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CODE OF ETHICS
It
is the policy of Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (together
with its wholly- and majority owned subsidiaries
and affiliates worldwide, the "Company")
that all directors, officers and employees of
the Company shall, to the best of their knowledge
and ability, adhere to, comply with and advocate
the principles set out in this code of ethics
(the "Code") governing their professional
and ethical conduct in the fulfillment of their
responsibilities.
The
purposes of the Code are to:
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Promote
honest and ethical conduct, including
the ethical handling of actual or apparent
conflicts of interest between personal
and professional relationships; |
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Promote
full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable
disclosure in reports and documents
that the Company files with, or submits
to the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission and in other public communications
made by the Company; |
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Promote
compliance with applicable governmental
laws, rules and regulations; |
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Promote
the prompt internal reporting of violations
of the Code to appropriate persons of
authority within the Company; and |
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Promote
accountability for adherence to the Code. |
The
Code embodies principles to which all directors,
officers and employees are expected to adhere
and advocate. Any violations of the Code may result
in disciplinary action, up to and including termination
or removal, as applicable.
All
directors, officers and employees of the Company
will:
| 1. |
Act
with honesty and integrity, avoiding
actual or apparent conflicts between
personal and the interests of the Company,
including refraining from receiving
improper personal benefits as a result
of holding a particular position with
the Company; |
| 2. |
Not
solicit or accept, for personal or other
benefit, business or similar opportunities
that could reasonably be expected to
otherwise accrue to the benefit of the
Company; |
| 3. |
Where
applicable, provide the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
and the public with complete, fair,
accurate, timely and understandable
disclosure in periodic reports and other
documents filed or submitted to the
Commission and in other public communications; |
| 4. |
Endeavor
to comply with applicable laws and regulations
of federal, state, local and foreign
governments and government agencies
having jurisdiction over the Company,
and with applicable regulations of private
or self-regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction over the Company; |
| 5. |
Act
in good faith, responsibly with due
care and diligence and without misrepresentation
or omission of material facts and strive
to maintain independent judgment in
the performance and fulfillment of their
duties and responsibilities; |
| 6. |
Promote
ethical behavior among subordinates
and peers at the Company; |
| 7. |
Use
corporate assets entrusted to them in
a responsible manner and refrain from
competing directly or indirectly with
the Company or using corporate information
or opportunities for personal gain; |
| 8. |
Respect
the confidentiality of information acquired
or obtained in the course of performance
of their responsibilities, never use
confidential information for personal
advantage, and disclose confidential
information of the Company or third
parties only when such disclosure is
legally required or is otherwise authorized. |
| 9. |
Not
fraudulently influence, coerce, manipulate,
mislead or fail to disclose relevant
information to any auditor engaged in
the performance of an audit for the
purpose of rendering the financial statements
materially misleading. |
| 10. |
Comply
with other policies and procedures of
the Company applicable to their positions
and employment, including the Company's
Insider Trading Policy and, to the extent
applicable, the other policies and procedures
of the Company set forth in the Company's
Employee Handbook. |
Only
the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board")
is authorized to permit a waiver of this Code
of Ethics. Any waiver of the Code for any director
or executive officer of the Company must be disclosed
on Form 8-K within five days, or such shorter
period as may be required under applicable regulation.
It
is the duty of each director, officer and employee
of the Company to report violations of the Code
promptly to the attention of the Company's Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or
to any member of the Audit Committee of the Board
(the "Audit Committee").
If
you have a concern about a questionable accounting
or auditing matter and wish to submit the concern
confidentially or anonymously, please follow the
steps outlined in the Company's Financial Information
Integrity Policy.
The
Company will handle all inquiries discretely and
make every effort to maintain, within the limits
allowed by law, the confidentiality of anyone
requesting guidance or reporting questionable
behavior or other matters of concern under the
Code.
The
Board shall promptly determine, or designate appropriate
persons (including, if so determined by the Board,
the Audit Committee) promptly to determine appropriate
actions to be taken in the event of violations
of the Code by any director, officer or employee.
In determining what actions are appropriate in
a particular case, the Board (or its designee)
shall act consistently and take into account relevant
information including the nature and severity
of the violation, whether the violation was a
single occurrence or a series of repeated occurrences,
whether the violation appears to have been intentional
or inadvertent, whether the individual in question
had been advised prior to the violation as to
the proper course of action, and whether or not
the director, officer or employee in question
had committed other violations in the past.
If
the Board or the Audit Committee believes that
standards for compliance with the Code are not
objective, or that the process for determining
violations is not fair or that the Code is not
conducive to prompt and consistent enforcement,
or that the protection for persons reporting questionable
behavior pursuant to the Code is inadequate (either
under the Code or under the Company's other policies),
the Board shall adopt, or the Audit Committee
shall recommend to the Board for adoption, appropriate
changes to the Code or other Company policies.
It
is the Company' s intention that the Code be the
Company's written code of ethics under Section
406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 complying
with the standards set forth in Securities and
Exchange Commission Regulation S-K Item 406.
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