of common stock represented by all proxies received by the Board of Directors and not so marked as to withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee or for all nominees will be voted (unless one or more nominees are unable to serve) for the election of the nominees named below. The Board of Directors knows of no reason why any such nominee should be unable or unwilling to serve, but if such should be the case, proxies will be voted for the election of some other person or the size of the Board of Directors will be fixed at a lower number.

 

Each of the nominees currently serves as a member of our Board of Directors. The directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the shareholders present or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

 

Nominees for Election to the Board of Directors

 

The names of the nominees for election to the Board of Directors and certain information about such nominees are set forth below. For information concerning the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by each nominee, see “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” above.

 

 

Eli Hurvitz.  Mr. Hurvitz serves as Chairman of our Board of Directors and has served as a director of Protalix Ltd., our wholly-owned subsidiary since 2005 and as our director since December 31, 2006. Mr. Hurvitz has served as chairman of the board of directors of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. since April 2002. Previously, he served as Teva’s president and chief executive officer for over 25 years and has been employed at Teva in various capacities for over 40 years. He serves as chairman of the board of directors of The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), chairman of the board of directors of NeuroSurvival Technologies Ltd. (a private company) and a director of Vishay Intertechnology. He served as chairman of the Israel Export Institute from 1974 through 1977 and as the president of the Israel Manufacturers Association from 1981 through 1986. He served as chairman of the board of directors of Bank Leumi Ltd. from 1986 through 1987. He was a director of Koor Industries Ltd. from 1997 through 2004 and a member of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University from 2002 through 2005. He received a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1957.

David Aviezer, Ph.D., MBA.  Dr. Aviezer has served as Chief Executive Officer of Protalix Ltd. since 2002 and its director since 2005, and as our director since December 31, 2006. On December 31, 2006, he became our President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Aviezer has over a decade of experience in biotechnology management, advancing products from early-stage research up to their regulatory approval and commercialization. Prior to joining Protalix Ltd., from 1996 to 2002, he served as general manager of ProChon Biotech Ltd., an Israeli company focused on orthopedic disorders. Previously, Dr. Aviezer was a visiting scientist at the Medical Research Division of American Cyanamid, a subsidiary of Wyeth (NYSE:WEY), in New York. Since 1996, Dr. Aviezer has served as an adjunct lecturer at Bar Ilan University. Dr. Aviezer is the recipient of the Clore Foundation Award and the J.F. Kennedy Scientific Award. He received a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science and an M.B.A. from the Bar Ilan University Business School.

 

Yoseph Shaaltiel, Ph.D.  Dr. Shaaltiel founded Protalix Ltd. in 1993 and has served as a member of our Board of Directors and as our Vice President, Research and Development since December 31, 2006. Prior to establishing Protalix Ltd., from 1988 to 1993, Dr. Shaaltiel was a research associate at the MIGAL Technological Center. He also served as deputy head of the Biology Department of the Biological and Chemical Center of the Israeli Defense Forces and as a Biochemist at Makor Chemicals Ltd. Dr. Shaaltiel was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Berkeley and at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He has co-authored over 40 articles and abstracts on plant biochemistry and holds seven patents. Dr. Shaaltiel received a Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science, an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the Hebrew University and a B.Sc. in Biology from the Ben Gurion University.

 

Alfred Akirov.  Mr. Akirov has served as our director since January 2008. Mr. Akirov is the founder, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of the Alrov Group (TASE: ALRO), an Israeli publicly-traded company that is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Mr. Akirov founded the Alrov Group in 1978 and it is currently one of Israel’s largest real-estate companies. The Alrov Group holds 80% of the capital stock of Techno-Rov Holdings (1993) Ltd., one of our shareholders. Mr. Akirov serves in different capacities, including chairman, chief executive officer and director, for a number of private companies in the Alrov Group and Techno-Rov portfolios. Mr. Akirov serves on the Executive Council and the Board of Governors of the Tel Aviv University.

 

Amos Bar-Shalev.  Mr. Bar-Shalev has served as our director and as a director of Protalix Ltd. since July 14, 2008. Previously, Mr. Bar-Shalev served as a director of Protalix Ltd. from 2005, and of our company from December 31, 2006, until our 2007 annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Bar Shalev brings to us extensive experience in managing technology companies. Currently, Mr. Bar Shalev is the president of 1andOne Technology, and manages the Technorov portfolio. Until recently he was the managing director of TDA Israel, a management company of the TGF (Templeton Tadiran) Fund. Mr. Bar-Shalev was vice president of Eurofund and a senior analyst at Teuza. He has served on the board of directors of many companies, such as Schema, ScitexVision, MessageVine, Objet, Idanit and ART. Mr. Bar Shalev holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Israel and an M.B.A. from the Tel Aviv University. He holds the highest award from the Israeli Air Force for technological achievements.

 

Zeev Bronfeld.  Mr. Bronfeld has served as a director of Protalix Ltd. since 1996 and as our director since December 31, 2006. Mr. Bronfeld brings to us vast experience in management and value building of biotechnology companies. Mr. Bronfeld is an experienced businessman who is involved in a number of biotechnology companies. He is a co-founder of Biocell Ltd., an Israeli publicly traded holding company specializing in biotechnology companies and has served as its chief executive officer since 1986. Mr. Bronfeld currently serves as a director of Biocell Ltd., Nasvax Ltd., D. Medical Industries Ltd., and Biomedix Incubator Ltd., all of which are public companies traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Mr. Bronfeld is also a director of each of the following privately-held companies: Meitav Technological Incubator Ltd., Innovetica Ltd., Ecocycle Israel Ltd., Contipi Ltd., Nilimedix Ltd., G-Sense Ltd. and L.N. Innovative Technologies. Mr. Bronfeld holds a B.A. in Economics from the Hebrew University.

