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

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.          )

Filed by the Registrantý

Filed by a Party other than the Registranto

Check the appropriate box:

o

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

o

 

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

ý

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

o

 

Definitive Additional Materials

o

 

Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12

 

PTC Therapeutics, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

ý

 

No fee required.

o

 

Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
  (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
         
  (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
         
  (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
         
  (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
         
  (5) Total fee paid:
         

o

 

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

o

 

Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

 

(1)

 

Amount Previously Paid:
        
 
  (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
         
  (3) Filing Party:
         
  (4) Date Filed:
         

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LOGOLOGO

PTC Therapeutics, Inc.
100 Corporate Court
South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080

April 28, 20152016

Dear Stockholder:

        You are cordially invited to attend the 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. on Wednesday,Friday, June 10, 20152016 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites, located at 121 Centennial Ave in Piscataway Township, New Jersey.

        The attached Notice of the Annual Meeting and proxy statement provide important information about the Annual Meeting and will serve as your guide to the business to be conducted at the meeting. Your vote is very important to us. We urge you to read the accompanying materials regarding the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and to submit your voting instructions by proxy. Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote "for" each of the proposals listed on the attached Notice.

        You may submit your proxy by Internet, by telephone or by requesting a printed copy of the proxy materials and using the enclosed proxy card. If you submit your proxy before the meeting but later decide to attend the Annual Meeting in person, you may still vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

        On behalf of our Board of Directors, management and all of our employees, I thank you for your continuing support and confidence.

  Sincerely,

 

 


GRAPHICS
  Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer

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PTC Therapeutics, Inc.
100 Corporate Court
South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held on June 10, 20152016

        This proxy statement contains information about the 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of PTC Therapeutics, Inc., which we refer to as the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday,Friday, June 10, 20152016 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, at the Embassy Suites, located at 121 Centennial Avenue in Piscataway Township, New Jersey. At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will consider and act upon the following matters:

        Instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to all of our stockholders, we provide access to these materials via the Internet. This reduces the amount of paper necessary to produce these materials as well as the costs associated with mailing these materials to all stockholders. Accordingly, on or about April 28, 2015,2016, we will begin mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or Notice, to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 20, 2015,2016, the record date for the Annual Meeting, and will post our proxy materials on the website referenced in the Notice. As more fully described in the Notice, stockholders may choose to access our proxy materials on the website referred to in the Notice or may request to receive a printed set of our proxy materials.

        If you are a stockholder of record, we encourage you to vote in one of the following ways:

        If your shares are held in "street name," meaning that they are held for your account by a broker or other nominee, you will receive instructions from the holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted.

        Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we urge you to take the time to vote your shares.

  By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

 


GRAPHICGRAPHIC


Mark E. Boulding
Secretary

April 28, 20152016

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Explanatory Note

2

Important Information about the Annual Meeting and Voting

  2 

Corporate Governance

  78 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

  78 

Corporate Governance Guidelines

  78 

Director Independence

  78 

Director Nominations

  89 

Board MeetingsMeeting and Annual Meeting Attendance

  9

Director Attendance at Annual Meeting of Stockholders

910 

Board Leadership Structure

  910 

Board Committees

  910 

Risk Oversight

  1213 

Communicating with our Independent Directors

  1314 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

  13

Related Person Transactions

1514 

Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions

  1314

Related Person Transactions

16 

Principal Stockholders

  1718 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

  2021 

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

  2022 

Information Regarding Directors and Director Nominees

  2022 

Proposal 2: Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  2729 

Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

  2931

Executive Officers

32

Company Background

34 

Executive Compensation

  3335

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

35

Compensation Committee Report

51 

Summary Compensation Table

  3352 

Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation TableGrants of Plan-Based Awards in 2015

  3453 

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 20142015

  3555 

Additional Narrative DisclosureOption Exercises and Stock Vested in 2015

  3756

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control (2015)

56 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

  3960 

2013 Long Term Incentive Plan

40

20142015 Director Compensation

  4261 

Narrative to 20142015 Director Compensation Table

  4262

Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation

63

Proposal 4: Advisory Vote on the Frequency of the Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation

64

Proposal 5: Approve the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

65

Proposal 6: Act on Stockholder Proposal Regarding Proxy Access

70 

Stockholder Proposals and Nominations for Director

  4371 

Householding of Proxies

  4473 

Other Matters

  4573 

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LOGO

PTC Therapeutics, Inc.
100 Corporate Court
South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080

PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held on June 10, 20152016

        These proxy materials are being furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors for use at the 20152016 Annual Meeting to be held on Wednesday,Friday, June 10, 20152016 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, at the Embassy Suites, located at 121 Centennial Ave in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.

