ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES INC
S-1/A, EX-1.1, 2000-07-14
COMMERCIAL PHYSICAL & BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
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<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1



                                                           Draft of June 8, 2000


                           Argonaut Technologies, Inc.

                                _________ Shares

                                  Common Stock
                               ($.0001 Par Value)

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT



________ __, 2000

<PAGE>   2
                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT


                                                               ________ __, 2000


UBS Warburg LLC
ING Barings LLC
SG Cowen Securities Corporation
         As representatives of the several Underwriters
         named in Schedule A hereto

c/o UBS Warburg LLC
299 Park Avenue
New York, New York  10171-0026


Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  Argonaut Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule A
annexed hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of _________ shares (the "Firm
Shares") of Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share, of the Company (the
"Common Stock"). In addition, solely for the purpose of covering
over-allotments, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters the option to
purchase from the Company up to an additional ______ shares of Common Stock (the
"Additional Shares"). The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter
collectively sometimes referred to as the "Shares". The Shares are described in
the Prospectus which is referred to below.

                  The Company hereby acknowledges that in connection with the
proposed offering of the Shares, it has requested UBS Warburg LLC ("UBSW") to
administer a directed share program (the "Directed Share Program") under which
up to _________ Firm Shares, or 5% of the Firm Shares, to be purchased by you
(the "Reserved Shares") shall be reserved for sale by you at the initial public
offering price to the Company's officers, directors, employees, and consultants
and others having a relationship with the Company (the "Directed Share
Participants") as part of the distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters,
subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and
interpretations of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD")
and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The number of Shares
available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent that
Directed Share Participants purchase Reserved Shares. You may offer any Reserved
Shares not purchased by Directed Share Participants to the general public on the
same basis as the other Shares being issued and sold hereunder. The Company has
supplied UBSW with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the individuals
or other entities which the Company has designated to be participants in the
Directed Share Program. It is understood that any number of those designated to
participate in the Directed Share Program may decline to do so.



<PAGE>   3
                  The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder
(collectively, the "Act"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-35782)
including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. The Company has furnished to
you, for use by the Underwriters and by dealers, copies of one or more
preliminary prospectuses (each thereof being herein called a "Preliminary
Prospectus") relating to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise
requires, the registration statement, as amended when it becomes effective,
including all documents filed as a part thereof, and including any information
contained in a prospectus subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the Act and deemed to be part of the registration statement at
the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430(A) under the Act, and also
including any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act
with respect to the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement, is
herein called the Registration Statement, and the prospectus, in the form filed
by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act on or
before the second business day after the date hereof (or such earlier time as
may be required under the Act) or, if no such filing is required, the form of
final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time the
Registration Statement became effective, is herein called the Prospectus.

                  The Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:

                  1. Sale and Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations
and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
Company agrees to sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the
aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
in Schedule A attached hereto, in each case at a purchase price of $____ per
Share. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend (i) to make a
public offering of their respective portions of the Firm Shares as soon after
the effective date of the Registration Statement as in your judgment is
advisable and (ii) initially to offer the Firm Shares upon the terms set forth
in the Prospectus. You may from time to time increase or decrease the public
offering price after the initial public offering to such extent as you may
determine.

In addition, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters the option to
purchase, and upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject
to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters shall have the
right to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company, ratably in
accordance with the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each of them, all
or a portion of the Additional Shares as may be necessary to cover
over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares, at the
same purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters to the Company for
the Firm Shares. This option may be exercised by you on behalf of the several
Underwriters at any time and from time to time on or before the thirtieth day
following the date hereof, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall
set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the option is
being exercised and the date and time when the Additional Shares are to be
delivered (such date and time being herein referred to as the additional time of
purchase); provided, however, that the additional time of purchase shall not be
earlier than the time of purchase (as



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defined below) nor earlier than the second business day(1) after the date on
which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the tenth business day
after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of
Additional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter shall be the number which bears
the same proportion to the aggregate number of Additional Shares being purchased
as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on
Schedule A hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject, in each
case, to such adjustment as you may determine to eliminate fractional shares).

                  2. Payment and Delivery. Payment of the purchase price for the
Firm Shares shall be made to the Company by Federal Funds wire transfer against
delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares to you through the facilities
of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") for the respective accounts of the
Underwriters. Such payment and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York
City time, on _________ __, 2000 (unless another time shall be agreed to by you
and the Company or unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section
8 hereof). The time at which such payment and delivery are actually made is
hereinafter sometimes called the time of purchase. Certificates for the Firm
Shares shall be delivered to you in definitive form in such names and in such
denominations as you shall specify on the second business day preceding the time
of purchase. For the purpose of expediting the checking of the certificates for
the Firm Shares by you, the Company agrees to make such certificates available
to you for such purpose at least one full business day preceding the time of
purchase.

                  (a) Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Shares
         shall be made at the additional time of purchase in the same manner and
         at the same office as the payment for the Firm Shares. Certificates for
         the Additional Shares shall be delivered to you in definitive form in
         such names and in such denominations as you shall specify no later than
         the second business day preceding the additional time of purchase. For
         the purpose of expediting the checking of the certificates for the
         Additional Shares by you, the Company agrees to make such certificates
         available to you for such purpose at least one full business day
         preceding the additional time of purchase.

                  (b) Deliveries of the documents described in Section 6 below
         with respect to the purchase of the Shares shall be made at the offices
         of Dewey Ballantine LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New
         York at 9:00 a.m., New York time, on the date of the closing of the
         purchase of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the case may
         be.

                  3. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and
warrants to each of the Underwriters that:

                  (a) The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any
        order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any
        Preliminary Prospectus, or instituting proceedings for that purpose, and
        each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in
        all material respects to the requirements of the Act. When the
        Registration Statement became or becomes effective, the Registration
        Statement and


----------
(1) As used herein "business day" shall mean a day on which the New York Stock
Exchange is open for trading.



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<PAGE>   5
         the Prospectus complied or will comply in all material respects with
         the provisions of the Act, and the Registration Statement did not or
         will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
         state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
         make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus did not
         or will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
         state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
         make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
         they were made, not misleading and the Prospectus, any Preliminary
         Prospectus and any supplement thereto or prospectus wrapper prepared in
         connection therewith, at their respective times of issuance and at the
         time of closing, complied and will comply in all material respects with
         any applicable laws or regulations of jurisdictions in which the
         Prospectus and such preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented,
         if applicable, are distributed in connection with the offer and sale of
         the Shares, provided, however, that the Company makes no representation
         or warranty with respect to any statement contained in the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with
         information concerning the Underwriters and furnished in writing by or
         on behalf of any Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for
         use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. The Company has
         not distributed directly or indirectly any offering material in
         connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the
         Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or
         any other materials, if any, permitted by the Act.