Yodfat Harel Gross.  Ms. Harel Gross has served as our director since June 2007. Since 2006, Ms. Harel Gross has served as the business development director and the head of the Israel office of Tamares Capital Ltd., a private investment group with interests in real estate, technology, manufacturing, leisure and media. Prior to joining Tamares Capital, from 2004 to 2006, she was the corporate director, medical imaging, of Orbotech, Ltd., a company providing high-tech inspection and imaging solutions for bare printed circuit board (PCB), flat panel display (FPD) and PCB assembly manufacturing worldwide. Prior to that, from 1994 to 2003, she was a managing director of Harel-Hertz Investment House Ltd., a business investment company with offices in Tel Aviv and Tokyo. In 2002, Harel-Hertz Investment House became the Israeli representative office for ITX Corporation, a publicly-traded company in Japan. Ms. Harel Gross currently serves on the board of directors of Tamares Capital, Tamares Hotels, Tamares Real Estate, Storewiz and Halman-Aldubi Provident Funds, Ltd. Ms. Harel Gross holds a B.A. in Communication and Political Science from Bar Ilan University and an executive M.B.A. from Bradford University, Great Britain. She has also completed programs in Directors’ Studies and Advanced Advertising and Marketing at the Israel Management Center.

 

Roger D. Kornberg, Ph.D.  Professor Kornberg has served as our director since February 2008. Professor Kornberg is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Winzer Professor of Medicine in the Department of Structural Biology at Stanford University, Stanford, California. He has been a member of the faculty of Stanford University since 1972. Prior to that, Dr. Kornberg was a professor at Harvard Medical School. In 2006, Professor Kornberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in recognition for his studies of the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription, the process by which DNA is copied to RNA. Professor Kornberg is also the recipient of several awards, including the 2001 Welch Prize, the highest award granted in the field of chemistry in the United States, and the 2002 Leopold Mayer Prize, the highest award granted in the field of biomedical sciences from the French Academy of Sciences. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University in 1972. He holds honorary degrees from universities in Europe and Israel, including the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he currently is a visiting professor.

 

Eyal Sheratzky.  Mr. Sheratzky has served as a director of Protalix Ltd. since 2005 and as our director since December 31, 2006. Mr. Sheratzky has served as a director of Ituran Location & Control, a publicly-traded company quoted on the Nasdaq, since 1995 and as a co-chief executive officer since 2003. Prior to such date, he served as an alternate chief executive officer of Ituran from 2002 through 2003 and as vice president of business development from 1999 through 2002. Mr. Sheratzky serves as a director of Moked Ituran Ltd. and of Ituran’s subsidiaries. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Sheratzky served as the chairman of the board of directors of Biocell. From 1994 to 1999 he served as the chief executive officer of Moked Services, Information and Investments Ltd. and as legal advisor to several of Ituran’s affiliated companies. Mr. Sheratzky holds LL.B and LL.M degrees from Tel Aviv University School of Law and an Executive M.B.A. degree from Kellogg University.

 

Sharon Toussia-Cohen.  Mr. Toussia-Cohen has served as a director of Protalix Ltd. since 2004 and as our director since December 31, 2006. Mr. Toussia-Cohen is the president, chief executive officer and a director of Marathon Investments, an Israeli publicly-traded company since 2004. During the period from 1996 to 2002, he served as the chief executive officer of the Aleppo Group and also as managing director of Israel’s Airport City Project. From the years 2002 through 2004, Mr. Toussia-Cohen was a partner and managing director of the Tiv Taam Group and from the years 2004 through 2006 he was the chief executive officer and a director of ISRI Investments Ltd. Mr. Toussia-Cohen currently serves on the board of directors of Bioview, an Israeli company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and several privately-held companies including Nanomotion, Margan Business Development Ltd., Pegasus, Chromat Ltd., and Yeulit. Mr. Toussia-Cohen is certified in Bank Management by the First International Bank of Israel and the Republic National Bank of New York. He was also the co-owner and director of a strategic consulting firm in Israel. Mr. Toussia-Cohen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science and an M.B.A. from the Hebrew University.

Independent Directors

 

We believe a majority of the members of our Board of Directors are independent from management. When making determinations from time to time regarding independence, the Board of Directors will reference the listing standards adopted by the American Stock Exchange as well as the independence standards set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under that Act. In particular, our Audit Committee periodically evaluates and reports to the Board of Directors on the independence of each member of the Board of Directors. We anticipate that the Audit Committee will analyze whether a director is independent by evaluating, among other factors, the following:

 

 

The above list is not exhaustive and we anticipate that the Audit Committee will consider all other factors which could assist it in its determination that a director will have no material relationship with us that could compromise that director’s independence.

 

Under these standards, our Board of Directors has determined that Messrs. Sheratzky, Bar Shalev and Toussia-Cohen and Ms. Harel Gross are considered “independent” pursuant to the rules of the

American Stock Exchange and Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, our Board has determined that these members of the Board of Directors are able to read and understand fundamental financial statements and have substantial business experience that results in their financial sophistication, qualifying them for membership on our Audit Committee. Our Board of Directors has also determined that Messrs. Akirov, Bronfeld, Bar Shalev, Sheratzky and Toussia-Cohen, Ms. Harel Gross and Dr. Kornberg are “independent” pursuant to the rules of the American Stock Exchange.

 

Our non-management directors hold formal meetings, separate from management, at least twice per year. We have no formal policy regarding attendance by our directors at annual meetings of shareholders, although we encourage such attendance and anticipate most of our directors will attend these meetings. Mr. Hurvitz, Dr. Aviezer, Dr. Shaaltiel, Ms. Harel Gross and Mr. Bar-Shalev attended our 2007 annual meeting of shareholders.

 

Board and Committee Meetings

 

Our Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating Committee. The following indicates the members of each committee and provides a description of the committees’ primary functions:

 

Audit Committee

 

We require that all Audit Committee members possess the required level of financial literacy and at least one member of the Audit Committee meet the current standard of requisite financial management expertise as required by the American Stock Exchange and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Messrs. Bar Shalev and Toussia-Cohen and Ms. Harel Gross have been appointed by the Board of Directors to serve on the Audit Committee until their respective successors have been duly elected. Mr. Sheratzky served as a member of the Audit Committee for part of 2008.

 

Our Audit Committee operates under a formal charter that governs its duties and conduct. A current copy of the Audit Committee Charter is available on our website at http://www.protalix.com.

 

All members of the Audit Committee are independent from our executive officers and management.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm reports directly to the Audit Committee.

 

Our Audit Committee meets with management and representatives of our registered public accounting firm prior to the filing of officers’ certifications with the Securities and Exchange Commission to receive information concerning, among other things, effectiveness of the design or operation of our internal controls over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

Our Audit Committee has adopted a Policy for Reporting Questionable Accounting and Auditing Practices and Policy Prohibiting Retaliation against Reporting Employees to enable confidential and anonymous reporting of improper activities to the Audit Committee.

