As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 28, 2021

Registration Statement No. 333-       

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Jaguar Health, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

200 Pine Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, California 94104
(Address of principal executive office) (Zip Code)

New Employee Inducement Award Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Lisa A. Conte
Chief Executive Officer and President
Jaguar Health, Inc.
200 Pine Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, California 94104
(415) 371-8300
(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. o

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

(1)         Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement also includes an indeterminate number of additional shares that may become issuable under the plan set forth herein by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or other similar transactions as provided in the above-referenced plan.

(2)         Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h)  of the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on the basis of the actual option price for shares subject to outstanding stock options and $1.6625 per share, which is the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant’s common stock, as reported on the NASDAQ Capital Market, on May 26, 2021, for shares which may be issued but are not subject to outstanding stock options.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

This Registration Statement pertains to 500,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) of Jaguar Health, Inc. (f/k/a Jaguar Animal Health, Inc.), a Delaware corporation (the “Registrant”).  The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants in the New Employee Inducement Award Plan as specified by Securities Act Rule 428(b)(1). The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I are not required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as part of this Form S-8 Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).  Those documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.                                                         Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference

The following documents of Registrant filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (File No. 001-36714) are incorporated herein by reference:

(a)         Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021;

(b)         Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on May 17, 2021;

(c)          Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 8, 2021, January 14, 2021 (as amended on January 14, 2021), January 22, 2021, March 11, 2021, April 8, 2021, April 15, 2021, April 30, 2021, and May 14, 2021;

(d)         Registrant’s definitive proxy statement and definitive additional materials, on Schedule 14A, relating to our Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed on April 13, 2021 and May 17, 2021; and

(e)          The description of Registrant’s common stock contained in Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (Registration No. 001-36714) filed with the Commission on October 30, 2014 under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents subsequently filed by Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than portions of those documents furnished or otherwise not deemed to be filed), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.  In no event, however, will any information that Registrant discloses under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K that Registrant may from time to time furnish to the Commission be incorporated by reference into, or otherwise become a part of, this Registration Statement.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this Registration Statement or in any other contemporaneously or subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or amended, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

Not applicable.

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Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation’s board of directors to grant, and authorizes a court to award, indemnity to officers, directors, and other corporate agents.

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of its directors and officers for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors and officers.

In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant provide that:

·                  The Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers for serving the Registrant in those capacities or for serving other business enterprises at the Registrant’s request, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law provides that a corporation may indemnify such person if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.

·                  The Registrant may, in its discretion, indemnify employees and agents in those circumstances where indemnification is permitted by applicable law.

·                  The Registrant is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and officers in connection with defending a proceeding, except that such director or officer shall undertake to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification.

·                  The Registrant is not obligated pursuant to its amended and restated bylaws to indemnify a person with respect to proceedings initiated by that person, except with respect to proceedings authorized by the Registrant’s board of directors.

·                  The rights conferred in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws are not exclusive, and the Registrant is authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with its directors, officers, employees, and agents and to obtain insurance to indemnify such persons.

·                  The Registrant may not retroactively amend the bylaw provisions to reduce its indemnification obligations to directors, officers, employees, and agents.

The Registrant has entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of its directors and officers that provide the maximum indemnity allowed to directors and executive officers by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and also to provide for certain additional procedural protections. The Registrant also maintains directors and officers insurance to insure such persons against certain liabilities.

These indemnification provisions and the indemnification agreements entered into between the Registrant and its directors and officers may be sufficiently broad to permit the indemnification of the Registrant’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

Item 7.   Exemption From Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8.   Exhibits.

See Exhibit Index immediately following the Signature Pages.

Item 9.   Undertakings.

(a)         Rule 415 offering.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)         To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration

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statement:

(i)      To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”);

(ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii)    To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement;

(2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

(3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b)  Filings incorporating subsequent 1934 Act Documents by Reference.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)  Filing of Registration Statement on Form S-8.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, State of California, on this 28th day of May, 2021.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitute and appoint Lisa A. Conte and Carol Lizak, and each one of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in their name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

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Exhibit 5.1

May 28, 2021

Jaguar Health, Inc.

200 Pine Street, Suite 400

San Francisco, California 94104

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Jaguar Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company on the date hereof of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) covering the offer and sale of up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Shares”), issuable pursuant to its New Employee Inducement Award Plan (the “Plan”).  This opinion is being furnished at the Company’s request in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or the prospectus forming a part thereof, other than as to the issue of the Shares.

In rendering the opinion hereinafter expressed, we have made such legal and factual examinations and inquiries, including an examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true reproductions of originals, of all such documents, records, agreements and other instruments, including the Registration Statement, the Plan, the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company, the Bylaws of the Company, and corporate minutes of the Company as we have deemed necessary and appropriate for the purpose of this opinion. We have assumed that there are no agreements or understandings between or among the Company and any participants in the Plan that would expand, modify or otherwise affect the terms of the Plan or the respective rights or obligations of any participants thereunder.  We have further assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents, certificates and records submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents, certificates and records of all documents, certificates and records submitted to us as copies, and the truthfulness of all statements of fact contained therein.

Based upon the foregoing, and having regard to legal considerations and other information that we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the participants, and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor in the circumstances contemplated by the Plan and assuming in each case that the individual issuances, grants or awards under the Plan are duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and duly issued, granted or awarded and exercised and paid for, for consideration at least equal to the par value thereof, in accordance with the requirements of law and the Plan (and the agreements and awards duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when and to the extent that the Shares are issued in accordance with the foregoing, such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We express no opinion herein as to the laws of any state or jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the reference to this firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Reed Smith LLP

Reed Smith LLP

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Jaguar Health, Inc.

San Francisco, California

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated May 28, 2021, of our report dated March 31, 2021, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Jaguar Health, Inc. as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in convertible preferred stock and stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020.

/s/ Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

San Diego, California

May 28, 2021