Filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration
No. 333-220632
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
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(To
the Prospectus dated October 10, 2017)
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8,461,540
Shares of Common Stock
We
are offering up to 8,461,540 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share at a purchase price of $1.30 per share
of common stock to certain institutional investors pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
As
of February 25, 2020, the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates, or our public float,
was approximately $51.27 million, which amount is based on 38,642,121 shares of common stock outstanding, of which approximately
23.4 million shares of common stock were held by non-affiliates, and a per share price of $2.19, which was the last reported sale
price of our common stock on February 25, 2020. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3, so long as our public float
remains below $75.0 million, in no event will we sell securities with a value of more than one-third of our public float in any
12-month period under the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. During the previous 12 calendar months prior
to and including the date of this prospectus supplement, we have offered and sold securities with an aggregate value of $5,000,000
pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 (but excluding this offering). Additionally, common stock with a maximum aggregate
offering price of $200,000 remains unsold under the amended and restated prospectus supplement, dated January 29, 2019 relating
to our Equity Distribution Agreement.
Our
common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “COCP.” On February 26, 2020, the last reported
sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.77 per share.
Investing
in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus
supplement, and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
for the three months ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2019, which are incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or
determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary
is a criminal offense.
We
have engaged H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, or the placement agent, as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this
offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of
any specific number or dollar amount of securities. We have agreed to pay the placement agent the placement agent fees set forth
in the table below. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page S-14 of this prospectus supplement for more information
regarding these arrangements.
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Per Share
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Total
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Offering price
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$
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1.30
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$
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11,000,002
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Placement agent fees (1)
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$
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0.0845
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$
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715,000
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us
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$
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1.2155
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$
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10,285,002
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(1)
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In addition, we
have agreed to pay the placement agent a management fee of 1.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering and
to pay the placement agent for certain of its expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page
S-14 of this prospectus supplement for more information on placement agent compensation.
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Delivery
of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about February 28, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of certain
closing conditions.
H.C.
Wainwright & Co.
The
date of this prospectus supplement is February 27, 2020
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This
document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of the offering and also adds
to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part consists of a prospectus dated October 10, 2017, included in the registration
statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-220632) that was initially filed on September 26, 2017, as amended on October 5, 2017, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and was declared effective by the SEC on October 10, 2017. Since the accompanying
prospectus provides general information about us, some of the information may not apply to this offering. This prospectus supplement
describes the specific details regarding this offering. Generally, when we refer to the “prospectus,” we are referring
to both parts of this document. Additional information is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. If information
in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement.
You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any information incorporated by reference before you
make any investment decision.
Neither
we nor the placement agent are making an offer to sell the securities in jurisdictions where the offer or sale is not permitted.
The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the offer and sale of our securities in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about and observe any restrictions relating to the offering of the securities
and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer of, or an invitation to purchase, any shares of common stock
in any jurisdiction in which such offer or invitation would be unlawful.
You
should rely only on information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate
by reference in this prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from
that contained in this prospectus supplement. We are not offering to sell or seeking offers to buy shares of common stock in jurisdictions
where offers and sales are not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
supplement is accurate only as of their respective dates, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale
of our common stock.
Unless
otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this prospectus supplement to the “Company,”
“we,” “us,” “our” and “Cocrystal” refer to Cocrystal Pharma, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
To
the extent this prospectus supplement contains summaries of the documents referred to herein, you are directed to the actual documents
for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the
documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration
statement of which this prospectus supplement is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under
the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus, contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
Such forward-looking statements include those statements that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets
or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified
by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,”
“will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,”
“appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,”
“project” and other words of similar meaning, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying
words. In particular, these forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about our intended use of proceeds, the
development and commercialization of broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidates and their success.
These
statements are based on our current expectations and projections and involve estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in
their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in this prospectus supplement, and the accompanying prospectus, and the documents
incorporated by reference herein and therein. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking
statements include our failure to continue to generate revenue and unsuccessful, negative results from our clinical trial(s) or
significant delays in the development or commercialization of any of our product candidates. We also refer you to the Risk Factors
which begin on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2018, under the caption “Item 1A – Risk Factors” of such report, and the other documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement for both an expanded discussion of the risks and uncertainties described above and additional
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by
forward-looking statements. However, factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time,
and it is not possible for us to predict all of them.
You
should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents that we reference herein and therein, completely
and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. You are cautioned not
to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement.
Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or, in the case of documents incorporated
by reference, the date of the applicable document (or any earlier date indicated in the statement), and we undertake no obligation
to update or revise any of these statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except
as required by law. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This
summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the securities
offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should read this summary together with the entire prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including our financial statements, the notes to those financial statements and the
other documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before making
an investment decision. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement for a discussion of
the risks involved in investing in our securities.
