<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001140361-23-031939.txt : 20230628
<SEC-HEADER>0001140361-23-031939.hdr.sgml : 20230628
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20230628163010
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001140361-23-031939
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	DFAN14A
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20230628
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20230628

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Alkermes plc.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001520262
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS [2834]
		IRS NUMBER:				981007018
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		DFAN14A
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-35299
		FILM NUMBER:		231052601

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		CONNAUGHT HOUSE
		STREET 2:		1 BURLINGTON ROAD
		CITY:			DUBLIN 4
		STATE:			L2
		ZIP:			00000
		BUSINESS PHONE:		00-353-1-772-8000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		CONNAUGHT HOUSE
		STREET 2:		1 BURLINGTON ROAD
		CITY:			DUBLIN 4
		STATE:			L2
		ZIP:			00000

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	ANTLER SCIENCE TWO PLC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20110804

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	Antler Science Two Ltd
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20110509

FILED BY:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Sarissa Capital Management LP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001577524
		IRS NUMBER:				900924432
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		DFAN14A

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		660 STEAMBOAT ROAD
		CITY:			GREENWICH
		STATE:			CT
		ZIP:			06830
		BUSINESS PHONE:		203-302-2330

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		660 STEAMBOAT ROAD
		CITY:			GREENWICH
		STATE:			CT
		ZIP:			06830
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      <div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">UNITED STATES</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">&#160;SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">&#160;Washington, D.C. 20549</div>
      <div>&#160;</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold;">SCHEDULE 14A</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">&#160;</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Securities Exchange Act of 1934</div>
      <div>&#160;</div>
      <div>Filed by the Registrant&#8194;&#8201;&#8201;&#9744;</div>
      <div>&#160;</div>
      <div>Filed by a party other than the Registrant&#8194;&#8201;&#8201;&#9746;</div>
      <div>&#160;</div>
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              </td>
              <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: auto;">
                <div>Preliminary Proxy Statement</div>
              </td>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9744;</div>
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                <div>Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))</div>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9744;</div>
              </td>
              <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: auto;">
                <div>Definitive Proxy Statement</div>
              </td>
            </tr>

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      </div>
      <div>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9746;</div>
              </td>
              <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: auto;">
                <div>Definitive Additional Materials</div>
              </td>
            </tr>