                  (b) As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an
         authorized and outstanding capital stock as set forth under the heading
         entitled "Actual" in the section of the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus entitled "Capitalization" and, as of the time of purchase,
         and assuming the receipt and application of the net proceeds as
         described under the section of the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus entitled "Use of Proceeds," the Company shall have an
         authorized and outstanding capital stock as set forth under the heading
         entitled "Pro Forma As Adjusted" in the section of the Registration
         Statement and the Prospectus entitled "Capitalization." All of the
         outstanding shares of capital stock have been duly and validly
         authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been
         issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws and
         have not have been issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale
         right, right of first refusal or similar right.

                  (c) The Company has been duly organized and is validly
         existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the
         State of Delaware, with full power and authority to own, lease and
         operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the
         Registration Statement;

                  (d) The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign
         corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the
         ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business
         requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify in
         any such jurisdiction would not individually or in the aggregate have a
         material adverse effect on the business, prospects, properties,
         condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operation of the
         Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined herein), taken as a whole (a
         "Material Adverse Effect"). The Company does not have any subsidiaries
         (as defined in the Act) other than Argonaut Technologies KK and
         Argonaut Technologies



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         AG (the "Subsidiaries"). The Company owns 100% of the outstanding
         capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries. Other than the Subsidiaries,
         the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock
         or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or
         have any equity interest in any firm, partnership, limited liability
         company, joint venture, association or other entity except as
         contemplated by the Prospectus and set forth in the Registration
         Statement and the Prospectus. Complete and correct copies of the
         certificate of incorporation and bylaws or other organizational
         documents of the Company and each of the Subsidiaries and all
         amendments thereto have been delivered to you, and except as described
         in the Prospectus and set forth in the exhibits to the Registration
         Statement, no changes therein will be made subsequent to the date
         hereof and prior to the time of purchase or, if later, the additional
         time of purchase. Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and
         is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
         the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with the requisite corporate
         power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to
         conduct its business, except where the failure to be so organized or
         existing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the
         Subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed to do business as a foreign
         corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership
         or leasing of the properties or the conduct of its business requires
         such qualification or license, except where the failure to so qualify
         or be licensed would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the
         outstanding capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries has been duly
         authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is
         owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance
         or adverse claims. No options, warrant or other rights to purchase,
         agreements or other obligations to issue or rights to convert any
         obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the
         Subsidiaries are outstanding.

                  (e) Neither the Company nor either of the Subsidiaries is in
         violation of any law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or
         regulation applicable to the Company or either Subsidiary or of any
         decree of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
         over the Company or either Subsidiary, which violation could,
         individually or in the aggregate, have a material Adverse Effect.

                  (f) Neither the Company nor either of the Subsidiaries is in
         breach of, or in default under (and no event has occurred which with
         notice, lapse of time, or both would result in any breach of, or
         constitute a default under), its charter or by-laws or other
         organizational documents or in the performance or observance of any
         obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
         indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or
         other evidence of indebtedness, or any lease, contract or other
         agreement or instrument to which the Company or either Subsidiary is a
         party or by which any of them or any of their properties is bound, the
         effect of which would individually or in the aggregate have a Material
         Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this
         Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Shares contemplated hereby
         and by the Registration Statement will not conflict with, or result in
         any breach of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event
         which with notice, lapse of time, or both would result in any breach
         of, or constitute a default under), any provisions of the charter or
         by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or either of
         the Subsidiaries or under any provision of any license, permit,
         franchise, indenture,



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         mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other
         evidence of indebtedness, or any lease, contract or other agreement or
         instrument to which the Company or either Subsidiary is a party or by
         which any of them or their properties may be bound or affected, or
         under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or
         any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company of either
         Subsidiary, the result of which would individually or in the aggregate
         have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
         delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of
         the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
         terms.

                  (h) The capital stock of the Company, including the Shares,
         conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained
         in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The certificates for the
         Shares are in due and proper form and conform in all material respects
         to the requirements of the Delaware General Corporation Law. The
         holders of the Shares will not be subject to personal liability by
         reason of being such holders.

                  (i) The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when
         issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will
         be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

                  (j) No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing
         with any national, state or local governmental or regulatory
         commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection
         with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this
         Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares contemplated hereby and
         by the Registration Statement, other than registration of the Shares
         under the Act, which has been or will be effected by the Company, and
         any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of
         the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the
         Underwriters or under the rules and regulations of the NASD.

                  (k) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus: (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to
         cause the Company to issue to it, or register pursuant to the Act, any
         shares of capital stock or other equity interests; and (ii) no person
         has any preemptive rights, co-sale rights, rights of first refusal or
         other rights to purchase any shares of Common Stock. No person has the
         right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under
         the Act any shares of capital stock or other equity interests as a
         result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
         the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby.

                  (l) Ernst & Young LLP, whose report on the financial
         statements of the Company are filed with the Commission as part of the
         Registration Statement and Prospectus, are independent public
         accountants as required by the Act.

                  (m) Each of the Company and each Subsidiary has all necessary
         licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, consents and approvals,
         and made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local
         or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has



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         obtained all necessary authorizations, consents and approvals from
         other persons, in order to conduct its business; and neither the
         Company nor either Subsidiary is in violation of, or in default under,
         any such license, permit, franchise, authorization, consent or
         approval, the effect of which could individually or in the aggregate
         have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (n) All legal or governmental proceedings, all statutes and
         regulations and all contracts, leases or documents of a character
         required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
         Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement
         have been so described or filed as required.

                  (o) There are no private or governmental actions, suits,
         claims, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened or, to the
         knowledge of the Company, contemplated, to which the Company or either
         Subsidiary or any of their officers is subject or of which any of their
         properties is subject, whether at law, in equity or before or by any
         federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission,
         board, body, authority or agency.

                  (p) The audited consolidated financial statements of the
         Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
         present fairly the consolidated financial position and results of
         operations of the Company as of the dates and for the periods
         indicated; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity
         with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent
         basis during the periods involved; the pro forma financial data
         included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply as to
         form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
         requirements of Regulation S-X of the Securities Act, and the pro forma
         adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the
         compilation of those statements; and the other financial and
         statistical data set forth in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus are accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent
         with such financial statements and the books and records of the
         Company.