 

Messrs. Bar Shalev and Toussia-Cohen qualify as “audit committee financial experts” under the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In making the determination as to these individuals’ status as audit committee financial experts, our Board of Directors determined they have accounting and related financial management expertise within the meaning of the aforementioned rules, as well as the listing standards of the American Stock Exchange.

 

Compensation Committee

 

The Compensation Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Bar Shalev and Sheratzky and Ms. Harel Gross. Messrs. Bronfeld and Toussia-Cohen served as members of the Compensation Committee for part of 2008. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves the compensation of executive officers and key employees and administers our stock incentive plan. A current copy of the Compensation Committee Charter is available on our website at http://www.protalix.com.

Nominating Committee

 

The Nominating Committee, currently comprised of Messrs. Bar Shalev, Sheratzky and Toussia-Cohen, is responsible for assisting our Board of Directors in selecting nominees for election to the Board of Directors and monitoring the composition of the Board of Directors. Mr. Bronfeld served as a member of the Nominating Committee for part of 2008. A current copy of the Nominating Committee Charter is available on our website at http://www.protalix.com. In considering potential new directors, the Nominating Committee will review individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds, and consider the following qualifications: broad experience in business, finance or administration; familiarity with national business matters; familiarity with our industry; independence; and prominence and reputation. After making such a review, the Nominating Committee submits the nomination to the full Board of Directors for approval.

 

The Nominating Committee will consider any nominees submitted by shareholders of record at the time of any such nomination in compliance with applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and our Amended and Restated By-Laws, or the By-Laws. The Nominating Committee will determine whether any shareholder nominee meets the qualifications for candidacy described above and in the Nominating Committee Charter. Shareholders’ nominations for election at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be submitted in writing to Yossi Maimon, Corporate Secretary, not less than 45 days nor more than 75 days prior to the date on which we first mailed this proxy statement. Such written notice must include the following information: (i) name, age, business address and residence address of the nominee, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the nominee, (iii) the class and number of shares of our company beneficially owned by the nominee and (iv) any other information relating to the nominee that would be required to be disclosed in solicitations for proxies for elections of directors pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act. The written notice must also include the following information with respect to each shareholder delivering such notice: (i) the name and record address of such shareholder and (ii) the class and number of shares of our company beneficially owned by the shareholder. Lastly, the written notice must include certain information relating to any derivative or hedging transactions by the shareholder delivering such notice and its Shareholder Associated Persons, as defined in our By-Laws, and other arrangements with other parties regarding our securities, as presented in detail in our By-Laws. Shareholders can mail any such recommendations, including the criteria outlined above, to Yossi Maimon, Corporate Secretary, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, POB 455, Carmiel, Israel 20100.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, there were seven meetings of the Board of Directors of Protalix Ltd., six meetings of the Audit Committee of Protalix Ltd. and one meeting of the Compensation Committee of Protalix Ltd. Our non-management directors hold meetings separate from management at least twice per year. All directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board of Directors and the committees of the Board of Directors on which they served.

 

Under the rules of the American Stock Exchange, a director of our company will only qualify as an “independent director” if, among other things, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, that person does not have a material relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board of Directors has determined that none of the directors has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is an “independent director” as defined under rules of the American Stock Exchange. In addition, the Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Audit Committee meet the independence requirements set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

Contacting the Board of Directors

 

Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board of Directors may do so by mailing any such communications to Yossi Maimon, Corporate Secretary, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street,

Science Park, POB 455, Carmiel, Israel 20100. All communications are distributed to the Board of Directors, as appropriate, depending upon the facts and circumstances outlined in the communications received. For example, if any complaints regarding accounting and/or auditing matters are received, they may be forwarded by our Corporate Secretary to the Audit Committee for review.

 

Policy Governing Director Attendance at Annual Meetings of Shareholders

 

We have no formal policy regarding attendance by our directors at annual shareholders meetings, although we encourage such attendance and anticipate most of our directors will attend these meetings. Mr. Hurvitz, Dr. Aviezer, Dr. Shaaltiel, Ms. Harel Gross and Mr. Bar-Shalev attended our 2007 annual meeting of shareholders.

 

Compensation of Directors

 

The following table sets forth information with respect to compensation of our directors during fiscal year 2007. The fees to our current directors were paid by Protalix Ltd. Prior to our merger with Protalix Ltd., Protalix Ltd. compensated only certain of its directors, which compensation was limited to the granting of options under its employee stock option plan. The “former directors” were our directors who resigned during fiscal year 2007.

 

 

 

 

Our Board of Directors will review director compensation annually and adjust it according to then current market conditions and corporate governance guidelines.

 

On August 14, 2007, our Board of Directors resolved to pay a director’s fee equal to $33,000 per year to all non-executive directors. The director’s fee is payable commencing upon calendar year 2008. Except as set forth above, no fees were paid to directors for fiscal year 2007.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

Our Compensation Committee currently consists of Messrs. Bar Shalev and Sherazky and Ms. Harel Gross, who were appointed to the Committee on various dates during 2008. In addition, for certain periods during 2007 and 2008, Messrs Bronfeld and Toussia-Cohen and former directors Pinhas Barel Buchris and Jane H. Hsiao, served on our Compensation Committee. No member of our Compensation Committee or any executive officer of our company or of Protalix Ltd. has a relationship that would constitute an interlocking relationship with executive officers or directors of another entity. No Compensation Committee member is or was an officer or employee of ours or of Protalix Ltd. Further, none of our executive officers serves on the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as a member of our Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Our executive officers, their ages and positions as of September 30, 2008, are as follows:

 

 

Biographical information follows for the executive officers named in the above chart who do not also serve as our directors.

