PROTON CAPITAL CORP. (“
Proton”)
(
PTN.P-TSX-V), further to its news releases dated
April 20, 2023 and July 26, 2023 in relation to the signing of a
Letter of Intent dated April 20, 2023 with PharmaChoice Canada
Inc., and the potential qualifying transaction of Proton
(“
Qualifying Transaction”), Proton is pleased to
report that the definitive agreements in relation to a strategic
alliance (“
Strategic Alliance Agreement”) with
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. have been executed. In addition, the
Strategic Alliance Agreement includes, but is not limited to, the
following schedules which have been executed but are being held in
escrow until the completion of the Qualifying Transaction: a
license agreement (“
License Agreement”), a
right-of-first-refusal agreement (“
ROFR”) and a
master membership agreement (“
Master Membership
Agreement”).
Under to the terms of the License Agreement,
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. has granted Proton the right to use the
names “PharmaChoice”, “PharmaChoix”, “Rx PharmaChoice”, “Advice for
Life” and “Rx Health Med”, together with other such names as
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. may operate in the future; under the terms
of the ROFR, Proton receives a right-of-first-refusal to acquire
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. bannered pharmacies under certain
conditions applicable to such ROFRs as pharmacies come to market in
the normal course of business; and under the terms of the Master
Membership Agreement, all pharmacies acquired by Proton shall be
required to: i) remain a PharmaChoice Canada Inc. banner pharmacy,
if such is the case at the time of acquisition; ii) if not a
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. bannered pharmacy at acquisition by
Proton, such acquired pharmacy must be transitioned to a
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. bannered name, and iii) all Proton
acquisitions must source their pharmaceutical supplies through
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. distribution agreements with its
suppliers.
Alan Simpson, CEO of Proton stated, “We are
excited about our strategic alliance with PharmaChoice Canada Inc.
and our entry into the pharmacy business upon completion of the
Qualifying Transaction. The strategic alliance gives all
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. members a viable exit strategy with a
number of attractive options when they choose to sell, while at the
same time, providing Proton with a stable and sustainable pipeline
of acquisitions for decades to come.”
Simpson continued, “The future of pharmacy is
compelling. We see demand for prescription medications as well as
health and wellness products continuing to grow, plus, the scope of
pharmacy services continuing to expand into health consultancy and
more prescribing authority being given to pharmacists.”
Grady Brown, CEO of PharmaChoice Canada Inc.
said, “The Board of PharmaChoice Canada Inc. and I are thrilled
about our strategic alliance with Proton, which is poised to fuel
the expansion of our banners nationwide. Moreover, we're delighted
that our members will now enjoy an additional option when the time
comes to consider the sale of their pharmacy. This strategic
alliance provides long term sustainability for PharmaChoice Canada
Inc. and its members and offers Proton a great pipeline of
acquisitions for the foreseeable future.
Conditions Under the Strategic Alliance
Agreement and Termination
The Strategic Alliance Agreement may be
terminated by either party if the Qualifying Transaction has not
been completed by October 21, 2025, and on certain other
circumstances as set forth in the Strategic Alliance Agreement. In
addition, the obligations of the parties to complete the
transactions contemplated by the Strategic Alliance Agreement are
subject to the following conditions, among others: (a) the
following mutual conditions: Proton shareholder approval of the
Qualifying Transaction, if required; TSX Venture Exchange
(“TSXV”) approval; and obtaining any and all other
consents or approvals of any governmental entity; and (b)
conditions for the benefit of each of the parties: that the
covenants in the Strategic Alliance Agreement of the other party
have been performed; that the representations and warranties of the
other party are true and correct; and that no material adverse
change in respect of the other party shall have occurred.
Potential QT Acquisition and Potential
Financing
Proton continues to evaluate the acquisition of
a PharmaChoice Canada Inc. bannered pharmacy or pharmacies as part
of the Qualifying Transaction (“Potential QT
Acquisition”), and is considering an equity financing
(either brokered, non-brokered or both) in the context of the
market in connection with the Qualifying Transaction, to be
completed in conjunction with, or after, the Qualifying Transaction
(the “Potential Financing”). Proton advises that
it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent in relation to a
Potential QT Acquisition, but it has not yet entered into any
agreement, letter of intent, term sheet or other arrangement in
relation to a Potential Financing. Proton will provide a further
update in respect of a Potential QT Acquisition or a Potential
Financing if and when the material terms of any such Potential QT
Acquisition or Potential Financing are determined, or if Proton
enters into a binding definitive agreement, if any, in relation to
such Potential QT Acquisition or Potential Financing.
Potential Name Change
Concurrent with the closing of a Qualifying
Transaction, Proton will undergo a name change to PharmaCorp Rx
Inc.
Other Information and Halt
Completion of the Qualifying Transaction is
subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to,
TSXV acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements,
majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable,
the Qualifying Transaction cannot close until the required
shareholder approval is obtained.
There can be no assurance that the Qualifying
Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are
cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information
circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the
Qualifying Transaction, any information released or received with
respect to the Qualifying Transaction may not be accurate or
complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities
of a capital pool company should be considered highly
speculative.
The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of
the proposed Qualifying Transaction and has neither approved nor
disapproved the contents of this news release.