        All proxies will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained in those proxies. If no choice is specified, the proxies will be voted "for" each of the director nominees and "for" each of the proposals set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised at the meeting by giving our Secretary written notice to that effect.

        The Notice of Annual Meeting and proxy statement are first being mailed and/or made available to stockholders on or about April 28, 20152016 in conjunction with the delivery of our 20142015 Annual Report to Stockholders.

        In this proxy statement, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, the use of "PTC," "the company,Company," "our," "we" or "us" refers to PTC Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Certain information contained in this proxy statement relating to the occupations and security holdings of our directors and officers is based upon information received from the individual directors and officers.

        Whether or not you expect to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please vote as promptly as possible to ensure that your representation and the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares on the Internet by visiting www.proxyvote.com or by telephone by calling 1-800-690-6903 and following the recorded instructions, by requesting a printed copy of the proxy materials and using the enclosed proxy card or by voting in person at the Annual Meeting. Your proxy is revocable in accordance with the procedures set forth in this proxy statement.

Important Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials
for the 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 10, 20152016

This proxy statement and the 20142015 Annual Report to Stockholders are available for viewing, printing and downloading at: http://ir.ptcbio.com/annualmeetingmaterialsannualmeetingmaterials.

        All website addresses given in this proxy statement are for information only and are not intended to be an active link or to incorporate any website information into this document.


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EXPLANATORY NOTE

        We are an "emerging growth company" under applicable federal securities laws and therefore permitted to take advantage of certain reduced public company reporting requirements. As an emerging growth company, we provide in this proxy statement the scaled disclosure permitted under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, including the compensation disclosures required of a "smaller reporting company," as that term is defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are not required to conduct votes seeking approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers or the frequency with which such votes must be conducted. We may remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2018, provided that, if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time or if we have annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more in any fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of December 31 of the applicable year. If the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates continues to exceed $700 million as of June 30, 2015, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of December 31, 2015.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Q. Why did I receive these proxy materials? A. We are providing these proxy materials to you in connection with the solicitation by our Board of Directors, or Board, of proxies to be voted at our Annual Meeting to be held at the Embassy Suites, located at 121 Centennial Ave in Piscataway Township, New Jersey on Wednesday,Friday, June 10, 20152016 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern time. At the Annual Meeting, our stockholders will consider and vote on the matters described in this proxy statement. As of the date of this proxy statement, we are not aware of any business to come before the meeting other than the matters described herein.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy statement, and voting instructions, together with our 20142015 Annual Report, will be made available to each stockholder entitled to vote starting on or about April 28, 2015.2016. These materials are available for viewing, printing and downloading on the Internet at www.proxyvote.com.

Q.

 

Who can vote at the Annual Meeting?

 

A.

 

Our Board has fixed April 20, 20152016 as the record date for the Annual Meeting. If you were a stockholder of record on the record date, you are entitled to vote (in person or by proxy) all of the shares that you held on that date at the Annual Meeting and at any postponement or adjournment thereof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the record date, we had 33,848,27634,265,019 shares of our common stock outstanding. Each share of common stock entitles its holder to one vote per share. Holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights.

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Q.


How do I vote?


A.


If your shares are registered directly in your name, you may vote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

Over the Internet: Go to www.proxyvote.com. Use the vote control number printed on your Notice (or your proxy card or voting instruction card) to access your account and vote your shares. You must specify how you want your shares voted or your Internet vote cannot be completed and you will receive an error message. Your shares will be voted according to your instructions. You must submit your Internet proxy before 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, on June 9, 2015,2016, the day before the Annual Meeting, for your proxy to be valid and your vote to count. If you choose to vote over the Internet, you do not have to return a proxy card (or voting instruction card).

