Item 3. Legal Proceedings
ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings
On January 20, 2023, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a securities class action lawsuit against the Company and certain of its officers captioned Hadian v. Fate Therapeutics, Inc. et al. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (the Securities Action). On May 4, 2023, the court appointed a different purported stockholder of the Company to serve as lead plaintiff in the Securities Action. On July 24, 2023, the lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint. The amended complaint alleged that the Company violated the federal securities laws by making allegedly false and/or misleading statements and/or omissions in its public disclosures dating back to August 2020 relating to our collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (the Janssen Agreement), potential product candidates subject to the Janssen Agreement, and the termination of the Janssen Agreement. On September 22, 2023, we filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On September 19, 2024, the court granted our motion to dismiss the amended complaint, with leave for plaintiff to file a second amended complaint. On October 18, 2024, the lead plaintiff filed a second amended complaint alleging substantially similar facts and claims as in the prior amended complaint. We filed a motion to dismiss the second amended complaint on November 18, 2024, and briefing on the motion was completed on January 21, 2025. On September 22, 2025, the court granted our motion to dismiss the second amended complaint, with leave for plaintiff to file a third amended complaint. On October 17, 2025, the plaintiff filed a third amended complaint. We filed a motion to dismiss the third amended complaint on November 17, 2025. Plaintiff filed an opposition brief on December 18, 2025. On January 15, 2026, we filed our reply in support of our motion to dismiss. We intend to continue to vigorously defend against this action.
On June 2, 2023, a derivative complaint, captioned Guarino v. Wolchko, et al., was filed by a purported stockholder of the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (the Guarino Action). On June 12, 2024, an additional
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derivative complaint, captioned Horrobin v. Wolchko, et al., was filed by a purported stockholder of the Company in the same district (the Horrobin Action). On December 2, 2024, the court entered an order consolidating the Guarino Action and the Horrobin Action under the caption In re Fate Therapeutics, Inc. Derivative Litigation (the Derivative Action) and staying the Derivative Action pending the court’s decision on our motion to dismiss the second amended complaint in the Securities Action. On September 22, 2025, the stay of the consolidated case automatically expired when the decision dismissing the second amended complaint in the Securities Action was issued. On October 24, 2025, the court extended the stay pending the court’s decision on our anticipated motion to dismiss the third amended complaint. The court's ruling on the motion is pending. The Derivative Action names members of our board of directors and certain officers as defendants. The Company is also named as a nominal defendant. The plaintiffs in the Derivative Actions assert derivative claims arising out of substantially the same alleged facts and circumstances as the Securities Action. The Guarino complaint asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement, waste of corporate assets, and violation of federal securities laws. The Horrobin complaint asserts substantially similar claims in addition to a claim of breach of fiduciary duty for insider trading. We intend to vigorously defend against the Derivative Action.
On December 17, 2025, a derivative complaint, captioned West v. Wolchko, et al., was filed by a purported stockholder of the Company in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the West Action). The West Action names certain current and former members of our board of directors and certain current and former officers as defendants. The Company is also named as a nominal defendant. The plaintiff in the West Action asserts derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty and insider trading arising out of substantially the same alleged facts and circumstances as the Securities Action. On January 16, 2026, the court entered an order staying the West Action until the earliest of the following events: (i) the public announcement of any settlement in the Securities Action; (ii) a ruling on the motion to dismiss the second amended complaint in the Securities Action; or (iii) the dismissal of the Securities Action with prejudice and exhaustion of all related appeals. We intend to vigorously defend against the West Action.
From time to time, we may be subject to various other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business activities.
ITEM 4. Mine Saf ety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.