AVEXIS,INC. (NASDAQ:AVXS) Files An 8-K Changes in Registrant’s Certifying AccountantItem 4.01 Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant.
On July11, 2017, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of AveXis,Inc. (the “Company”), following careful deliberation, approved the dismissal of PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, and appointed Deloitte& Touche LLP as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm, subject to completion of its standard client acceptance procedures.
The reports of PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP on the Company’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December31, 2015 and 2016 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During the fiscal years ended December31, 2015 and 2016 and the subsequent interim period through July11, 2017, there were no disagreements between the Company and PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP, would have caused PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with its reports for such fiscal years; and there were no “reportable events” as defined in Item304(a)(1)(v)of RegulationS-K, except for the material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting disclosed in its Annual Reports on Form10-K for the fiscal years ended December31, 2015 and 2016, related to the determination that we did not design or maintain an effective control environment with the sufficient number of trained professionals with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to properly analyze, record and disclose accounting matters commensurate with our financial reporting requirements, which contributed to further material weaknesses related to the design and maintenance of (i)formal accounting policies, procedures and controls commensurate with the Company’s accounting and financial reporting requirements, (ii)formal accounting policies, or processes and procedures to identify, analyze, and appropriately account for and disclose complex debt and equity agreements, or share-based compensation awards and (iii)processes and procedures that restrict access to key financial systems and records to appropriate users and evaluate whether appropriate segregation of duties is being maintained. Specifically, certain personnel had access to financial application, programs and data beyond that needed to perform their individual job responsibilities without independent monitoring. The Audit Committee discussed the subject matter of these reportable events with PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP. The Company has authorized PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP to respond fully and without limitation to all requests of Deloitte& Touche LLP concerning all matters related to the periods audited by PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP, including with respect to the subject matter of these reportable events.
The Company provided PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP with a copy of the disclosures it is making in this Current Report on Form8-K and requested that PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP furnish a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether or not it agrees with the statements made herein. A copy of PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP’s letter dated July14, 2017 is filed as Exhibit16.1 hereto.
During the fiscal years ended December31, 2015 and 2016 and the subsequent interim period through July11, 2017, neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf consulted with Deloitte& Touche LLP regarding either (i)the application of accounting principles to any specific completed or proposed transaction, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements, nor did Deloitte& Touche LLP provide written or oral advice to the Company that Deloitte& Touche LLP concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii)any matter that was either the subject of a