                  (q) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information
         is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has
         not been (i) any material adverse change, or any development involving
         a prospective material adverse change, in the business, properties,
         condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the
         Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) any transaction
         which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a
         whole, (iii) the incurrence by the Company or either Subsidiary of any
         obligation, direct or contingent, and whether or not in the ordinary
         course of business, which is material to the Company and the
         Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (iv) any change in the capital stock or
         other equity interest or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or
         either Subsidiary or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind
         declared, paid or made on the capital stock or other equity interest of
         the Company. Neither the Company nor either Subsidiary has any material
         contingent obligations which are material to the Company and the
         Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and are not disclosed in the
         Registration Statement.



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                  (r) The Company has obtained for the benefit of the
         Underwriters the agreement (a "Lock-Up Agreement") of each of its
         officers and directors and each of its holders of Common Stock and
         securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common
         Stock (including options and warrants) not to sell, offer to sell,
         contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to sell or
         otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common
         Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for
         Common Stock for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after
         the date of the Prospectus without the prior written consent of UBSW.

                  (s) The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable
         title to all property (real and personal) described in the Prospectus
         as being owned by them, free and clear of all liens, claims, security
         interests or other encumbrances except such as are described in the
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus and except as would not
         individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect. All
         the property being held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries
         is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases.

                  (t) Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is insured by
         insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and
         risks and in such amount as are customary in the business in which it
         is engaged. All policies of insurance insuring the Company, the
         Subsidiaries or any of their businesses, assets, employees, officers
         and directors are in full force and effect, and each of the Company and
         each Subsidiary is in compliance with the terms of such policies in all
         material respects. There are no claims by the Company or either
         Subsidiary under any such policy or instrument as to which any
         insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation
         of rights clause.

                  (u) The Company has not either sent or received any notice of
         termination of any of the contracts or agreements referred to or
         described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement,
         and no such termination has been threatened by the Company or any other
         party to any such contract or agreement.

                  (v) All statistical and market-related data included in the
         Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company
         believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the
         written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent
         required.

                  (w) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has taken,
         directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which has constituted
         or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result, under the
         Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
         regulations thereunder (collectively, the "Exchange Act") or otherwise,
         in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
         Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

                  (x) The Company owns or has obtained licenses (which such
         licenses are enforceable against the Company and, to the Company's best
         knowledge, the other parties thereto) for the patents, patent
         applications, inventions, technology, trademarks, trademark
         registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names,



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         copyrights, trade secrets and rights described in the Prospectus as
         being owned or used by or licensed to the Company or either of the
         Subsidiaries or necessary for the conduct of their respective
         businesses as currently conducted (collectively, the "Intellectual
         Property"). Except as set forth in the Prospectus (i) there are no
         rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property; (ii) to the
         Company's knowledge there is no infringement by third parties of any
         such Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, to the
         Company's knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by
         others challenging the Company's rights in or to any such Intellectual
         Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a
         reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to
         the Company's knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim
         by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual
         Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a
         reasonable basis for any such claim; (v) there is no pending or, to the
         Company's knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by
         others that the Company or either of the Subsidiaries infringes or
         otherwise violates, or would infringe or otherwise violate upon
         commercialization of its products and product candidates described in
         the Prospectus, any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other
         proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts
         which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (vi) to the
         Company's knowledge there is no patent or patent application which
         contains claims that dominate or may dominate any Intellectual Property
         described in the Prospectus as being owned by or licensed to the
         Company or either of the Subsidiaries or that is necessary for the
         conduct of their respective businesses as currently or contemplated to
         be conducted or that interferes with the issued or pending claims of
         any such Intellectual Property; and (vii) there is no prior art of
         which the Company is aware that may render any patent held by the
         Company or either of the Subsidiaries invalid or any patent application
         held by the Company or either of the Subsidiaries unpatentable which
         has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The
         commercial products and product candidates of the Company and the
         Subsidiaries described in the Prospectus read on the claims contained
         in the patents and patent applications described in the Prospectus.

                  (y) Neither the Company nor either Subsidiary has sustained
         since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in
         the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire,
         explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by
         insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action,
         order or decree, otherwise than as disclosed in the Prospectus or other
         than any loss or interference which individually or in the aggregate
         would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (z) Neither the Company nor either Subsidiary has violated any
         foreign, federal, state or local law or regulation relating to the
         protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or
         toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, nor any federal
         or state law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay
         of employees nor any applicable federal or state wages and hours laws,
         nor any provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or
         the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, which individually or
         in the aggregate might result in a Material Adverse Effect.



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                  (aa) The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of
         internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
         assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
         management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are
         recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
         conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to
         maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted
         only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization;
         and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
         existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken
         with respect to any differences.

                  (bb) Each of the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all
         federal, state, local and foreign tax returns and tax forms required to
         be filed. Such returns and forms are complete and correct in all
         material respects, and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise
         assessed that are due or payable have been paid, except such taxes as
         are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves
         have been provided. All payroll withholdings required to be made by the
         Company and the Subsidiaries with respect to employees have been made.
         The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and the
         Subsidiaries in respect of any tax liability for any year not finally
         determined are adequate to meet any assessments or reassessments for
         additional taxes. There have been no tax deficiencies asserted and, to
         the knowledge of the Company, no tax deficiency might be reasonably
         asserted or threatened against the Company or either Subsidiary that
         could individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (cc) The clinical, pre-clinical and other studies and tests
         conducted by or on behalf of or sponsored by the Company or either of
         the Subsidiaries or in which the Company or either of the Subsidiaries
         or their products or product candidates have participated that are
         described in the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in
         the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in
         accordance with standard medical and scientific research procedures.
         The descriptions of the results of such studies and tests are accurate
         and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data
         derived from such studies and tests, and the Company has no knowledge
         of any other studies or tests the results of which are inconsistent
         with or otherwise call into question the results described or referred
         to in the Prospectus. Except to the extent disclosed in the
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or
         supplement thereto), the Company and the Subsidiaries have operated and
         currently are in compliance in all material respects with all
         applicable FDA rules, regulations and policies. Except to the extent
         disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any
         amendment or supplement thereto), neither the Company nor either
         Subsidiary has received any notices or other correspondence from the
         FDA or any other governmental agency requiring the termination,
         suspension or modification of any clinical or pre-clinical studies or
         tests that are described in the Prospectus or the results of which are
         referred to in the Prospectus.

                  (dd) Immediately after the issuance and sale of the Shares to
         the Underwriters, no shares of preferred stock of the Company shall be
         issued and outstanding, and no holder of any shares of capital stock,
         securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital
         stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock



                                       10
<PAGE>   12
         or any other securities of the Company shall have any existing or
         future right to acquire any shares of preferred stock of the Company.

