13D Filing: OrbiMed Advisors and Roka Bioscience Inc. (ROKA)

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ROKA BIOSCIENCE, INC.

(Name of Issuer)

COMMON STOCK

(Title of Class of Securities)

775431109

(CUSIP Number)

OrbiMed Advisors LLC

OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC

Samuel D. Isaly

601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Telephone:  (212) 739-6400

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person

Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

October 3, 2017

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

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*	Includes 571,428 shares of the Issuer’s Common Stock (the “Shares”) underlying warrants (the “Warrants”).

†	This percentage is calculated based on 5,007,742 outstanding Shares of the Issuer, as set forth in the Issuer’s Form 10-Q/A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 28, 2017, and includes 571,428 Shares subject to currently exercisable Warrants.

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*	Includes 566,037 shares of the Issuer’s Common Stock (the “Shares”) underlying warrants (the “Warrants”).

†	This percentage is calculated based on 5,007,742 outstanding Shares of the Issuer, as set forth in the Issuer’s Form 10-Q/A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 28, 2017, and includes 566,037 Shares subject to currently exercisable Warrants.

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*	Includes 571,428 shares of the Issuer’s Common Stock (the “Shares”) underlying warrants (the “Warrants”).

†	This percentage is calculated based on 5,007,742 outstanding Shares of the Issuer, as set forth in the Issuer’s Form 10-Q/A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 28, 2017, and includes 571,428 Shares subject to currently exercisable Warrants.

Item 1. Security and Issuer

This Amendment No. 7 (“Amendment No. 7”) to Schedule 13D supplements and amends the Statement on Schedule 13D of OrbiMed Advisors LLC, OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC and Samuel D. Isaly originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 16, 2014 (the “Statement”) and amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed with the SEC on September 23, 2016, Amendment No. 2 thereto filed with the SEC on November 14, 2016, Amendment No. 3 filed with the SEC on February 7, 2017, Amendment No. 4 filed with the SEC on August 23, 2017, Amendment No. 5 filed with the SEC on September 28, 2017, and Amendment No. 6 filed with the SEC on October 2, 2017.  The Statement relates to the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Roka Bioscience, Inc. (the “Shares”), a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Issuer”), with its principal executive offices located at 20 Independence Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059.  The Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol “ROKA.” Information given in response to each item shall be deemed incorporated by reference in all other items, as applicable.

Item 2. Identity and Background

(a)           This Amendment No. 7 to the Statement is being filed by OrbiMed Advisors LLC (“Advisors”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, OrbiMed Capital GP III LLC (“GP III”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, and Samuel D. Isaly (“Isaly”), an individual (collectively, the “Reporting Persons”).

(b) – (c) Advisors, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, is the sole general partner of OrbiMed Associates III (“Associates III”) and the sole managing member of GP III, which is the sole general partner of OrbiMed Private Investments III, LP (“OPI III”), which holds warrants to purchase Shares of the Issuer (the “Warrants”), as more particularly described in Item 6 below.  Advisors has its principal offices at 601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor, New York, New York 10022.

GP III has its principal offices at 601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor, New York, New York 10022.

Isaly, a natural person, owns a controlling interest in Advisors.

The directors and executive officers of Advisors and GP III are set forth on Schedules I and II, attached hereto.  Schedules I and II set forth the following information with respect to each such person:

(i)

name;

(ii)

business address;

(iii)

present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted;

(iv)

citizenship.

(d) – (e) During the last five years, neither the Reporting Persons nor any Person named in Schedule I or II have been (i) convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (ii) a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

(f)           Isaly is a citizen of the United States.

Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration

Not applicable.

Item 4. Purpose of Transaction

This Amendment No. 7 to the Statement relates to the transactions by the Reporting Persons more fully described in Item 5 below. The Shares initially had been acquired (and the Warrants that continue to be held, are held) by the Reporting Persons for the purpose of making an investment in the Issuer and not with the intention of acquiring control of the Issuer’s business.

The Reporting Persons from time to time intend to review their investment in the Issuer on the basis of various factors, including the Issuer’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, general economic and industry conditions, the securities markets in general and those for the Common Stock in particular, as well as other developments and other investment opportunities.  Based upon such review, the Reporting Persons will take such actions in the future as the Reporting Persons may deem appropriate in light of the circumstances existing from time to time.  If the Reporting Persons believe that further investment in the Issuer is attractive, whether because of the market price of the Common Stock or otherwise, they may acquire shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Issuer either in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.  Similarly, depending on market and other factors, the Reporting Persons may determine to dispose of some or all of the Shares currently owned by the Reporting Persons or otherwise acquired by the Reporting Persons either in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.