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(2)


(2)By Telephone: Call 1-800-690-6903, toll free from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and follow the recorded instructions. You will need to have the Notice (or your proxy card or voting instruction card) in hand when you call. You must specify how you want your shares voted and confirm your vote at the end of the call or your telephone vote cannot be completed. Your shares will be voted according to your instructions. You must submit your telephonic proxy before 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, on June 9, 2015,2016, the day before the Annual Meeting, for your proxy to be valid and your vote to count. If you choose to vote by telephone, you do not have to return the proxy card (or voting instruction card).

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

 

By Mail: If you received a printed copy of the proxy materials, complete and sign your enclosed proxy card and mail it in the enclosed postage prepaid envelope. Your shares will be voted according to your instructions. Broadridge must receive the proxy card by June 9, 2015,2016, the day before the Annual Meeting, for your proxy to be valid and your vote to count. If you sign and return your proxy card but do not specify how you want your shares voted, they will be voted as recommended by our Board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

 

In Person at the Meeting: If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may deliver your completed proxy card in person or you may vote by completing a ballot, which we will provide to you at the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your shares are held in "street name," meaning they are held for your account by a broker, bank, trust or other nominee or custodian, then you are considered the beneficial owner of those shares, and you may vote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

Over the Internet or by Telephone: You will receive instructions from your broker or other nominee if they permit Internet or telephone voting. You should follow those instructions.

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(2)

(2)
By Mail: You will receive instructions from your broker or other nominee explaining how you can vote your shares by mail. You should follow those instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

 

In Person at the Meeting: Contact your broker or other nominee who holds your shares to obtain a broker's proxy and bring it with you to the Annual Meeting. A broker's proxy isnot the form of proxy enclosed with this proxy statement.You will not be able to vote shares you hold in street name in person at the Annual Meeting unless you have a proxy from your broker or other nominee issued in your name giving you the right to vote your shares.

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If you hold your shares of our common stock in multiple accounts, you should vote your shares as described above for each set of proxy materials you receive.

Q.

 

Can I change or revoke my vote?

 

A.

 

If your shares are registered directly in your name, you may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the Annual Meeting. To do so, you must do one of the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

Vote over the Internet or by telephone as instructed above. Only your latest Internet or telephone vote is counted. You may not change your vote over the Internet or by telephone after 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, on June 9, 2015.2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

 

Sign a new proxy and submit it as instructed above. Only your latest dated proxy, received by Broadridge not later than June 9, 2015,2016, will be counted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

 

Attend the Annual Meeting, request that your proxy be revoked and vote in person as instructed above. Attending the Annual Meeting will not revoke your Internet vote, telephone vote or proxy, as the case may be, unless you specifically request it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your shares are held in street name, you may submit new voting instructions by contacting your broker or other nominee. You may also vote in person at the Annual Meeting if you obtain a broker's proxy as described in the answer above.

Q.

 

Will my shares be voted if I do not return my proxy?

 

A.

 

If your shares are registered directly in your name, your shares will not be voted if you do not vote over the Internet, by telephone, by returning your proxy or by ballot at the Annual Meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your shares are held in street name, your broker or other nominee may, under certain circumstances, vote your shares if you do not timely return your proxy.







Brokers can vote their customers' unvoted shares on discretionary matters but cannot vote such shares on non-discretionary matters. If you do not timely return a proxy to your broker to vote your shares, your broker may, on discretionary matters, either vote your shares or leave your shares unvoted.







The ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 2) is a discretionary matter.







The election of directors (Proposal 1), the advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation (Proposal 3), the advisory vote on the frequency of the advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation (Proposal 4), the vote to approve the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Proposal 5), and the stockholder proposal regarding proxy access (Proposal 6) are each non-discretionary matters.

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      The election of directors (Proposal 1) is a non-discretionary matter. The ratification ofIf your shares are held in street name and you do not vote your shares, your broker or other nominee cannot vote your shares on Proposals 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. Shares held in street name by brokers or nominees who indicate on their proxies that they do not have authority to vote the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 2) is a discretionary matter.shares on Proposals 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 will not be counted as votes FOR or WITHHELD from any director nominee, with respect to Proposal 1, or FOR or AGAINST Proposals 2, 4, 5 or 6 and will be treated as "broker non-votes." Broker non-votes will have no effect on the voting on Proposals 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We encourage you to provide voting instructions to your broker or other nominee by giving your proxy to them. This ensures that your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting according to your instructions.