                  (ee) The Company is not, and after the offering and sale of
         the Shares, will not be, an "investment company" or a "promoter,"
         "principal underwriter" for or an entity "controlled" by an "investment
         company," as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of
         1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act").

                  In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company, delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in
connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to
each Underwriter.

                  4. Certain Covenants.  The Company hereby agrees:

                  (a) to furnish such information as may be required and
         otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale
         under the securities or blue sky laws of such states as you may
         designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as
         required for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that
         the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation
         or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such
         state (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale
         of the Shares); and to promptly advise you of the receipt of any
         notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the
         Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of
         any proceeding for such purpose;

                  (b) to make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as
         soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective,
         and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Underwriters, as
         many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or
         supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or
         supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration
         Statement) as the Underwriters may request for the purposes
         contemplated by the Act; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver
         a prospectus beyond the nine-month period referred to in Section
         10(a)(3) of the Act in connection with the sale of the Shares, the
         Company will prepare promptly upon request and at its cost such
         amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and such
         prospectuses as may be necessary to permit compliance with the
         requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

                           (i) to advise you promptly and (if requested by you)
         to confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement
         has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto
         becomes effective and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the
         Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under
         the Act (which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner under such
         Rules);

                           (ii) to advise you promptly, and to confirm such
         advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or
         supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for
         additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of
         institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order suspending
         the effectiveness of



                                       11
<PAGE>   13
         the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop
         order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to
         use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as
         soon as possible; to advise you promptly of any proposal to amend or
         supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus and to file no such
         amendment or supplement to which you shall object in writing;

                           (iii) subject to Section 4(o) hereof, to file
         promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statement
         required to be filed by the Company with the Commission in order to
         comply with the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus
         and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in
         connection with the offering or sale of the shares, and to promptly
         notify you of such filing;

                           (iv) if necessary or appropriate, to file in a timely
         fashion a registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act;

                           (v) to furnish to you and, upon request, to each of
         the other Underwriters for a period of five years from the date of this
         Agreement (i) copies of any reports or other communications which the
         Company shall send to its stockholders or shall from time to time
         publish or publicly disseminate, (ii) copies of all annual, quarterly
         and current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and
         8-K, or such other similar form as may be designated by the Commission,
         (iii) copies of documents or reports filed with any national securities
         exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed, and
         (iv) such other information as you may reasonably request regarding the
         Company or the Subsidiary as soon as such communications, documents or
         information becomes available;

                           (vi) to advise the Underwriters promptly of the
         occurrence of any event known to the Company within the time during
         which a Prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered
         under the Act which would require the making of any change in the
         Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an
         untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
         necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during
         such time, to prepare, file (subject to Section 4(d) hereof) and
         furnish promptly to the underwriters, at the Company's expense, such
         amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to
         reflect any such change and to furnish you a copy of such proposed
         amendment or supplement before filing any such amendment or supplement
         with the Commission;

                           (vii) to make generally available to its security
         holders, and to deliver to you, as soon as practicable an earnings
         statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of Section
         11(a) of the Act) covering a period of twelve months beginning after
         the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule
         158(c) of the Act) and ending not later than fifteen (15) months
         thereafter;

                           (viii) to furnish to its stockholders as soon as
         practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report
         (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders'
         equity and of cash flow of the Company for such fiscal year,
         accompanied



                                       12
<PAGE>   14
         by a copy of the certificate or report thereon of nationally recognized
         independent certified public accountants);

                           (ix) to furnish to you such number of conformed
         copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with the
         Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits
         thereto) as you shall reasonably request;

                           (x) to furnish to you as early as practicable prior
         to the time of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the
         case may be, but not later than two (2) business days prior thereto, a
         copy of the latest available quarterly (if available) or monthly
         unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, if any, of the
         Company and the Subsidiary, which have been read by the Company's
         independent certified public accountants, as stated in their letter to
         be furnished pursuant to Section 6(e) hereof;

                           (xi) to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the
         Shares in the manner set forth under the caption "Use of Proceeds" in
         the Prospectus;

                           (xii) to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in
         connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration
         Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and any
         amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of
         copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and to dealers (including
         costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and
         delivery of the Shares, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or
         printing of this Agreement, any agreement Among Underwriters, any
         dealer agreements, any Powers of Attorney and any closing documents
         (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing
         and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and
         (except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and
         shipment), (iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale
         under state laws and the determination of their eligibility for
         investment under state law as aforesaid (including the reasonable legal
         fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the
         Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky
         surveys or legal investment surveys to the Underwriters and to dealers,
         (v) any listing of the Shares on any securities exchange or
         qualification of the Shares for quotation on the National Association
         of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation National Market System
         ("NASDAQ") and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi)
         the review of the public offering of the Shares by the NASD, including
         the associated filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of
         counsel for the Underwriters, and (vii) the performance of the
         Company's other obligations hereunder;

                           (xiii) to furnish to you, before filing with the
         Commission subsequent to the effective date of the Registration
         Statement and during the period referred to in paragraph (h) above, a
         copy of any document proposed to be filed pursuant to Section 13, 14 or
         15(d) of the Exchange Act;

                           (xiv) not to sell, offer to sell, contract to sell,
         hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of,
         directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or securities
         convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock or
         options, warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other
         shares of the



                                       13
<PAGE>   15
         Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock or file a
         registration statement under the Act relating to the offer and sale of
         any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or
         exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock or options, warrants or
         other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other shares of the
         Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock for a period of
         one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date hereof (the "Lock-up
         Period"), without the prior written consent of UBSW, except for (i) the
         registration of the Shares and the sales to the Underwriters pursuant
         to this Agreement, (ii) issuances of Common Stock upon the exercise of
         outstanding options or warrants as disclosed in the Registration
         Statement and the Prospectus to persons who have entered into Lock-Up
         Agreements with the Underwriters and (iii) the issuance of employee
         stock options not exercisable during the Lock-up Period pursuant to
         stock option plans described in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus; and

                           (xv) to use its best efforts to cause the Common
         Stock to be listed for quotation on the NASDAQ.

                  5. Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses. The Company agrees
that if the Shares are not delivered for any reason other than the termination
of this Agreement pursuant to subsections (ii), (iii) or (iv) of the second
paragraph of Section 7 hereof or the last paragraph of Section 8 hereof or the
default by one or more of the Underwriters in its or their respective
obligations hereunder, it shall, in addition to paying the amounts described in
Section 4(n) hereof, reimburse the Underwriters for all of the out-of-pocket
accountable expenses actually incurred by the Underwriters, including the
reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel.