A copy of the Strategic Alliance Agreement will
be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. If and when definitive
agreements are executed in relation to the Potential QT Acquisition
or Potential Financing, Proton will issue a subsequent news release
in accordance with the policies of the TSXV including details of
the definitive agreements and additional terms and conditions of
the Qualifying Transaction, including information relating to the
acquisition of a pharmacy or pharmacies, summary financial
information and other information in respect of such acquisition,
proposed terms of any concurrent private placement, and the
proposed directors, officers, and insiders of the resulting issuer
upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction.
In accordance with the policies of the TSXV, the
common shares of Proton are currently halted from trading and will
remain halted until further notice.
About PharmaChoice Canada Inc.
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. is a corporation
operating as a shareholder owned buying group comprised of
approximately 1,050 independent pharmacies in Canada. Headquartered
in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Halifax, Nova Scotia, PharmaChoice
is the 8th largest pharmacy banner in North America by store count,
the 3rd largest in Canada, and the fastest growing pharmacy banner
in Canada over the last six years.
PharmaChoice licenses pharmacy brands to
independent pharmacy owners in Canada.
About Proton Capital Corp.
Proton was incorporated on September 1, 2021 by
certificate of incorporation issued pursuant to the provisions of
the Business Corporations Act (Alberta). Proton is classified as a
Capital Pool Company (“CPC”) as defined in Policy
2.4 of the TSXV. The principal business of Proton is to identify
and evaluate assets or businesses with a view to potentially
acquire them or an interest therein by completing a purchase
transaction, by exercising of an option or by any concomitant
transaction. The purpose of such an acquisition is to satisfy the
related conditions of a “qualifying transaction”
as defined under TSXV policies. Proton’s shares trade on the TSXV
under the trading symbol: PTN.P
For further information, contact:Mr. Alan
Simpson3603 Selinger CrescentRegina, Saskatchewan S4V 2H7 Tel:
(306) 536-3771
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information: This news release
contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of
applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other
than statements of historical fact, included herein are
forward-looking information. In particular, this news release
contains forward-looking information in relation to: the strategic
alliance, including, the execution and holding in escrow of the
License Agreement, the ROFR and the Master Membership Agreement,
the names and potential names under which PharmaChoice Canada Inc.
may operate in the future and the potential of the strategic
alliance to fuel the expansion of potential future PharmaChoice
Canada Inc. branded banners, the potential acquisition by Proton of
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. branded pharmacies and non-PharmaChoice
Canada Inc. branded pharmacies, the potential entry of Proton into
the pharmacy business upon completion of the Qualifying
Transaction, the potential benefits of the strategic alliance to
PharmaChoice Canada Inc. members and Proton, respectively,
including exit strategies for PharmaChoice Canada Inc. members, and
a pipeline of potential acquisitions for Proton and the potential
timeline for these benefits, the potential long term sustainability
of the strategic alliance on PharmaChoice Canada Inc., and the
potential termination of the strategic alliance pursuant to the
conditions contained in the Strategic Alliance Agreement; the
potential future of the pharmacy industry, including growth for
prescription medications, health and wellness products, and
prescribing authority being given to pharmacists, as well as the
expansion of the pharmacy industry into health consultancy; the
proposed Qualifying Transaction, including a Potential QT
Acquisition and a Potential Financing in relation to the proposed
Qualifying Transaction and the potential name change of Proton
concurrent with the closing of the proposed Qualifying Transaction;
the issuance of a further news release in respect of a Potential QT
Acquisition or a Potential Financing if and when the material terms
of any such Potential QT Acquisition or Potential Financing are
determined, or if Proton enters into a binding definitive
agreement, if any, in relation to such Potential QT Acquisition or
Potential Financing, and the inclusion of the material terms of a
Potential QT Acquisition or a Potential Financing and other
information in relation to the Qualifying Transaction in such news
release. This forward-looking information reflects Proton’s current
beliefs and is based on information currently available to Proton
and on assumptions Proton believes are reasonable. These
assumptions include, but are not limited to: the closing of the
proposed Qualifying Transaction; Proton negotiating and executing
an agreement with a PharmaChoice branded pharmacy or pharmacies
which will constitute part of the proposed Qualifying Transaction
of Proton; the completion of satisfactory due diligence by Proton
in relation to proposed Qualifying Transaction; the receipt of all
required approvals for the proposed Qualifying Transaction and
Potential Financing, including TSXV acceptance and any board or
shareholder approvals or third party consents; market acceptance of
the proposed Qualifying Transaction and Potential Financing; and
acceptable terms in relation to any Potential Financing.
Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
level of activity, performance or achievements of Proton to be
materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may
include, but are not limited to: general business, economic,
competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital
market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or
failure to receive board of directors, third party or regulatory
approvals; competition; changes in legislation, including
environmental legislation, affecting Proton; the timing and
availability of external financing on acceptable terms; conclusions
of economic evaluations and appraisals; lack of qualified, skilled
labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19
pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of
governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including
travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business
closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations,
shelters-in-place and social distancing, mandatory vaccination
policies, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing,
supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general
economic conditions including a possible national or global
recession. A description of additional risk factors that may cause
actual results to differ materially from forward-looking
information can be found in Proton’s disclosure documents on the
SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Proton has attempted
to identify important risks and factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause
results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers
are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.
Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the
plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will
occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release
is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The
forward-looking information contained in this news release
represents the expectations of Proton as of the date of this news
release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date.
However, Proton expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
expressly required by applicable securities law.
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