Q.

 

How many shares must be present to hold the Annual Meeting?

 

A.

 

The holders of a majority in voting power of the common stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting must be present to hold the Annual Meeting and conduct business. This is called a quorum. For purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, we count as "present" any shares that are voted over the Internet, by telephone, by completing and submitting a proxy or that are represented in person at the meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted for the purposes of establishing a quorum at the meeting. If a quorum is not present, we expect to adjourn the Annual Meeting until we obtain a quorum.

Q.

 

What vote is required to approve each proposal and how are votes counted?

 

A.

 

Proposal 1—Election of ThreeFour Class IIIII Directors

The threefour director nominees receiving the highest number of votes FOR election will be elected as directors. This is called a plurality.Proposal 1 is a non-discretionary matter. If your shares are held in street name and you do not vote your shares, your broker or other nominee cannot vote your shares on Proposal 1. Shares held in street name by brokers or nominees who indicate on their proxies that they do not have authority to vote the shares on Proposal 1 will not be counted as votes FOR or WITHHELD from any director nominee and will be treated as "broker non-votes." Broker non-votes will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 1. With respect to Proposal 1, you may:

     

vote FOR all director nominees;

     

vote FOR one or more director nominee(s) and WITHHOLD your vote from the other director nominee(s); or

     

WITHHOLD your vote from all director nominees.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Votes that are withheld will not be included in the vote tally for the election of directors and will not affect the results of the vote.

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      Proposal 2—Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

 

 

 

To approve Proposal 2, stockholders holding a majority of the votes cast on the matter must vote FOR the proposal.Proposal 2 is a discretionary matter. If your shares are held in street name and you do not vote your shares, your broker or other director nominee may vote your unvoted shares on Proposal 2. If you vote to ABSTAIN on Proposal 2, your shares will not be voted FOR or AGAINST the proposal and will also not be counted as votes cast or shares voting on the proposal. Voting to ABSTAIN will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 2.







Proposal 3—Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation







Proposal 3 asks for a non-binding, advisory vote, so there is no "required vote" that would constitute approval.Proposal 3 is a non-discretionary matter. We value the opinions expressed by our stockholders in this advisory vote, and our Compensation Committee, which is responsible for overseeing and administering our executive compensation programs, will consider the outcome of the vote when designing our compensation programs and making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers. If you vote to ABSTAIN on Proposal 3, your shares will not be voted FOR or AGAINST the proposal and will also not be counted as votes cast or shares voting on the proposal. Voting to ABSTAIN will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 3.







Proposal 4—Advisory Vote on the Frequency of the Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation







Proposal 4 also calls for a non-binding, advisory vote, so there is no "required vote" that would constitute approval.Proposal 4 is a non-discretionary matter. Our Board of Directors has recommended an annual vote, and we believe that stockholders will support that recommendation. However, if another frequency receives more votes, our Board of Directors will take that fact into account when making its decision on how often to hold executive compensation advisory votes. If you vote to ABSTAIN on Proposal 4, your shares will not be voted on the proposal and will also not be counted as votes cast or shares voting on the proposal. Voting to ABSTAIN will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 4.

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Proposal 5—Approve the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan







To approve Proposal 5, stockholders holding a majority of the votes cast on the matter must vote FOR the proposal.Proposal 5 is a non-discretionary matter. If you vote to ABSTAIN on Proposal 5, your shares will not be voted FOR or AGAINST the proposal and will also not be counted as votes cast or shares voting on the proposal. Voting to ABSTAIN will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 5.







Proposal 6—Act on Stockholder Proposal regarding Proxy Access







Proposal 6 also calls for a non-binding vote, so there is no "required vote" that would constitute approval.Proposal 6 is a non-discretionary matter. We value the opinions expressed by our stockholders in this non-binding vote, and our Board will consider the outcome of the vote in deciding whether to initiate actions intended to implement a "proxy access" bylaw consistent with the stockholder proposal. If you vote to ABSTAIN on Proposal 6, your shares will not be voted on the proposal and will also not be counted as votes cast or shares voting on the proposal. Voting to ABSTAIN will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 6.