                  6. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The several
obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company on the date hereof and at the time
of purchase as if made at the time of purchase (and the several obligations of
the Underwriters at the additional time of purchase are subject to the accuracy
of the representations and warranties of the Company on the date hereof and at
the time of purchase (unless previously waived) and at the additional time of
purchase, as the case may be, as if made at such time), the timely performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional
conditions precedent:

                  (a) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase
         and at the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, an opinion
         of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, counsel for the Company, addressed
         to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional
         time of purchase, as the case may be, with reproduced copies for each
         of the other Underwriters and in form reasonably satisfactory to Dewey
         Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, stating that:

                           (i) the Company has been duly incorporated and is
         validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the
         laws of the State of Delaware, with full power and authority to own,
         lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described
         in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to execute and
         deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as
         herein contemplated;



                                       14
<PAGE>   16
                           (ii) each of the Subsidiaries has been duly
         incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
         under the laws of its respective jurisdiction of incorporation with the
         requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
         respective properties and to conduct its respective business;

                           (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are duly
         qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and are in good
         standing in each jurisdiction in which the ownership or leasing of
         their properties or the conduct of their business requires such
         qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not
         individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;

                           (iv) this Agreement has been duly authorized,
         executed and delivered by the Company;

                           (v) the Shares have been duly authorized and, when
         issued and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters, will be
         validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

                           (vi) the Company has authorized and outstanding
         shares of capital stock as set forth in the Registration Statement and
         the Prospectus; the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company
         have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid,
         nonassessable and free of any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights
         of first refusal and similar rights under the Delaware General
         Corporation Law or under any contract, agreement or instrument
         described in or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or
         otherwise known to such counsel; the Shares when issued will be free of
         any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and
         similar rights under the Delaware General Corporation Law or under any
         contract, agreement or instrument described in or filed as an exhibit
         to the Registration Statement or otherwise known to such counsel; the
         certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form and conform in
         all material respects to the requirements of the Delaware General
         Corporation Law, and the holders of the Shares will not be subject to
         personal liability by reason of being such holders;

                           (vii) all of the outstanding shares of capital stock
         of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly
         issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, are owned by the Company and
         are not subject to any perfected security interest or, to such
         counsel's knowledge, any other encumbrance or adverse claim; to such
         counsel's knowledge, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase,
         agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any
         obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in
         either Subsidiary are outstanding;

                           (viii) the capital stock of the Company, including
         the Shares, conforms to the description thereof contained in the
         Registration Statement and Prospectus;

                           (ix) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
         (except as to the financial statements and schedules and other
         financial and statistical data contained



                                       15
<PAGE>   17
         therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to
         form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act;

                           (x) the Registration Statement has become effective
         under the Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order
         proceedings with respect thereto are pending or threatened under the
         Act and any required filing of the Prospectus, and any supplement
         thereto pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act has been made in the manner
         and within the time period required by such Rule 424;

                           (xi) no approval, authorization, consent or order of
         or filing with any national, state or local governmental or regulatory
         commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection
         with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the
         issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the
         transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement,
         other than those that have been obtained under the Act and other than
         any necessary qualification under the state securities or blue sky laws
         of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by
         the Underwriters, as to which such qualification such counsel need
         express no opinion;

                           (xii) the execution, delivery and performance of this
         agreement by the Company and the transactions contemplated hereby and
         by the Registration Statement do not and will not conflict with, or
         result in any breach of, or constitute a default under (nor constitute
         any event which with notice, lapse of time, or both, would result in
         any breach of, or constitute a default under) (A) any provisions of the
         charter or by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or
         either of the Subsidiaries, (B) any provision of any license, permit,
         franchise, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit
         agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any lease, contract or
         other agreement or instrument to which the Company or either of the
         Subsidiaries is a party or by which their respective properties may be
         bound or affected that is described in or filed as an exhibit to the
         Registration Statement or is otherwise known by such counsel or (C) any
         federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, or any
         decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or either of the
         Subsidiaries;

                           (xiii) to such counsel's knowledge, neither the
         Company nor either of the Subsidiaries is in violation of its charter
         or by-laws, nor is any of them in breach of or in default under (nor
         has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time, or both would
         result in any breach of, or constitute a default under), any license,
         permit, franchise, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or
         credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any lease,
         contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or
         either of the Subsidiaries is or was a party or by which any of them or
         their respective properties may be bound or affected or in violation of
         any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any
         decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or either of the
         Subsidiaries, the effect of which would individually or in the
         aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;

                           (xiv) to such counsel's knowledge, there are no
         contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character
         which are required to be filed as exhibits



                                       16
<PAGE>   18
         to the Registration Statement or to be described in the Prospectus
         which have not been so filed or described;

                           (xv) to such counsel's knowledge, there are no
         private or governmental actions, suits, claims, investigations or
         proceedings pending, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or
         either of the Subsidiaries or any of their officers is subject or of
         which any of their properties is subject, whether at law, in equity or
         before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or
         regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency;

                           (xvi) the Company is not, and after the offering and
         sale of the Shares, will not be, an "investment company," or a
         "promoter," "principal underwriter" for or an entity controlled by an
         "investment company," as such terms are defined in the Investment
         Company Act;

                           (xvii) the statements in the Registration Statement
         and Prospectus, insofar as they are descriptions of contracts,
         agreements or other legal documents, or refer to statements of law or
         legal conclusions, are accurate in all material respects and present
         fairly the information required to be shown;

                           (xviii) immediately after the issuance and sale of
         the Shares to the Underwriters, no holder of any shares of capital
         stock or other securities (including options and warrants) of the
         Company described in the Registration Statement shall have any right to
         acquire any shares of preferred stock of the Company; and

                           (xix) no person has the right, pursuant to the terms
         of any contract, agreement or other instrument described in or filed as
         an exhibit to the Registrations Statement, to cause the Company to
         register under the Act any shares of capital stock or other equity
         interests as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the
         Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated
         hereby; and to the knowledge of such counsel, except as described in
         the Registration Statement and Prospectus, no person is entitled to
         registration rights with respect to shares of capital stock or other
         securities of the Company.

