UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 3)*


PIERIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Name of Issuer)

COMMON STOCK

(Title of Class of Securities)

720795103

(CUSIP Number)

OrbiMed Advisors LLC
OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC




601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone:  (212) 739-6400

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
to Receive Notices and Communications)

January 24, 2018

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)
 
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of § 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box ☐.
 
Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits.  See § 240.13d-7(b) for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.
 
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
 
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
 
 

 
 
CUSIP No. 720795103  
1
NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
 
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
 
 
(a) ☐
(b) o
3
SEC USE ONLY
 
 
4
SOURCE OF FUNDS
 
AF
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)
 
 
o
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 
Delaware
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY
EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
 
0
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
 
5,550,000*
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
 
0
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
 
5,550,000*
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 
5,550,000*
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (See Instructions)
 
 
o
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
 
12.39%*
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
 
IA
         
 
____________________
*  This percentage is calculated based upon 44,794,308 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), outstanding of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Issuer”), as set forth in the Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 13, 2017.
 
 

 
CUSIP No. 720795103  
1
NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
 
OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
 
 
(a) ☐
(b) o
3
SEC USE ONLY
 
 
4
SOURCE OF FUNDS
 
AF
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)
 
 
o
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 
Delaware
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY
EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
 
0
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
 
5,500,730*
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
 
0
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
 
5,500,730*
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 
5,500,730*
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (See Instructions)
 
 
o
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
 
12.28%*
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
 
OO
       
 
____________________
*  This percentage is calculated based upon 44,794,308 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), outstanding of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Issuer”), as set forth in the Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 13, 2017.

Item 1.
Security and Issuer
 
This Amendment No. 3 (“Amendment No. 3”) to Schedule 13D supplements and amends the Statement on Schedule 13D of OrbiMed Advisors LLC, OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC and Samuel D. Isaly originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 9, 2015 (the “Statement”) and amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed with the SEC on July 12, 2016, and Amendment No. 2 thereto filed with the SEC on January 5, 2018.  The Statement relates to the common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Nevada (the “Issuer”), with its principal executive offices located at 255 State Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02109. The Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol “PIRS”. Information given in response to each item shall be deemed incorporated by reference in all other items, as applicable.

This Amendment No. 3 is being filed to report that Samuel D. Isaly, who was previously identified as a reporting person, has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the outstanding Shares.
Item 2 of the Statement is amended to read in full as set forth below.
Item 2.
Identity and Background
 
(a)          This Statement is being filed by OrbiMed Advisors LLC (“Advisors”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, and OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC (“GP III”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware (collectively, the “Reporting Persons”).
 
(b) – (c), (f)   Advisors, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, is the sole general partner of OrbiMed Associates III, LP (“Associates III”) and the sole managing member of GP III, which is the sole general partner of OrbiMed Private Investments III, LP (“OPI III”).  OPI III and Associates III hold Shares as described herein.  Advisors, GP III has its principal offices at 601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor, New York, New York 10022.
 
The directors and executive officers of Advisors and GP III are set forth on Schedules I and II, attached hereto.  Schedules I and II set forth the following information with respect to each such person:
 
 
(i)
name;
    
 
(ii)
business address;
    
 
(iii)
present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted;
    
 
(iv)
citizenship.
 
(d) – (e)   During the last five years, neither the Reporting Persons nor any Person named in Schedule I or II have been (i) convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (ii) a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.
 


Item 5 of the Statement is amended to read in full as set forth below. 
 
Item 5.
Interest in Securities of the Issuer
 
(a) – (b)          As of the date of this filing, the Reporting Persons may be deemed, for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the Act, directly or indirectly, including by reason of their mutual affiliation, to be the beneficial owners of the Shares.  Based upon information contained in the Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 13, 2017, such Shares deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by GP III constitutes approximately 12.28% of the issued and outstanding Shares, and such Shares deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by Advisors constitutes approximately 12.39% of the issued and outstanding Shares.  Advisors, pursuant to its authority as the sole managing member of GP III, which is the sole general partner of OPI III, and as the sole general partner of Associates III, may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the Shares held by OPI III and Associates IIII.  GP III, pursuant to its authority as the general partner of OPI III, may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the Shares held by OPI III.   As a result, Advisors and GP III share the power to direct the vote and the disposition of the Shares held by OPI III described in Item 6 below, and Advisors has the power to direct the vote and the disposition of the Shares held by Associates III.  Advisors exercises this investment and voting power through a management committee comprised of Carl L. Gordon, Sven H. Borho and Jonathan T. Silverstein, each of whom disclaims beneficial ownership of the Shares held by OPI III and Associates III.