Q.

 

Are there other matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

 

A.

 

We do not know of any matters that may come before the Annual Meeting other than the electionmatters listed in the accompanying Notice of the three Class II director nominees named in this proxy statement and the ratificationAnnual Meeting of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm.Stockholders. If any other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the accompanying proxy intend to vote, or otherwise act, in accordance with their judgment on the matter.

Q.

 

Who may attend the Annual Meeting?

 

A.

 

All stockholders of record on our books at the close of business on April 20, 2015,2016, the record date for the Annual Meeting, may attend the meeting. To gain admission, record holders will need a valid picture identification or other proof that you are a stockholder of record of our shares as of the record date. If your shares are held in a bank or brokerage account, a recent bank or brokerage statement showing that you owned shares on the record date will be required for admission. To obtain directions to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, please contact Investor Relations by sending an email to: irpr@ptcbio.com.

Q.

 

Where can I find the voting results?

 

A.

 

We will report the voting results in a Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days following the adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

Q.

 

What are the costs of soliciting these proxies?

 

A.

 

We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies. In addition to these proxy materials, our directors, officers and employees may solicit proxies without additional compensation. We do not currently plan to hire a proxy solicitor to help us solicit proxies from brokers and other nominees, although we reserve the right to do so. We may reimburse brokers or persons holding stock in their names, or in the names of their nominees, for their expenses in sending proxies and proxy material to beneficial owners.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

        Our Board believes that good corporate governance is important to ensure that our companyCompany is managed for the long-term benefit of our stockholders. This section describes key corporate governance guidelines and practices that we have adopted to further this goal. Complete copies of the committee charters, and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines described below are available on the Corporate Governance page of the Investors section of our website,www.ptcbio.com. Alternatively, you can request a copy of any of these documents by writing to our Senior Director, Corporate Communications, PTC Therapeutics, Inc., 100 Corporate Court, South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

        We have adopted a written Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which is a code of ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We have posted a current copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on the Corporate Governance page of the Investors section of our website,www.ptcbio.com. In addition, we intend to post on our website all disclosures that are required by law or NASDAQ's listing standards concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

        Our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines to assist it in the exercise of its duties and responsibilities and to serve the best interests of our companyCompany and our stockholders. We have posted a current copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines on the Corporate Governance page of the Investors section of our website,www.ptcbio.com. These principles, which provide a framework for the conduct of our Board's business, provide that:

Director Independence

        Our Board has determined that all of our directors and director nominees, other than Dr. Peltz, our Chief Executive Officer, are independent as defined under applicable NASDAQ rules. In making such determination, our Board considered the relationships that each such person has with our companyCompany and all other facts and circumstances that our Board deemed relevant in determining independence, including beneficial ownership of our common stock by our non-employee directors. In considering the independence of our directors, our Board considered the association of certain of our directors with the holders of more than 5% of our common stock as well as the effect of each of the transactions described under the heading "Related Person Transactions" below.


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Director Nominations

        Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by our Board, and recommending the persons to be nominated for election as directors, except where we are legally required by contract, law or otherwise to provide third parties with the right to nominate.directors.

        The process followed by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to identify and evaluate director candidates includes requests to members of our Board, search firms and others for recommendations, meetings from time to time to evaluate biographical information and background material relating to potential candidates and interviews of selected candidates by members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board.

        In considering whether to recommend any particular candidate for inclusion in our Board's slate of recommended director nominees, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee applies the criteria specified in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. These criteria include the candidate's integrity, business acumen, knowledge of our business and industry, experience, diligence, conflicts of interest with us, and ability to act in the interests of stockholders. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not assign specific weight to particular criteria and no particular criterion is a prerequisite for any prospective director nominee.

        Our Board does not have a formal policy with respect to diversity, but our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that an objective of Board composition is to bring to our companyCompany a variety of perspectives and skills derived from high quality business and professional experience. Our Board recognizes its responsibility to ensure that director nominees possess appropriate qualifications and reflect a reasonable diversity of personal and professional experience, skills, backgrounds and perspectives. We believe that the backgrounds and qualifications of our directors, considered as a group, should provide a composite mix of experience, knowledge and abilities that will allow our Board to promote our strategic objectives and to fulfill its responsibilities to our stockholders.