 

Einat Brill Almon, Ph.D.  Dr. Almon joined Protalix Ltd. in December 2004 as its Vice President, Product Development and became our Vice President, Product Development on December 31, 2006. Dr. Almon has many years of experience in the management of life science projects and companies, including biotechnology and agrobiotech, with direct experience in clinical, device and scientific software development, as well as a strong background and work experience in Intellectual Property. Prior to joining Protalix, from 2001 to 2004, she served as a director of R&D and IP of Biogenics Ltd., a company that developed an autologous platform for tissue based protein drug delivery. Biogenics, based in Israel, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medgenics Inc. Dr. Almon has trained as a biotechnology patent agent at leading IP firms in Israel. Dr. Almon holds a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in molecular biology of cancer research from the Weizmann Institute of Science, a B.Sc. from the Hebrew University and has carried out Post-Doctoral research at the Hebrew University in the area of plant molecular biology.

 

Yossi Maimon, CPA.  Mr. Maimon joined Protalix Ltd. on October 15, 2006 as its Chief Financial Officer and became our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on December 31, 2006. Prior to joining Protalix Ltd., from 2002 to 2006, he served as the chief financial officer of Colbar LifeScience Ltd., a biomaterial company focusing on aesthetics, where he led all of the corporate finance activities, fund raisings, and legal aspects of Colbar including the sale of Colbar to Johnson and Johnson. Prior to that, from 2000 to 2002, he served as the chief financial officer of Way2Call Communications, Ltd., an Israeli start up company in the telecommunications field, where he led the fund raising efforts, accounting issues and business development activities. Prior to that, from 1998 to 2000, he served as the controller of PEC, a United States company publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, where he was responsible for reporting and compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission and led the process of delisting and merging PEC into Discount Investment Bank. Mr. Maimon has a B.A. in accounting from the City University of New York and an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University, and he is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States (New York State) and Israel.

 

Family Relationships

 

There are no family relationships among directors or executive officers of our company.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that includes provisions ranging from restrictions on gifts to conflicts of interest. All of our employees and directors are bound by this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Violations of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may be reported to the Audit Committee.

 

The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics includes provisions applicable to all of our employees, including senior financial officers and members of our Board of Directors and is posted on our website (http://www.protalix.com). We intend to post amendments to or waivers from any such Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

 

The primary goals of the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors with respect to executive compensation are to attract and retain the most talented and dedicated executives possible, to tie annual and long-term cash and stock incentives to achievement of specified performance objectives, and to align executives’ incentives with shareholder value creation. To achieve these goals, the Compensation Committee intends to implement and maintain compensation plans that tie a portion of executives’ overall compensation to key strategic goals such as developments in our clinical path, the establishment of key strategic collaborations, the build-up of our pipeline and the strengthening of our financial position. The Compensation Committee evaluates individual executive performance with a goal of setting compensation at levels the committee believes are comparable with executives in other companies of similar size and stage of development operating in the biotechnology industry while taking into account our relative performance and our own strategic goals.

 

Elements of Compensation

 

Executive compensation consists of following elements:

 

Base Salary.  Base salaries for our executives are established based on the scope of their responsibilities taking into account competitive market compensation paid by other companies for similar positions. Generally, we believe that executive base salaries should be targeted near the median of the range of salaries for executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities at comparable companies. Base salaries are reviewed annually, and adjusted from time to time to realign salaries with market levels after taking into account individual responsibilities, performance and experience. The review for 2007 took place in February 2008 and the base salaries are set forth above under “Employment Agreements and Change in Control Arrangements.”

 

In February 2008, our Board of Directors, acting upon the resolution of a majority of our independent directors, approved increases to the monthly salaries of our Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Research and Development, our Vice President, Product Development, and our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The amended monthly salaries are NIS 136,000 (approximately $37,559), NIS 60,500 (approximately $16,727), NIS 55,000 (approximately $15,206) and NIS 55,000 (approximately $15,206), respectively. Our intention was to provide general raises of between 10% and 15%.

 

Annual Bonus.  The Compensation Committee has the authority to award discretionary annual bonuses to our executive officers. It has not established a formal bonus plan. These awards are intended to compensate officers for achieving financial, clinical and operational goals and for achieving individual annual performance objectives. These objectives vary depending on the individual executive, but relate generally to strategic factors such as developments in our clinical path, the establishment of key strategic collaborations, the build-up of our pipeline and to financial factors such as raising capital.

 

For each year, the Compensation Committee will select, in its discretion, the executive officers of our company or our subsidiary who are eligible to receive bonuses. Any bonus granted by the Compensation Committee will generally be paid in the first quarter following completion of a given year. Similar to bonuses paid in the past, the actual amount of discretionary bonus will be determined following a review of each executive’s individual performance and contribution to our goals. The Compensation Committee has not fixed a minimum or maximum payout for any officer’s annual discretionary bonus, unless specified in an executive’s employment agreement.

 

Pursuant to each officer’s employment agreement, the executive officer is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus. The Compensation Committee determines the discretionary annual bonus paid to our executive officers, and the discretionary bonus awarded to certain officers in 2008 for performance in 2007. The actual amount of discretionary bonus is determined following a review of each executive’s individual performance and contribution to our strategic goals conducted during the first quarter of each fiscal year. The Compensation Committee has not fixed a minimum or a maximum amount for any officer’s annual discretionary bonus.

In February 2008, our Board of Directors, acting upon the resolution of a majority of our independent directors, awarded a total of approximately $438,000 to our Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Research and Development, our Vice President, Product Development, and our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for their performance during the year 2007. The amount of the bonuses were NIS 920,000 (approximately $256,131), $50,000, $50,000 and NIS 297,000 (approximately $82,061), respectively. The bonuses paid to our Chief Executive Officer and our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer were multiples of eight and six times their salary in 2007, respectively, in recognition of the time and effort expended by them from the end of 2006 through 2007 in connection with the merger, the American Stock Exchange Listing and our underwritten public offering. In addition, the bonuses to the officers were awarded in recognition of their ongoing efforts in achieving our milestones regarding clinical developments, financial developments and other factors.

 

Options.  Our 2006 Stock Option Plan authorizes us to grant options to purchase shares of common stock to our employees, directors and consultants. Our Compensation Committee is the administrator of the stock option plan. Stock option grants are generally made at the commencement of employment and following a significant change in job responsibilities or to meet other special retention or performance objectives. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves stock option awards to executive officers based upon a review of competitive compensation data, its assessment of individual performance, a review of each executive’s existing long-term incentives, and retention considerations. In 2007, we awarded stock options to one of the Named Executive Officers in the amount indicated under “Grants of Plan Based Awards”. This grant was made in May 2007 as the first grant to the Named Executive Officer upon commencement of his employment by our company. The exercise price of stock options granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan must be equal to at least 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant; however, in certain circumstances, grants may be made at a lower price to Israeli grantees who are residents of the State of Israel.