(c)          Except as disclosed in Amendment No. 2, the Reporting Persons have not effected any transactions in the Shares during the past sixty (60) days.
 
(d)          Not applicable.
 
(e)          As of January 24, 2018, Samuel D. Isaly, who was previously identified as a reporting person, has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the outstanding Shares.

The first paragraph of Item 6 of the Statement is amended to read in full as follows.

Item 6.
Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationship with Respect to Securities of the Issuer

In addition to the relationships between the Reporting Persons described in Items 2 and 5 above, GP III is the sole general partner of OPI III, pursuant to the terms of the limited partnership agreement of OPI III.  Advisors is the sole managing member of GP III, pursuant to the terms of the limited liability company agreement of GP III, and the sole general partner of Associates III, pursuant to the terms of the limited partnership agreement of Associates III.  Pursuant to these agreements and relationships, Advisors and GP III have discretionary investment management authority with respect to the assets of OPI III, and Advisors has discretionary investment management authority with respect to the assets of Associates III.  Such authority includes the power of GP III and Advisors to vote and otherwise dispose of securities purchased by OPI III, and the power of Advisors to vote and otherwise dispose of securities purchased by Associates III.  The number of outstanding Shares held of record by OPI III is 5,500,730, and the number of outstanding Shares held of record by Associates III is 49,270.  Advisors may be considered to hold indirectly 5,550,000 Shares, and GP III may be considered to hold indirectly 5,500,730 Shares.
 
Item 7.
Materials to Be Filed as Exhibits
 
Exhibit 1 - Joint Filing Agreement among OrbiMed Advisors LLC and OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 


SIGNATURE
        
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of each of the undersigned’s knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
             
Dated:  January 25, 2018
                 
 
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
   
     
 
By:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Name:
Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Name:
Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Name:
Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
its managing member
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Name:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
     
 
By:
/s/ Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Name:
Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Name:
Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
     

 
 
 

 

 
Schedule I
     
The name and present principal occupation of each of the executive officers and directors of OrbiMed Advisors LLC are set forth below.  Unless otherwise noted, each of these persons are United States citizens and have as their business address 601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor, New York, NY 10022.
 
Name
Position with Reporting Person
Principal Occupation
Samuel D. Isaly
Managing Member
Managing Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
Carl L. Gordon
Member
Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
Sven H. Borho
German and Swedish Citizen
Member
Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
Jonathan T. Silverstein
Member
Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
W. Carter Neild
Member
Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
Geoffrey C. Hsu
Member
Member
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
Evan D. Sotiriou
Chief Financial Officer
 
Chief Financial Officer
OrbiMed Advisors LLC

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Schedule II
 
The business and operations of OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC are managed by the executive officers and directors of its managing member, OrbiMed Advisors LLC, set forth on Schedule I.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


EXHIBIT 1
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
 
The undersigned hereby agree that the Statement on this Schedule 13D, dated January 25, 2018 (the “Schedule 13D”), with respect to the Common Stock, of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is filed on behalf of each of us pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Rule 13d-1(k) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and that this Agreement shall be included as an Exhibit to this Schedule 13D.  Each of the undersigned agrees to be responsible for the timely filing of the Schedule 13D, and for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning itself contained therein.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the 25th day of January 2018.
            
 
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
   
     
 
By:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Name:
Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Name:
Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Name:
Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
OrbiMed Advisors LLC
its managing member
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Name:
/s/ Jonathan T. Silverstein
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
     
 
By:
/s/ Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Name:
Sven H. Borho
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Name:
Carl L. Gordon
 
 
 
Title:
Member of OrbiMed Advisors LLC