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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2003

Registration No. 333-



SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


ABIOMED, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  04-2743260
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

22 Cherry Hill Drive, Danvers, MA
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

01923
(Zip Code)

ABIOMED, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)


David M. Lederman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
ABIOMED, Inc.
22 Cherry Hill Drive
Danvers, MA 01923
(Name and Address of Agent For Service)

(978) 777-5410
(Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)


WITH A COPY TO:
Peter W. Coogan, Esq.
Foley Hoag
LLP
World Trade Center West
155 Seaport Boulevard
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(617) 832-1000


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of Securities to be Registered
  Amount to
be Registered

  Proposed Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price

  Amount of
Registration Fee


Common Stock, $0.01 par value   1,400,000(1)   $3.99(2)   $5,586,000   $513.91

(1)
Represents shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options or as stock awards granted under the ABIOMED, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan.

(2)
Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act, solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee and, based on the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on February 11, 2003, as reported by the Nasdaq National Market.





PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

        The document(s) containing the information concerning the ABIOMED, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") required by Item 1 of Part 1 of Form S-8 and the statement of availability of Registration Information, Plan Information and other information required by Item 2 of Part 1 of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). In accordance with Rule 428 and the requirements of Part 1 of Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The Registrant shall maintain a file of such documents in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428. Upon request, the registrant shall furnish to the Commission or its staff a copy or copies of all of the documents included in such file.


PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

        The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

        All documents, filed by the Registrant subsequent to the date hereof with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment hereto that 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 herein and made a part hereof from their respective dates of filing (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as "Incorporated Documents"); provided, however, that the documents enumerated above or subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act in each year during which the offering made hereby is in effect prior to the filing with the Commission of the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for such year shall not be Incorporated Documents or be incorporated by reference herein or be a part hereof from and after the filing of such Report.

        Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes hereof to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part hereof.

Item 4. Description of Securities

        Not Applicable.

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Item 5. Interest of Named Experts and Counsel

        Not Applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

        Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

        The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and anticipates that it will enter into similar agreements with future directors and officers. Generally, these agreements attempt to provide the maximum protection permitted by Delaware law with respect to indemnification. The indemnification agreements provide that the Registrant will pay certain amounts incurred by a director in connection with any civil or criminal action or proceeding, specifically including actions by or in the name of the Registrant (derivative suits) where the individual's involvement is by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer. For directors, such amounts include, to the maximum extent permitted by law, attorney's fees, judgments, civil or criminal fines, settlement amounts and other expenses customarily incurred in connection with legal proceedings. Under the indemnification agreements, a director will not receive indemnification if the director is found not to have acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. The Registrant has also entered into similar agreements with certain of the Registrant's officers and top management personnel who are not also directors. The indemnification agreements with officers are slightly more restrictive. Generally, the indemnification agreements attempt to provide the maximum protection permitted by Delaware law with respect to indemnification of directors and officers. The Registrant's by-laws provide similar indemnification for officers and directors.

        The effect of these provisions would be to permit such indemnification by the Registrant for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

        Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware Corporation Law gives a Delaware corporation the power to adopt a charter provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors to the corporation or its stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty as directors, provided that such provision may not

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eliminate or limit the liability of directors for (i) any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) any acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) any payment of a dividend or approval of a stock purchase that is illegal under Section 174 of the Delaware Corporation Law or (iv) any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Article 10 of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation eliminates the personal liability of directors of the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty to the full extent permitted by Delaware law.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed

        Not Applicable

Item 8. Exhibits

Exhibit No.

  Description

4.1

 

Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Amendment No. 1 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-36657).

4.2

 

Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.02 of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1996.

4.3

 

ABIOMED, Inc. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan.

5.1

 

Opinion of Foley Hoag LLP

23.1

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2

 

Consent of Foley Hoag LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (contained on signature page)

Item 9. Undertakings

        (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

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        (b)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's Annual Report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and each filing of the Plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange 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 the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

        (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, 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 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 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, the 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 Danvers, Massachusetts, on February 13, 2003.


 

 

ABIOMED, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/  
DAVID M. LEDERMAN      
David M. Lederman
Chairman of the Board,
Chief Executive Officer and President

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS that each individual whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints David M. Lederman and Charles B. Haaser, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, for him and in his 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 all 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 which they, or either of them, may deem necessary or advisable to be done in connection with this Registration Statement, 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 any substitute or substitutes for either or both of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
  Title
  Date

 

 

 

 

 
/s/  DAVID M. LEDERMAN      
David M. Lederman
  Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)   February 13, 2003

/s/  
CHARLES B. HAASER      
Charles B. Haaser

 

Corporate Controller (Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer)

 

February 13, 2003

/s/  
W. GERALD AUSTEN      
W. Gerald Austen

 

Director

 

February 13, 2003


Paul B. Fireman

 

Director

 

 

/s/  
JOHN F. O'BRIEN      
John F. O'Brien

 

Director

 

February 13, 2003

/s/  
DESMOND O'CONNELL      
Desmond O'Connell

 

Director

 

February 13, 2003

/s/  
HENRI A. TERMEER      
Henri A. Termeer

 

Director

 

February 13, 2003

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QuickLinks

PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
SIGNATURES
POWER OF ATTORNEY