 

In February 2008, our Board of Directors, acting upon a resolution of a majority of our independent directors, granted stock options to our Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Research and Development, our Vice President, Product Development, and our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The number of shares of Common Stock underlying the option grants was 600,000; 263,728; 311,272; and 175,000, respectively. As was the case with respect to the annual bonuses, the grants of stock options to our Chief Executive Officer and our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer were in recognition of the time and effort expended by them from the end of 2006 through 2007 in connection with the merger, the American Stock Exchange Listing and our underwritten public offering. In addition, the grants of stock options to the other officers were awarded in recognition of their ongoing efforts in achieving our milestones regarding clinical developments, research and development, financial developments and other factors.

 

Severance and Change in Control Benefits.  Pursuant to the employments agreements entered into with each of our executive officers, the executive officer is entitled to be insured by Protalix Ltd. under a Manager’s Policy in lieu of severance. The intention of such Manager’s Policies is to provide the officers with severance protection of one month’s salary for each year of employment. In addition, the stock option agreements provide for the acceleration of the vesting periods of options in the event of a termination without cause following a change in control of our company. In February 2008, our Board of Directors, acting upon the resolution of a majority of our independent directors, agreed to amend the outstanding option agreements of the Named Executive Officers. The amendments provide that all of the outstanding options of each Named Executive Officer shall be subject to accelerated vesting immediately upon a change in control of our company.

 

Other Compensation.  Consistent with our compensation philosophy, we intend to continue to maintain our current benefits for our executive officers; however, the Compensation Committee in its discretion may revise, amend, or add to the officer’s executive benefits if it deems it advisable. As an additional benefit to all of our Named Executive Officers and for most of our employees, we contribute to certain funds amounts equaling a total of approximately 15% of their gross salaries for certain pension and other savings plans. In addition, in accordance with customary practice in Israel, our

executives’ agreements require us to contribute towards their vocational studies, and to provide annual recreational allowances, a company car and a company phone. We believe these benefits are currently equivalent with median competitive levels for comparable companies.

 

Executive Compensation.  We refer to the “Summary Compensation Table” set forth below for information regarding the compensation earned during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 by our Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Research and Development, our Vice President, Product Development, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and our Vice President of Operations. There are no other executive officers for 2007 whose total compensation exceeded $100,000 during that fiscal year other than those set forth below. We refer to our Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Research and Development, our Vice President, Product Development, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and our Vice President of Operations as our “Named Executive Officers.”

 

Compensation Committee Report

 

The above report of the Compensation Committee does not constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis set forth below with our management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee has recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our annual proxy statement on Schedule 14A.

 

Respectfully submitted on March 13, 2008, by the members of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

 

Yodfat Harel Gross
Sharon Toussia-Cohen
Zeev Bronfeld

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table sets forth a summary for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 respectively, of the cash and non-cash compensation awarded, paid or accrued by Protalix Ltd. to our Named Executive Officers. There were no restricted stock awards, long-term incentive plan payouts or other compensation paid during fiscal years 2007 and 2006 by Protalix Ltd. to the Named Executive Officers, except as set forth below. The Named Executive Officers are employees of our subsidiary, Protalix Ltd. As a result of the merger, all of the directors and officers at the time resigned and appointed our current directors and officers in their stead. All currency amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to the merger, Glenn L. Halpryn served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Alan J. Weisberg served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Messrs. Halpryn and Weisberg received no salary in 2006 and are not included in the above table. Mr. Weisberg is a shareholder of Weisberg Brause, which firm we paid $11,600 and $5,800 for accounting services during the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes the grant of awards made to Named Executive Officers during 2007 as of December 31, 2007.

 

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS

 

 

 

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

 

The following table sets forth information with respect to the Named Executive Officers concerning equity awards assumed by us as of December 31, 2007.

 

 

 

 

Option exercises during 2007 and vested stock awards for Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2007 were as follows:

 

OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED

 

 

 

 

Employment Agreements and Change-in-Control Arrangements

 

David Aviezer, Ph.D., MBA.  Dr. Aviezer originally served as Protalix Ltd.’s Chief Executive Officer on a consultancy basis pursuant to a Consulting Services Agreement between Protalix Ltd. and Agenda Biotechnology Ltd., a company wholly-owned by Dr. Aviezer. On September 11, 2006, Protalix Ltd. entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Aviezer pursuant to which he agreed to be employed as Protalix Ltd.’s President and Chief Executive Officer, which agreement supersedes the Consultancy Services Agreement. Dr. Aviezer currently serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Protalix Ltd. agreed to pay Dr. Aviezer a monthly base salary equal to NIS 80,000 (approximately $19,000) and an annual bonus at the Board’s discretion. The monthly salary is subject to cost of living adjustments from time to time and is currently NIS 136,000 (approximately $37,700). Dr. Aviezer is eligible to receive a substantial bonus in the event of certain public offerings or acquisition transactions,

which bonus shall be at the discretion of the Board, and certain specified bonuses in the event Protalix achieves certain specified milestones. In connection with the employment agreement, in addition to other options already held by Dr. Aviezer, Protalix Ltd. granted to Dr. Aviezer options to purchase 16,000 ordinary shares of Protalix Ltd. at an exercise price equal to $59.40 per share, which we assumed as options to purchase 977,297 shares of our common stock at $0.97 per share. Such options vest quarterly retroactively from June 1, 2006, over a four-year period. The employment agreement is terminable by either party on 90 days’ written notice for any reason and we may terminate the agreement for cause without notice. Dr. Aviezer is entitled to be insured by Protalix Ltd. under a Manager’s Policy in lieu of severance, company contributions towards vocational studies, annual recreational allowances, a company car and a company phone. Dr. Aviezer is entitled to 24 working days of vacation. All stock options that have not vested as of the date of termination shall be deemed to have expired.