        The director biographies presented under "Proposal 1—"Proposal 1: Election of Directors"Directors" indicate each director nominee's experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our Board to conclude that he or she should be nominated to serve as a member of our Board. Our Board believes that each of the director nominees has had substantial achievement in his or her professional and personal pursuits, and possesses the background, talents and experience that our Board desires and that will contribute to the best interests of our companyCompany and to long-term stockholder value.

        Stockholders may recommend individuals to our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for consideration as potential director candidates by submitting their names, together with appropriate biographical information and background materials as of the date such recommendation is made, to our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o Secretary, PTC Therapeutics, Inc., 100 Corporate Court, South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080. Assuming that appropriate biographical and background material has been provided on a timely basis, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate stockholder-recommended candidates by following substantially the same process, and applying substantially the same criteria, as it follows for candidates submitted by others.

        Stockholders also have the right under our amended and restated bylaws, or bylaws, to directly nominate director candidates, without any action or recommendation on the part of our Nominating


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and Corporate Governance Committee or our Board, by following the procedures set forth under "Stockholder


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"Stockholder Proposals and Nominations for 2016 Annual Meeting.Director." If our Board determines to nominate a stockholder-recommended candidate and recommends his or her election, then his or her name will be included in our proxy statement and proxy card for the next annual meeting. Otherwise, candidates nominated by stockholders in accordance with the procedures set forth in the bylaws will not be included in our proxy statement and proxy card for the next annual meeting.

Board MeetingsMeeting and Annual Meeting Attendance

        Our Board metheld 11 timesmeetings during 2014, either in person or by teleconference.2015.

        During 2014,2015, each of our directors attended at least 75% of the Board meetings and the meetings of the committees on which he then served.

Director Attendanceserved, other than Dr. McDonough. Due to unavoidable prior obligations, Dr. McDonough was unable to attend several unplanned special meetings of the Board that were called on short notice and as a result attended 55% of our Board meetings in 2015. Notwithstanding his attendance record at Annual Meetingformal board meetings during 2015, Dr. McDonough has been consistently available to our Board and Company management for regular consultations on matters critical to our success, in particular those related to his areas of Stockholders
expertise as an executive leader in the biopharmaceutical industry. The Board believes that Dr. McDonough's contributions to the Board and the Company have been significant and that his re-election to the Board is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders due to his extensive experience in our industry.

        Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that our directors are expected to attend the Annual Meeting. NineSeven of our directors and Dr. Steele, who was elected to the Board at such meeting, attended our 20142015 annual meeting of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure

        The positions of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer are separated. Mr. Schmertzler serves as our Chair of the Board and Dr. Peltz serves as our Chief Executive Officer. This leadership structure allows our Chief Executive Officer to focus on our day-to-day business and allows our Chair of the Board to lead our Board in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. Our Board recognizes the time, effort and energy that our Chief Executive Officer must devote to his position, as well as the commitment required by Mr. Schmertzler to serve as our Chair of the Board, particularly as our Board's oversight responsibilities continue to grow. Our Board also believes that this structure ensures a greater role for the independent directors in the oversight of our companyCompany and active participation of the independent directors in setting agendas and establishing priorities and procedures for the work of our Board.

        Our bylaws do not require the position of Chair of our Board and Chief Executive Officer to be separate. Our Board believes that its leadership structure demonstrates our commitment to good corporate governance, and is appropriate because it strikes an effective balance between strategy development, independent leadership and management oversight. Our Board believes its leadership structure positively affects its administration of its risk oversight function.

Board Committees

        Our Board has established three standing committees: our Audit Committee, our Compensation Committee and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of these committees operates under a charter that has been approved by our Board. Each committee's charter is posted on the Corporate Governance page of the Investors section of our website,www.ptcbio.com.

        Our Board has determined that all of the members of each of its three committees are independent as defined under applicable NASDAQ rules, including, in the case of all members of our Audit Committee, the independence requirements contemplated by Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange


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Act and, in the case of all members of our Compensation Committee, the independence requirements contemplated by Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act.