Except as set forth in this Amendment No. 7, the Reporting Persons have not formulated any plans or proposals which relate to or would result in: (a) the acquisition by any person of additional securities of the Issuer or the disposition of securities of the Issuer, (b) an extraordinary corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, (c) a sale or transfer of a material amount of the assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, (d) any change in the present Board of Directors or management of the Issuer, including any plans or proposals to change the number or term of directors or to fill any existing vacancies on the board, (e) any material change in the Issuer’s capitalization or dividend policy of the Issuer, (f) any other material change in the Issuer’s business or corporate structure, (g) any change in the Issuer’s charter or bylaws or other instrument corresponding thereto or other action which may impede the acquisition of control of the Issuer by any person, (h) causing a class of the Issuer’s securities to be deregistered or delisted from a national securities exchange or to cease to be authorized to be quoted in an inter-dealer quotation system of a registered national securities association, (i) a class of equity securities of the Issuer becoming eligible for termination of registration pursuant to Section 12(g)(4) of the Act or (j) any action similar to any of those enumerated above.

Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer

(a)-(b)   As of the date of this filing, the Reporting Persons may be deemed, for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the Act, directly or indirectly, including by reason of their mutual affiliation, to be the beneficial owners of certain Shares underlying Warrants.  As of the date of this filing, none of the Reporting Persons beneficially owns any outstanding Shares.  Based upon information contained in the Issuer’s Form 10-Q/A, filed with the SEC on September 28, 2017, the Shares underlying Warrants deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by GP III constitute approximately 10.16% of the issued and outstanding Shares (assuming exercise of such Warrants), and the Shares underlying Warrants deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by Advisors and Isaly constitute approximately 10.24% of the issued and outstanding Shares (assuming exercise of such Warrants).  Advisors, pursuant to its authority as the sole managing member of GP III, which is the sole general partner of OPI III, and as the sole general partner Associates III, may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the Shares underlying Warrants held by OPI III and Associates III.  GP III, pursuant to its authority as the general partner of OPI III, may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the Shares underlying Warrants held by OPI III.  Isaly, pursuant to his authority as the managing member of Advisors and owner of a controlling interest in Advisors, pursuant to its limited liability company agreement, may be deemed to also indirectly beneficially own the Shares attributable to Advisors.  As a result, Isaly, Advisors and GP III share the power to direct the vote and the disposition of the Shares underlying Warrants held by OPI III described in Item 6 below, and Isaly and Advisors share the power to direct the vote and the disposition of the Shares underlying Warrants held by Associates III.

In addition, Advisors and GP III, pursuant to their authority under the limited partnership agreements of OPI III and/or Associates III, prior to the date of this filing, caused OPI III and Associates III, as applicable, to enter into the agreements referred to in Item 6 below.

(c)

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* The Price Per Share reported above is a weighted average price.  The Shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from:  $0.66 to $0.71 (October 3, 2017).  Upon request, the Reporting Persons undertake to provide the Issuer, any security holder of the Issuer, or the SEC full information regarding the Shares purchased at each separate price within the ranges set forth above.

Except as disclosed above and in Amendment No. 4, Amendment No. 5 and Amendment No. 6, the Reporting Persons have not effected any transactions in the Shares during the past sixty (60) days.

(d)           Not applicable.

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

In addition to the relationships between the Reporting Persons described in Items 2, 3 and 5, GP III is the sole general partner of OPI III, pursuant to the terms of the limited partnership agreement of OPI III.  Advisors is the sole managing member of GP III, pursuant to the terms of the limited liability company agreement of GP III.  Advisors is also the sole general partner of Associates III, pursuant to the terms of the limited partnership agreement of Associates III.  Pursuant to these agreements and relationships, Advisors and GP III have shared discretionary investment management authority with respect to the assets of OPI III.  Such authority includes the power of GP III to vote and otherwise dispose of securities purchased by OPI III.  Advisors also has discretionary investment management authority with respect to the assets of Associates III and, as a result, has the power to direct the vote and disposition of the securities of the Issuer held by Associates III.  Isaly, pursuant to his authority as the managing member of, and owner of a controlling interest in, Advisors, also has shared discretionary power to direct the vote and the disposition of the securities of the Issuer held by OPI III and Associates III.  The number of outstanding Shares held of record by OPI III is zero, and the number of Warrants held of record by OPI III is 566,037. The number of outstanding Shares held of record by Associates III is zero and the number of Warrants held of record by Associates III is 5,391. Advisors and Isaly may be considered to hold indirectly 571,428 Warrants, and GP III may be considered to hold indirectly 566,037 Warrants.

Item 7. Materials to Be Filed as Exhibits

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of each of the undersigned’s knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: October 5, 2017

Schedule I

The name and present principal occupation of each of the executive officers and directors of OrbiMed Advisors LLC are set forth below.  Unless otherwise noted, each of these persons are United States citizens and have as their business address 601 Lexington Avenue, 54th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

Schedule II

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

EXHIBIT INDEX

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