 

Yoseph Shaaltiel, Ph.D.  Dr. Shaaltiel founded Protalix Ltd. in 1993 and currently serves as our Executive Vice President, Research and Development. Dr. Shaaltiel entered into an employment agreement with Protalix Ltd. on September 1, 2001. Pursuant to the employment agreement, Protalix Ltd. agreed to pay Dr. Shaaltiel a monthly base salary equal to $7,000, subject to annual cost of living adjustments. His current salary is $10,600 (approximately $16,800) per month. The employment agreement is terminable by Protalix Ltd. on 90 days’ written notice for any reason and we may terminate the agreement for cause without notice. Dr. Shaaltiel is entitled to be insured by Protalix Ltd. under a Manager’s Policy in lieu of severance, company contributions towards vocational studies, annual recreational allowances, a company car and a company phone. Dr. Shaaltiel is entitled to 24 working days of vacation.

 

Einat Brill Almon, Ph.D.  Dr. Brill Almon joined Protalix Ltd. on December 19, 2004 as its Vice President, Product Development, pursuant to an employment agreement effective on December 19, 2004 by and between Protalix Ltd. and Dr. Brill Almon, and currently serves as our Vice President, Product Development. Pursuant to the employment agreement, Protalix Ltd. agreed to pay Dr. Brill Almon a monthly base salary equal to NIS 28,000 (approximately $6,575), subject to cost of living adjustments from time to time. Her current salary is NIS 55,000 per month (approximately $15,300). She is also entitled to certain specified bonuses in the event that Protalix achieves certain specified clinical development milestones within specified timelines. In connection with the employment agreement, Protalix Ltd. agreed to grant to Dr. Brill Almon options to purchase 7,919 ordinary shares of Protalix Ltd. at exercise prices equal to $24.36 and $59.40 per share, which we assumed as options to purchase 483,701 shares of our common stock at $0.40 and $0.97 per share. The options vest over four years. The employment agreement is terminable by either party on 60 days’ written notice for any reason and we may terminate the agreement for cause without notice. Dr. Brill Almon is entitled to be insured by Protalix Ltd. under a Manager’s Policy in lieu of severance, company contributions towards vocational studies, annual recreational allowances, a company car and a company phone at up to NIS 1,000 per month. Dr. Brill Almon is entitled to 22 working days of vacation. All stock options that have not vested as of the date of termination shall be deemed to have expired.

 

Yossi Maimon, CPA.  Mr. Maimon joined Protalix Ltd. as its Chief Financial Officer pursuant to an employment agreement effective as of October 15, 2006 by and between Protalix Ltd. and Mr. Maimon and currently serves as our Chief Financial Officer. Pursuant to the employment agreement, Protalix Ltd. agreed to pay Mr. Maimon a monthly base salary equal to NIS 45,000 (approximately $10,600) and an annual discretionary bonus and additional discretionary bonuses in the event Protalix Ltd. achieves significant financial milestones, subject to the Board’s sole discretion. The monthly salary is subject to cost of living adjustments from time to time. His current salary is NIS 55,000 (approximately $15,300) per month. In connection with the employment agreement, Protalix agreed to grant to Mr. Maimon options to purchase 10,150 ordinary shares of Protalix Ltd. at an exercise price equal to $59.40 per share, which we assumed as options to purchase 619,972 shares of our common stock at $0.97 per share. The first 25% of such options shall vest on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remainder shall vest quarterly in 12 equal increments. The employment agreement is terminable by

either party on 60 days’ written notice for any reason and we may terminate the agreement for cause without notice. Mr. Maimon is entitled to be insured by Protalix Ltd. under a Manager’s Policy in lieu of severance, company contributions towards vocational studies, annual recreational allowances, a company car and a company phone. Mr. Maimon is entitled to 24 working days of vacation. All stock options that have not vested as of the date of termination shall be deemed to have expired.

 

We do not provide any change in control benefits to our executive officers except that their stock option agreements provide for the acceleration of the vesting periods of options in the event of a termination without cause following a change in control of our company. In February 2008, our Board of Directors, acting upon the resolution of a majority of our independent directors, agreed to amend the outstanding option agreements of the Named Executive Officers. The amendments provide that all of the outstanding options of each Named Executive Officer shall be subject to accelerated vesting immediately upon a change in control of our company.

 

2006 Stock Incentive Plan

 

Our Board of Directors and a majority of our shareholders approved our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan on December 14, 2006 and cancelled our 1998 stock option plan (no options were outstanding under the 1998 plan at that time). We have reserved 9,741,655 shares of our common stock for issuance, in the aggregate, under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, subject to adjustment for a stock split or any future stock dividend or other similar change in our common stock or our capital structure. Immediately prior to the closing of the merger, Protalix Ltd. had outstanding options to purchase 88,001 ordinary shares under its employee stock option plan. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, we assumed all of the outstanding obligations under such plan and, accordingly, approximately 5,375,174 shares of our common stock under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan. As of March 15, 2007, options to acquire 4,366,481 shares of common stock remain available to be granted under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

Our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan provides for the grant of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and dividend equivalent rights, collectively referred to as “awards.” Stock options granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan may be either incentive stock options under the provisions of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code, or non-qualified stock options. Incentive stock options may be granted only to employees. Awards other than incentive stock options may be granted to employees, directors and consultants. The 2006 Stock Incentive Plan is also in compliance with the provisions of the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance New Version, 1961 (including as amended pursuant to Amendment 132 thereto) and is intended to enable us to grant awards to grantees who are Israeli residents as follows: (i) awards to employees pursuant to Section 102 of the Tax Ordinance (definition refers only to employees, office holders and directors of our company or a related entity excluding those who are considered “Controlling Shareholders” pursuant to the Tax Ordinance); and (ii) awards to non-employees pursuant to Section 3(I) of the Tax Ordinance. In accordance with the terms and conditions imposed by the Tax Ordinance, grantees who receive awards under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan may be afforded certain tax benefits in Israel as described below.

 

Our Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee, referred to as the “plan administrator,” will administer our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, including selecting the grantees, determining the number of shares to be subject to each award, determining the exercise or purchase price of each award, and determining the vesting and exercise periods of each award.