                  In addition, such counsel shall state that it has participated
in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company,
representatives of the independent public accountants of the Company and
representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration
Statement and Prospectus were discussed and, although such counsel is not
passing upon and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness
or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus (except as and to the extent stated in subparagraphs (viii), (ix) and
(xvii) above), on the basis of the foregoing nothing has come to the attention
of such counsel that causes them to believe that the Registration Statement or
any amendment thereto at the time such Registration Statement or amendment
became effective contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus or any supplement
thereto at the date of such Prospectus or such supplement, and at all times up
to and including the time of purchase or additional time of purchase, as the
case



                                       17
<PAGE>   19
may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion with
respect to the financial statements and schedules and other financial and
statistical data included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus).

                  (b) You shall have received at the time of purchase and at the
         additional time of purchase, as the case may be, the opinion of
         Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, special counsel to the Company with
         respect to patents and proprietary rights, dated the time of purchase
         or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with reproduced
         copies for each of the other Underwriters and in form reasonably
         satisfactory to Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters,
         stating that:

                           (i) To such counsel's knowledge, except as described
         in the Prospectus, (A) the Company (either directly or through the
         Subsidiaries) has valid license rights or clear title to the
         Intellectual Property referenced in the Prospectus, and there are no
         rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property; (B) there is
         no infringement or other violation by third parties of any of the
         Intellectual Property of the Company referenced in the Prospectus; (C)
         there is no infringement or other violation by the Company or either of
         the Subsidiaries of any Intellectual Property of others; (D) there is
         no pending or threatened action, suit proceeding or claim by
         governmental authorities or others that the Company or either of the
         Subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property
         of others, and such counsel is unaware of any facts which would form a
         reasonable basis for any such claim; and (E) there is no pending or
         threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by governmental
         authorities or others challenging the rights of the Company or either
         of the Subsidiaries in or to, or challenging the scope of, any
         Intellectual Property of the Company referenced in the Prospectus, and
         such counsel is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable
         basis for any such claim;

                           (ii) to such counsel's knowledge, the patent
         applications of the Company and the Subsidiaries presently on file
         disclose patentable subject matter, and such counsel is not aware of
         any inventorship challenges, any interference which has been declared
         or provoked, or any other material fact with respect to the patent
         applications of the Company presently on file that (A) would preclude
         the issuance of patents with respect to such applications, or (B) would
         lead such counsel to conclude that such patents, when issued, would not
         be valid and enforceable in accordance with applicable regulations; and

                           (iii) the statements in the Registration Statement
         and the Prospectus referencing Intellectual Property matters, insofar
         as such statements constitute summaries of legal matters, contracts,
         agreements, documents or proceedings referred to therein, or refer to
         statements of law or legal conclusions, are in all material respects
         accurate and complete statements or summaries of the matters therein
         set forth. Nothing has come to such counsel's attention that causes
         them to believe that such above described portions of the Registration
         Statement, at the time such Registration Statement became effective,
         contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
         material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
         statements therein not misleading,



                                       18
<PAGE>   20
         or that such above described portions of the Prospectus and at the date
         of the Prospectus and at all times leading up to and including the time
         of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the case may be,
         contained an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a
         material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
         statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
         made, not misleading.

                  (c) You shall have received at the time of purchase and at the
         additional time of purchase, as the case may be, the favorable opinion
         of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the time
         of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be,
         with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company, the
         Registration Statement, the Prospectus (together with any supplement
         thereto) and such other related matters as the Underwriters may
         require.

                  (d) You shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, letters
         dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement and the time of
         purchase and additional time of purchase, as the case may be, and
         addressed to the Underwriters (with reproduced copies for each of the
         Underwriters) in the forms heretofore approved by Dewey Ballantine LLP,
         counsel for the Underwriters.

                  (e) No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement
         or Prospectus shall be filed prior to the time the Registration
         Statement becomes effective to which you object in writing.

                  (f) The Registration Statement shall become effective, or if
         Rule 430A under the Act is used, the Prospectus shall have been filed
         with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, at or before
         5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement, unless a
         later time (but not later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the
         second full business day after the date of this Agreement) shall be
         agreed to by the Company and you in writing or by telephone, confirmed
         in writing; provided, however, that the Company and you and any group
         of Underwriters, including you, who have agreed hereunder to purchase
         in the aggregate at least fifty percent (50%) of the Firm Shares may
         from time to time agree on a later date.

                  (g) Prior to the time of purchase or the additional time of
         purchase, as the case may be, (i) no stop order with respect to the
         effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued
         under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of
         the Act; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto, or
         modifications thereof, if any, shall not contain an untrue statement of
         a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and
         (iii) the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements thereto, or
         modifications thereof, if any, shall not contain an untrue statement of
         a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of
         the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

                  (h) Between the time of execution of this Agreement and the
         time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may
         be, (i) no material and unfavorable



                                       19
<PAGE>   21
         change, or any development involving a prospective material and adverse
         change, financial or otherwise (other than as specifically identified
         in the Registration Statement and Prospectus), in the business,
         properties, condition or results of operations of the Company and the
         Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, shall occur or become known and (ii) no
         transaction which is material and unfavorable to the Company shall have
         been entered into by the Company or either of the Subsidiaries.

                  (i) The Company will, at the time of purchase or additional
         time of purchase, as the case may be, deliver to you a certificate of
         its President and its [Chief Financial Officer] to the effect that the
         representations and warranties of the Company as set forth in this
         Agreement are true and correct as of each such date, that the Company
         has performed such of their obligations under this Agreement as are to
         be performed at or before the time of purchase and at or before the
         additional time of purchase, as the case may be, and the conditions set
         forth in paragraphs (f), (g) and (h) of this Section 6 have been met.

                  (j) You shall have received signed Lock-Up Agreements, dated
         the date of this Agreement, from each of the officers and directors of
         the Company, each of the holders of Common Stock and securities
         convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock,
         stating that such persons will not sell, offer to sell, contract to
         sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to sell or otherwise
         dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or
         securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common
         Stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or
         any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to
         Common Stock for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after
         the date of the Prospectus without the prior written consent of UBSW.

                  (k) The Company shall have furnished to you such other
         documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any
         statement in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the
         time of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the case may
         be, as you may reasonably request.

                  (l) The Shares shall have been approved for listing for
         quotation on NASDAQ, subject only to notice of issuance at or prior to
         the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case
         may be.

                  7. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement
shall become effective (i) if Rule 430A under the Act is not used, when you
shall have received notification of the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement, or (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the parties hereto
have executed and delivered this Agreement.