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      </div>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9744;</div>
              </td>
              <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: auto;">
                <div>Soliciting Material under &#167; 240.14a-12</div>
              </td>
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      <div>&#160;</div>
      <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Alkermes plc</div>
      <div>
        <hr noshade="noshade" align="center" style="height: 2px; color: #000000; background-color: #000000; text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"></div>
      <div style="padding-top: 1pt;">
        <div style="text-align: center;">(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding-top: 1pt;">
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Management LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Offshore Master Fund LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Catapult Holdings Ltd</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Catapult Fund LLC</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Hawkeye Fund LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">ISP Fund LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Master Fund II LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Athena Fund Ltd</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Atom Master Fund LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Fund GP LP</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Fund GP LLC</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Offshore Fund GP LLC</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarissa Capital Management GP LLC</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Alexander J. Denner, Ph.D.</div>
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Patrice Bonfiglio</div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding-top: 1pt;">
        <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Sarah J. Schlesinger, M.D.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="text-align: center;">(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
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      <div>Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):</div>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9746;</div>
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                <div>No fee required</div>
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                <div>Fee paid previously with preliminary materials</div>
              </td>
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                <div style="text-align: left;">&#9744;</div>
              </td>
              <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: auto;">
                <div>Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11</div>
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      <div>&#160;<br>
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      <div style="color: #000000;">This filing contains a press release issued on June 28, 2023 by Sarissa Capital.</div>
      <div> <br>
      </div>
      <div>
        <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">SARISSA CAPITAL URGES ALKERMES SHAREHOLDERS TO VOTE &#8220;FOR&#8221; </div>
        <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">SARAH SCHLESINGER AND &#8220;WITHHOLD&#8221; INCUMBENT DIRECTOR RICHARD GAYNOR</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Independent proxy advisory firm ISS also recommends voting &#8220;FOR&#8221; Sarah Schlesinger and &#8220;WITHHOLD&#8221; Richard Gaynor</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Sarissa believes adding Sarah Schlesinger to the Alkermes board can unlock shareholder value and help Alkermes achieve its true potential</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Greenwich, CT, June 28, 2023 &#8211; Sarissa Capital Management LP (&#8220;Sarissa&#8221;) today released the following letter to shareholders of Alkermes plc (NASDAQ: ALKS):</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">June 28, 2023</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dear Fellow Alkermes Shareholders:</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For over 30 years and over $150 million in compensation, Chairman and CEO Richard Pops has presided over massive destruction of shareholder value at Alkermes, including managing to operate a $1
          billion revenue-generating company (nearly one third of which is cost-free royalty income) at a perpetual loss with limited oversight by the board and no accountability to shareholders.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Shareholder pressure, including from Sarissa, has only incrementally moved the company in the right direction the last few years. We believe true change will not occur without a strong
          shareholder presence on the board. Despite Alkermes&#8217; process to refresh the board (a process which we believe was run by Pops), it remains a board largely seemingly devoted to Pops, without shareholder perspectives, and with incumbent directors
          who have superfluous skill sets. If shareholders are not added to the board, we fear that Pops will continue to run the company as he pleases and never address its fundamental issues.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The board steadfastly refuses to add our nominees, including Sarah Schlesinger, who the Nom-Gov committee at Alkermes previously acknowledged would be a qualified board candidate and who ISS
          recommended that shareholders vote &#8220;FOR&#8221;. Sarah has extensive expertise in biopharmaceutical R&amp;D and experience serving on the boards of several biopharmaceutical companies, including ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and The Medicines Company, where she
          helped create meaningful shareholder value.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Shareholders face an important decision at the upcoming Alkermes annual shareholder meeting. We need to send a strong message to Chairman and CEO Pops that we will not accept a reversion to the
          status quo of prolonged underperformance.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We urge our fellow Alkermes shareholders to vote the BLUE universal proxy card &#8220;FOR&#8221; Sarah Schlesinger to provide much needed oversight and accountability at Alkermes and vote &#8220;WITHHOLD&#8221; on
          Richard Gaynor (a cancer specialist whose skills will be unnecessary after the spin of the cancer business in a few months).</div>
        <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <br>
        </div>
        <div>
          <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thank you for your continued support.</div>
          <div style="text-indent: 20pt; color: #000000; font-size: 12pt;"> <font style="font-size: 10pt;"><br>
            </font></div>
          <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sarissa Capital Management LP</div>
        </div>
        <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" class="BRPFPageBreakArea">
          <div class="BRPFPageNumberArea" style="text-align: center;"><font class="BRPFPageNumber" style="font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;">-1-</font></div>
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        </div>
        <br>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For additional information please visit our website at <u><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-transform: none;">upgradealkermes.com</font></u>.</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">#UpgradeAlkermes</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you have any questions regarding your BLUE universal proxy card or need assistance in executing your proxy card, please contact:</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">D.F.&#160; King &amp; Co., Inc.</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Shareholders call Toll-Free: (866) 207-3648</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">All Others Call: (212) 493-6952</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Email: <u><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-transform: none;">ALKS@dfking.com</font></u></div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Your vote at Alkermes' Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on June 29, 2023 is very important.&#160; <font style="font-weight: bold;">We urge all shareholders to vote &#8220;<u>FOR&#8221;</u> the election of the Sarissa
            Nominees, &#8220;<u>AGAINST</u>&#8221; the compensation of the Company&#8217;s named executive officers, and &#8220;<u>FOR&#8221;</u> all other proposals in our proxy statement.</font></div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You can vote in one of three easy ways: by internet at <u><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-transform: none;">www.cesvote.com</font></u>, by telephone at 1-888-693-8683 or by mail using the <font style="font-weight: bold;"><u>BLUE</u></font> universal proxy card and postage-paid
          envelope sent to you.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you vote by internet or telephone, you will be required to provide the unique control number printed on your <font style="font-weight: bold;"><u>BLUE</u></font> universal proxy card.</div>
        <div>&#160;</div>
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              <td style="width: 63pt; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Contact:</td>
              <td style="width: auto; vertical-align: top;">
                <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dayna Packes</div>
              </td>
            </tr>

        </table>
        <div style="text-indent: -9pt; margin-left: 72pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sarissa Capital Management LP</div>
        <div style="text-indent: -9pt; margin-left: 72pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-transform: none;"><u>info@sarissacap.com</u></div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
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          <div class="BRPFPageNumberArea" style="text-align: center;"><font class="BRPFPageNumber" style="font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;">-2-</font></div>
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        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Additional Information</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sarissa Capital Management LP (&#8220;Sarissa Capital&#8221;), together with other participants, filed a definitive proxy statement and an accompanying BLUE universal proxy card with the SEC on June 2, 2023, in connection with
          the solicitation of shareholders of the Company for the 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders (the &#8220;Annual Meeting&#8221;).&#160; Shareholders are advised to read the definitive proxy statement and other documents related to the Annual Meeting as they
          contain important information.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents are available at no charge on the SEC&#8217;s website at www.sec.gov.&#160; The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents filed by Sarissa Capital are
          also available at no charge at www.upgradealkermes.com or by directing a request to Sarissa Capital&#8217;s proxy solicitor, D.F.&#160; King &amp; Co., Inc., 48 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005 (Shareholders can call toll-free: (866) 207-3648).</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div style="text-align: center;"><font class="BRPFPageNumber" style="font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;">-3-</font></div>
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