 

The exercise price of stock options granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan must be equal to at least 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant; however, in certain circumstances, grants may be made at a lower price to Israeli grantees who are residents of the State of Israel. If, however, incentive stock options are granted to an employee who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our stock or the stock of any parent or subsidiary of our company, the exercise price of any incentive stock option granted must equal at least 110% of the fair market value on the grant date and the maximum term of these incentive stock options must not exceed five years. The maximum term of all other awards must not exceed 10 years. The plan

administrator will determine the exercise or purchase price (if any) of all other awards granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

Under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, incentive stock options and options to Israeli grantees may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred or disposed of in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the participant only by the participant. Other awards shall be transferable by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and to the extent and in the manner authorized by the plan administrator by gift or pursuant to a domestic relations order to members of the participant’s immediate family. The 2006 Stock Incentive Plan permits the designation of beneficiaries by holders of awards, including incentive stock options.

 

In the event the service of a participant in the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan is terminated for any reason other than cause, disability or death, the participant may exercise awards that were vested as of the termination date for a period ending upon the earlier of 12 months or the expiration date of the awards unless otherwise determined by the plan administrator.

 

In the event of a corporate transaction or a change of control, all awards will terminate unless assumed by the successor corporation. Unless otherwise provided in a participant’s award agreement, in the event of a corporate transaction for the portion of each award that is assumed or replaced, then such award will automatically become fully vested and exercisable immediately upon termination of a participant’s service if the participant is terminated by the successor company or us without cause within 12 months after the corporate transaction. For the portion of each award that is not assumed or replaced, such portion of the award will automatically become fully vested and exercisable immediately prior to the effective date of the corporate transaction so long as the participant’s service has not been terminated prior to such date.

 

In the event of a change in control, except as otherwise provided in a participant’s award agreement, following a change in control (other than a change in control that also is a corporate transaction) and upon the termination of a participant’s service without cause within 12 months after a change in control, each award of such participant that is outstanding at such time will automatically become fully vested and exercisable immediately upon the participant’s termination.

 

Under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, a corporate transaction is generally defined as:

 

 

Under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, a change of control is defined as:

 

 

Unless terminated sooner, the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan will automatically terminate in 2016. Our Board of Directors has the authority to amend, suspend or terminate our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan. No amendment, suspension or termination of the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan shall adversely affect any rights under awards already granted to a participant. To the extent necessary to comply with applicable provisions of federal securities laws, state corporate and securities laws, the Internal Revenue Code, the rules of any applicable stock exchange or national market system, and the rules of any non-U.S. jurisdiction applicable to awards granted to residents therein (including the Tax Ordinance), we shall obtain shareholder approval of any such amendment to the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan in such a manner and to such a degree as required.

 

Impact of Israeli Tax Law

 

The awards granted to employees pursuant to Section 102 of the Tax Ordinance under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan may be designated by us as approved options under the capital gains alternative, or as approved options under the ordinary income tax alternative.

 

To qualify for these benefits, certain requirements must be met, including registration of the options in the name of a trustee. Each option, and any shares of common stock acquired upon the exercise of the option, must be held by the trustee for a period commencing on the date of grant and deposit into trust with the trustee and ending 24 months thereafter.

 

Under the terms of the capital gains alternative, we may not deduct expenses pertaining to the options for tax purposes.

 

Under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, we may also grant to employees options pursuant to Section 102(c) of the Tax Ordinance that are not required to be held in trust by a trustee. This alternative, while facilitating immediate exercise of vested options and sale of the underlying shares, will subject the optionee to the marginal income tax rate of up to 50% as well as payments to the National Insurance Institute and health tax on the date of the sale of the shares or options. Under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, we may also grant to non-employees options pursuant to Section 3(I) of the Tax Ordinance. Under that section, the income tax on the benefit arising to the optionee upon the exercise of options and the issuance of common stock is generally due at the time of exercise of the options.

 

These options shall be further subject to the terms of the tax ruling that has been obtained by Protalix Ltd. from the Israeli tax authorities in connection with the merger. Under the tax ruling, the options issued by us in connection with the assumption of Section 102 options previously issued by Protalix Ltd. under the capital gains alternative shall be issued to a trustee, shall be designated under the capital gains alternative and the issuance date of the original options shall be deemed the issuance date for the assumed options for the calculation of the respective holding period.

 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

 

On March 17, 2005, Protalix Ltd. entered into a Management Services Agreement with Pontifax Management Company, Ltd. in connection with the purchase of Protalix’s Series B Preferred Shares by the Pontifax Funds. Pursuant to the Management Services Agreement, Mr. Hurvitz serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Further, Protalix agreed not to designate a permanent chairman of the Board of Directors until Pontifax Management Company chose to nominate Mr. Hurvitz as the Chairman of the Board in 2006. In consideration for Mr. Hurvitz’s services, Protalix is required to pay Pontifax Management Company a fee equal to $3,000 per month plus required taxes on such payment. In addition, in connection with the execution of the Management Services Agreement, Protalix issued to Pontifax options to purchase a number of its Series B Preferred Shares equal to 3.5% of the then outstanding share capital with an exercise price equal to the par value of the shares. Lastly, upon the appointment of Mr. Hurvitz as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Protalix issued to Pontifax additional warrants for Series B Preferred Shares equal to 3.76% of the then outstanding share capital of Protalix. In connection with the merger, we assumed the Management Services Agreement and all options granted under the Management Services Agreement have been converted into options to purchase 3,384,502 shares of our common stock. Under the terms of the assumed Management Services Agreement, we are obligated only to use our best efforts to nominate Mr. Hurvitz for election to our Board of Directors, which remains subject to the review and approval of the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors and the entire Board of Directors, as applicable. For 2008, the fee payable under this agreement will be $33,000, which is the same fee payable to the other non-executive directors.

 

On September 14, 2006, Protalix Ltd. entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Teva for the development and manufacture of two proteins using ProCellEx. Mr. Hurvitz, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, is the Chairman of Teva’s Board of Directors, and Phillip Frost M.D., a former director and a major shareholder of our company, is the Vice Chairman of Teva’s Board of Directors. Pursuant to the agreement, we will collaborate on the research and development of two proteins using ProCellEx. Protalix Ltd. has granted to Teva an exclusive license to commercialize the products developed under the collaboration in return for royalty and milestone payments payable upon the achievement of certain pre-defined goals. Protalix Ltd. will retain certain exclusive manufacturing rights with respect to the active pharmaceutical ingredient of the proteins following the first commercial sale of a licensed product under the agreement and other rights thereafter.