                  (a) The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder
         shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of you or
         any group of Underwriters (which may include you) which has agreed to
         purchase in the aggregate at least fifty percent (50%) of the Firm
         Shares, (i) if, since the time of execution of this Agreement or the
         respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
         Statement and Prospectus, there has been any material adverse and
         unfavorable change, or any development involving a



                                       20
<PAGE>   22
         prospective material adverse change, financial or otherwise (other than
         as specifically identified in the Registration Statement and
         Prospectus), in the business, prospects, properties, condition or
         results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a
         whole, which would, in your judgment or in the judgment of such group
         of Underwriters, make it impracticable to market the Shares, or, (ii)
         if, at any time prior to the time of purchase or, with respect to the
         purchase of any Additional Shares, the additional time of purchase, as
         the case may be, trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange,
         the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market shall have
         been suspended or limitations or minimum prices shall have been
         established on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange
         or the Nasdaq National Market, or (iii) if a banking moratorium shall
         have been declared either by the United States or New York State
         authorities, or (iv) if the United States shall have declared war in
         accordance with its constitutional processes or there shall have
         occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other
         national or international calamity or crisis of such magnitude in its
         effect on the financial markets of the United States as, in your
         judgment or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters, to make it
         impracticable to market the Shares.

                  (b) If you or any group of Underwriters elects to terminate
         this Agreement as provided in this Section 7, the Company and each
         other Underwriter shall be notified promptly by letter or telegram.

                  (c) If the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares, as
         contemplated by this Agreement, is not carried out by the Underwriters
         for any reason permitted under this Agreement or if such sale is not
         carried out because the Company shall be unable to comply with any of
         the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall not be under any
         obligation or liability under this Agreement (except to the extent
         provided in Sections 4(n), 5 and 9 hereof), and the Underwriters shall
         be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement
         (except to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof) or to one another
         hereunder.

                  8. Increase in Underwriters' Commitments. Subject to Sections
6 and 7, if any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to take up and pay
for the Firm Shares to be purchased by it hereunder (otherwise than for a reason
sufficient to justify the termination of this Agreement under the provisions of
Section 7 hereof) and if the number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters so
defaulting shall have agreed but failed to take up and pay for does not exceed
ten percent (10%) of the total number of Firm Shares, the non-defaulting
Underwriters shall take up and pay for (in addition to the aggregate number of
Firm Shares they are obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof) the
number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by all such defaulting
Underwriters, as hereinafter provided. Such Shares shall be taken up and paid
for by such non-defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters in such amount or amounts
as you may designate with the consent of each Underwriter so designated or, in
the event no such designation is made, such Shares shall be taken up and paid
for by all non-defaulting Underwriters pro rata in proportion to the aggregate
number of Firm Shares set opposite the names of such non-defaulting Underwriters
in Schedule A.



                                       21
<PAGE>   23
                  (a) Without relieving any defaulting Underwriter from its
         obligations hereunder, the Company agrees with the non-defaulting
         Underwriters that it will not sell any Firm Shares hereunder unless all
         of the Firm Shares are purchased by the Underwriters (or by substituted
         Underwriters selected by you with the approval of the Company or
         selected by the Company with your approval).

                  (b) If a new Underwriter or Underwriters are substituted by
         the Underwriters or by the Company for a defaulting Underwriter or
         Underwriters in accordance with the foregoing provision, the Company or
         you shall have the right to postpone the time of purchase for a period
         not exceeding five (5) business days in order that any necessary
         changes in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and other
         documents may be effected.

                  (c) The term Underwriter as used in this Agreement shall refer
         to and include any Underwriter substituted under this Section 8 with
         like effect as if such substituted Underwriter had originally been
         named in Schedule A.

                  (d) If the aggregate number of Shares which the defaulting
         Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase exceeds ten percent
         (10%) of the total number of Shares which all Underwriters agreed to
         purchase hereunder, and if neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor
         the Company shall make arrangements within the five (5) business day
         period stated above for the purchase of all the Shares which the
         defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder,
         this Agreement shall be terminated without further act or deed and
         without any liability on the part of the Company to any non-defaulting
         Underwriter and without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting
         Underwriter to the Company. Nothing in this paragraph, and no action
         taken hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
         liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this
         Agreement.

                  9. Indemnity and Contribution.

                  (a) The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless
         each Underwriter, its partners, directors and officers, and any person
         who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the
         Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns
         of all of the foregoing persons from and against any loss, damage,
         expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of
         investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any
         such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law
         or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim
         arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged
         untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
         Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any
         post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus
         (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 9 being deemed to
         include any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Prospectus
         as amended or supplemented by the Company), or arises out of or is
         based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
         required to be stated in either such Registration Statement or
         Prospectus or necessary to make the statements made therein not
         misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability
         or claim arises



                                       22
<PAGE>   24
         out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
         statement of a material fact contained in and in conformity with
         information furnished in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter
         through you to the Company expressly for use with reference to such
         Underwriter in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or arises
         out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a
         material fact in connection with such information required to be stated
         in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make
         such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged
         untrue statement made by the Company in Section 3 of this Agreement or
         the failure by the Company to perform when and as required any
         agreement or covenant contained herein or (iii) any untrue statement or
         alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any audio or
         visual materials provided by the Company or based upon written
         information furnished by or on behalf of the Company including, without
         limitation, slides, videos, films, tape recordings, used in connection
         with the marketing of the Shares, or (iv) the Directed Share Program,
         provided that, the Company shall not be responsible for any loss,
         damage, expense, liability, or claim that is finally judicially
         determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of
         the Underwriters in conducting the Directed Share Program.

                  (b) If any action, suit or proceeding (together, a
         "Proceeding") is brought against an Underwriter or any such person in
         respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant
         to the foregoing paragraph, such Underwriter or such person shall
         promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such
         Proceeding and the Company shall assume the defense of such Proceeding,
         including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
         indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided,
         however, that the omission to so notify the Company shall not relieve
         the Company from any liability which the Company may have to any
         Underwriter or any such person or otherwise. Such Underwriter or such
         person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any
         such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the
         expense of such Underwriter or of such person unless the employment of
         such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in
         connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the Company shall not
         have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances,
         employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or
         parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses
         available to it or them which are different from, additional to or in
         conflict with those available to the Company (in which case the Company
         shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on
         behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events
         such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and paid as
         incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be
         liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition
         to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related
         Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified
         parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The Company shall not be
         liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without the
         written consent of the Company but if settled with the written consent
         of the Company, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any
         Underwriter and any such person from and against any loss or liability
         by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence,
         if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an
         indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees



                                       23
<PAGE>   25
         and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this
         paragraph, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable
         for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written
         consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than sixty (60)
         days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request,
         (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified
         party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
         settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the
         indemnifying party at least thirty (30) days' prior notice of its
         intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior
         written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any
         pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified
         party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been
         sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement
         includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all
         liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and
         does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to
         act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

                  (c) In connection with the offer and sale of the Reserved
         Shares, the Company agrees to pay UBSW, at its request, the full
         purchase price of all Reserved Shares which were subject to a properly
         confirmed agreement to purchase and for which any Directed Share
         Participant failed to pay therefor and accept delivery thereof.