 

All related party transactions are reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee, as required by the audit committee charter.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The information contained in this report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors operates under a written charter adopted by our Board of Directors, and currently consists of Amos Bar-Shalev, Yodfat Harel Gross and Sharon Toussia-Cohen. Mr. Sheratzky served as a member of the Audit Committee for part of 2008. All members of the committee fall under the safe harbor provision of the independence requirements contemplated by Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

As described more fully in its charter, the audit committee provides oversight of the quality and integrity of our consolidated financial statements, internal controls and financial reporting process, and our process to manage business and financial risks and compliance with legal, ethical and regulatory

requirements. In addition, the audit committee interacts directly with and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent auditors, Kesselman & Kesselman, and is responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the auditors.

 

Management is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the consolidated financial statements, and evaluation of and assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The independent auditors are responsible for performing an independent audit of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to monitor and oversee these processes.

 

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements with our Board of Directors and management. Management has represented to the audit committee that our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee discussed with Kesselman & Kesselman the matters required to be discussed by Statement of Auditing Standards No. 61, Communications with Audit Committees. In addition, the independent auditors provided the Audit Committee with the written disclosures and letter required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, Independence Discussions with Audit Committees, and the audit committee has discussed with Kesselman & Kesselman that firm’s independence from our company.

 

Based on the review and discussions of the audited consolidated financial statements and discussions with management and Kesselman & Kesselman, the Audit Committee recommended to Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Members of the Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.

Audit Committee

 

Amos Bar-Shalev

Yodfat Harel Gross

Sharon Toussia-Cohen

 

Our Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the election or re-election of all director nominees named in this “Proposal 1: Election of Directors.”

 

PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Our Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of its Audit Committee, has ratified the selection of Kesselman & Kesselman to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors is solely responsible for selecting our independent public accountants. Although shareholder approval is not required to appoint Kesselman & Kesselman as our independent public accountants, we believe that submitting the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman to our shareholders for ratification is a matter of good corporate governance. If our shareholders do not ratify the appointment, then the appointment will be reconsidered by the Audit Committee. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee may engage a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interest of our company and our shareholder. The proxy will be voted as specified, and if no specification is made, the proxy will be cast “FOR” this proposal.

 

During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, there were no disagreements with Kesselman & Kesselman on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which if not resolve to their satisfaction would have caused them to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with their opinion.

 

The audit report of Kesselman & Kesselman on our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor was it qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

 

The Audit Committee will consider whether the provision of any other services by Kesselman & Kesselman is compatible with maintaining the independence of Kesselman & Kesselman. The Audit Committee has concluded that Kesselman & Kesselman is independent.

 

Representatives of Kesselman & Kesselman will be present at the annual meeting and available to answer shareholders questions.

 

Our Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman for fiscal year ending December 31, 2008.

 

The following table sets forth fees billed to us by our independent registered public accounting firm during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 for: (i) services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements and the review of our quarterly financial statements; (ii) services by our independent registered public accounting firm that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and that are not reported as Audit Fees; (iii) services rendered in connection with tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning; and (iv) all other fees for services rendered.

 

 

Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors

 

Prior to entering into the engagement letter with our independent registered accountants, our Audit Committee approved the 2007 audit fees. For fiscal year 2008, our Audit Committee has approved fees for certain services to be rendered by the independent registered accountants.

 

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

 

All shareholder proposals intended to be presented at our 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be submitted in writing to Yossi Maimon, Corporate Secretary, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, P.O. Box 455, Carmiel, Israel 20100 and received by us no later than June 4, 2009, and must comply in all other respects with applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to such inclusion. Such notice must include, with respect to each matter the shareholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (ii) the name and record address of the shareholder proposing such business, (iii) the class and number of shares of our company which are beneficially owned by the shareholder and (iv) any material interest of the shareholder in such business. In addition, the notice must include certain information relating to any derivative or hedging transactions by the shareholder delivering such notice and its Shareholder Associated Persons, as defined in our By-Laws, and other arrangements with other parties regarding our securities, as presented in detail in our By-Laws.

 

Any such proposal submitted with respect to our 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders which is submitted outside the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act will be considered timely if we receive written notice of that proposal not less than 45 days nor more than 75 days prior to the date on which we first mailed this proxy statement; however, if the date of the annual meeting is changed by more than 30 days from the date of the prior year’s annual meeting, the notice will be considered untimely if it is not received at least 90 days prior to the newly announced date that the Company will mail its proxy statement.

 

ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS

 

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides additional information about us, will be distributed to all shareholders entitled to vote along with the proxy materials. Additional copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, are available on the Internet at http://www.sec.gov and http://www.protalix.com and are also available in paper form without charge upon written request to Investor Relations, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, P.O. Box 455, Carmiel, Israel 20100. The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, and information on the website other than the proxy statement, are not part of our proxy soliciting materials.

 

HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports with respect to two or more shareholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement addressed to those shareholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for shareholders and cost savings for companies.

 

This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are shareholders of our company will be “householding” our proxy materials. A single proxy statement may be delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected shareholders. Once a shareholder has received notice from its broker that it will be “householding” communications to such shareholder’s address, “householding” will continue until such shareholder is notified otherwise or until such shareholder notifies its broker or us that it no longer wishes to participate in “householding.” If, at any time, a shareholder no longer wishes to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement and annual report in the future such shareholder may (1) notify its broker or (2) direct its written request to: Yossi Maimon, Corporate Secretary, Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., 2 Snunit Street, Science Park, P.O. Box 455, Carmiel, Israel 20100, +972

(4) 988-9488, ext. 143. Shareholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy statement at their address and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their broker. In addition, we will promptly deliver, upon written or oral request to the address or telephone number above, a separate copy of the annual report and proxy statement to such shareholders at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents was delivered.

 

OTHER MATTERS

 

Our Board of Directors knows of no other business to be acted upon at the annual meeting. However, if any other business properly comes before the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, it is the intension of the persons named in the enclosed proxy to vote on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.

 

The prompt return of your proxy is appreciated and will be helpful in obtaining the necessary vote. Therefore, whether or not you expect to attend the annual meeting please sign the proxy and return it in the enclosed envelope or vote by internet or telephone.

 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

 

Yossi Maimon

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and
Corporate Secretary

 

Carmiel, Israel

October 2, 2008