                  (d) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and
         hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and any person
         who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or
         Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all
         of the foregoing persons from and against any loss, damage, expense,
         liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation)
         which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur
         under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar
         as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is
         based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
         material fact contained in and in conformity with information furnished
         in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the
         Company expressly for use with reference to such Underwriter in the
         Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by
         any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a
         Prospectus.

                  (e) If any Proceeding is brought against the Company or any
         such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any
         Underwriter pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company or such
         person shall promptly notify such Underwriter in writing of the
         institution of such Proceeding and such Underwriter shall assume the
         defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel
         reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all
         fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify
         such Underwriter shall not relieve such Underwriter from any liability
         which such Underwriter may have to the Company or any such person or
         otherwise. The Company or such person shall have the right to employ
         its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such
         counsel shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless
         the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by
         such Underwriter in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or
         such Underwriter shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in
         light



                                       24
<PAGE>   26
         of the circumstances, employed counsel to have charge of the defense of
         such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have
         reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them
         which are different from or additional to or in conflict with those
         available to such Underwriter (in which case such Underwriter shall not
         have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of
         the indemnified party or parties, but such Underwriter may employ
         counsel and participate in the defense thereof but the fees and
         expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter),
         in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such
         Underwriter and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that
         such Underwriter shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one
         separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one
         Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction
         representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such
         Proceeding). No Underwriter shall be liable for any settlement of any
         such Proceeding effected without the written consent of such
         Underwriter but if settled with the written consent of such
         Underwriter, such Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
         Company and any such person from and against any loss or liability by
         reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if
         at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying
         party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of
         counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then
         the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any
         settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if
         (i) such settlement is entered into more than sixty (60) days after
         receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such
         indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in
         accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and
         (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at
         least thirty (30) days' prior notice of its intention to settle. No
         indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the
         indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened
         Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have
         been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
         indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional
         release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are
         the subject matter of such Proceeding.

                  (f) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is
         unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a), (b) or (c)
         of this Section 9 in respect of any losses, damages, expenses,
         liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable
         indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party,
         shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified
         party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or
         claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
         benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
         on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the
         allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable
         law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the
         relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative
         fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the
         other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in
         such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any
         other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received
         by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall
         be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total
         proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and
         commissions but before deducting expenses) received



                                       25
<PAGE>   27
         by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions
         received by the Underwriters, bear to the aggregate public offering
         price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand
         and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference
         to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue
         statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to
         information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the
         parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
         opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The
         amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages,
         expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall
         be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably
         incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to
         defend or defending any Proceeding.

                  (g) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not
         be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were
         determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were
         treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of
         allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations
         referred to in subsection (c) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of
         this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any
         amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the
         Shares underwritten by such Underwriter and distributed to the public
         were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damage which such
         Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue
         statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
         No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
         Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any
         person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The
         Underwriters' obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are
         several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and
         not joint.

                  (h) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in
         this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the
         Company contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and
         effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
         Underwriter, its partners, directors or officers or any person
         (including each partner, officer or director of such person) who
         controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or
         Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company its
         directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the
         meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and
         shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and
         delivery of the Shares. The Company and each Underwriter agree promptly
         to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it
         and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company's officers
         or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or
         in connection with the Registration Statement or Prospectus.

                   10. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all
statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram
and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or
sent to UBS Warburg LLC, 299 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10171-0026, Attention:
Syndicate Department and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects
if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 887
Industrial



                                       26
<PAGE>   28
Road, Suite G, San Carlos, California 94070, Attention: David P. Binkley, Ph.D.,
President and Chief Executive Officer.

                  11. Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim,
counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in
any way relating to this Agreement ("Claim"), directly or indirectly, shall be
governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New
York. The Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of
convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.

                  12. Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no
Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the
courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which
courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the
Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with
respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service
and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating
to this Agreement is brought by any third party against UBSW or any indemnified
party. Each of UBSW and the Company (on their respective behalfs and, to the
extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of their respective stockholders
and affiliates) waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or
counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising
out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment
in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall
be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other
courts in the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit
upon such judgment.

                  13. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has
been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and
to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof the controlling persons, directors
and officers referred to in such section, and their respective successors,
assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No
other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as
such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement.

                  14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed by the parties
in one or more counterparts which together shall constitute one and the same
agreement among the parties.

                  15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding
upon the Underwriters, the Company and their successors and assigns and any
successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company's, and any of the
Underwriters' respective businesses and/or assets.

                  16. Miscellaneous. UBSW, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary
of UBS AG, is not a bank and is separate from any affiliated bank, including any
U.S. branch or agency of UBS AG. Because UBSW is a separately incorporated
entity, it is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and
commitments, including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of
securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by UBSW are not deposits,
are



                                       27
<PAGE>   29
not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by
a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a
branch or agency.

                  A lending affiliate of UBSW may have lending relationships
with issuers of securities underwritten or privately placed by UBSW. To the
extent required under the securities laws, prospectuses and other disclosure
documents for securities underwritten or privately placed by UBSW will disclose
the existence of any such lending relationships and whether the proceeds of the
issue will be used to repay debts owed to affiliates of UBSW.



                                       28
<PAGE>   30
                  If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among
the Company and the Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below
for the purpose, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall constitute a
binding agreement among the Company and the Underwriters, severally.



                                       Very truly yours,

                                       ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


                                       By:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Name:
                                          Title:


Accepted and agreed to as
 of the date first above
 written, on behalf of
 themselves and the other
 several Underwriters named
 in Schedule A

UBS WARBURG LLC
ING BARINGS LLC
SG COWEN SECURITIES CORPORATION

By:  UBS WARBURG LLC


By:
   ----------------------------------
   Name:
   Title: Managing Director

By:
   -----------------------------------
   Name:
   Title: Director



                                       29
<PAGE>   31
                                   SCHEDULE A


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                               Number of
Underwriter                                                                   Firm Shares
-----------                                                                   -----------
<S>                                                                           <C>
UBS Warburg LLC............................................................
ING Barings LLC............................................................
SG Cowen Securities Corporation............................................

                                                                              ------------
                                            Total..........................
                                                                              ============
</TABLE>



                                       30


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