Our
Company
Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company seeking to discover and develop novel antiviral therapeutics as treatments for serious
and/or chronic viral diseases. We employ unique structure-based technologies and Nobel Prize winning expertise to create first-
and best-in-class antiviral drugs. These technologies are designed to efficiently deliver small molecule therapeutics that are
safe, effective and convenient to administer. We have identified promising preclinical and early clinical stage antiviral compounds
for unmet medical needs including influenza, Hepatitis C virus (“HCV”), and norovirus infections. As described below,
we recently entered into a License Agreement (“KSU Agreement”) with Kansas State University Research Foundation (the
“Foundation”) to permit us to use their patents to further develop certain proprietary broad-spectrum antiviral compounds
for the treatment of norovirus and coronavirus.
The
Company operates in one segment. Management uses cash flows as the primary measure to manage its business and does not segment
its business for internal reporting or decision-making.
Cocrystal
Technology
We
are developing antiviral therapeutics that inhibit the essential replication function of various viruses. One of our goals is
treating human and avian (bird) influenza. Additional goals include decreasing the duration of HCV therapy by advancing drug candidates
targeting the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme and treating norovirus infections by discovering and developing drug candidates
targeting the viral replication complex. To discover and design these inhibitors, we use a proprietary platform comprising computation,
medicinal chemistry, X-ray crystallography, and our extensive know-how. We determine the structures of cocrystals containing the
inhibitors bound to the enzyme or protein to guide our design. We also use advanced computational methods to screen and design
product candidates using proprietary cocrystal structural information. In designing the candidates, we seek to anticipate and
avert potential viral mutations leading to resistance. By designing and selecting drug candidates that interrupt the viral replication
process and also have specific binding characteristics, we seek to develop drugs that are not only effective against both the
virus and possible mutants of the virus, but which also have reduced off-target interactions that cause undesirable clinical side
effects. This approach requires an extensive knowledge of viruses and drug targets to carry out. In addition, knowledge and experience
in the fields of structural biology, and enzymology are required. We developed our proprietary structure-based drug design under
the guidance of Dr. Roger Kornberg, our Chief Scientist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006. Our drug discovery
process focuses on those parts of the enzymes to which drugs bind and on drug-enzyme interactions at the atomic level. Additionally,
we have developed proprietary targeted in-house chemical libraries of non-nucleoside inhibitors, metal-binding inhibitors, and
drug-like fragments. Our drug discovery process is different from traditional, empirical, medicinal chemistry approaches that
often require iterative high-throughput compound screening and lengthy hit-to-lead processes. We continue developing preclinical
and clinical drug candidates using our proprietary drug discovery technology.
Recent
Developments
Coronavirus
and Norovirus Infections
On
February 18, 2020, we entered into the KSU Agreement with the Foundation effective February 12, 2020. Pursuant to the terms of
the KSU Agreement, the Foundation granted the Company an exclusive, royalty-bearing right and license to certain antiviral compounds
for humans covered by certain patent rights, including a patent and a patent application covering antivirals against coronaviruses
and norovirus, and related know-how, to make and sell therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic products.
The
Company agreed to pay the Foundation a one-time non-refundable license initiation fee in the amount of $80,000 and an annual license
maintenance fee in the amount of $20,000 per year, and agreed to reimburse the Foundation for third party expenses associated
with the filing, prosecution and maintenance of the patent rights in question. The Company also agreed to make certain future
milestone payments up to $3.1 million, dependent upon the progress of clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and initiation of
commercial sales in the United States and certain countries outside the United States. The KSU Agreement will remain in effect
until the expiration of the patent rights covered by the KSU Agreement, unless earlier terminated pursuant to customary terms.
Influenza
On
January 2, 2019, we entered into an Exclusive License and Research Collaboration Agreement (the “Collaboration Agreement”)
with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (“Merck”) to discover and develop certain proprietary influenza A/B antiviral agents.
Under
the terms of the Collaboration Agreement, Merck is funding research and development for the program at Cocrystal and Merck, including
clinical development at Merck, and Merck is responsible for worldwide commercialization of any products derived from the collaboration.
The Company received an upfront payment of $4,000,000 and is eligible to receive milestone payments related to designated development,
regulatory and sales milestones with the potential to earn up to $156,000,000, as well as royalties on product sales.
Hepatitis
C
On January 22, 2019, the Company announced
safety and preliminary efficacy data for the Phase 2a clinical study evaluating CC-31244 for the treatment of HCV infected individuals.
All subjects had completed the six-week treatment regimen. The treatment was well tolerated with no study discontinuations due
to adverse events. Eight of 12 subjects achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after
completion of treatment (SVR12). SVR12 is defined as undetectable virus in blood 12 weeks after completion of treatment and is
considered a virologic cure. The trial was conducted at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
and the final study report is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
In
addition, the Company is party to a Clinical Trial Agreement, dated October 2018, for a Phase 2a investigator-initiated study
of CC-31244 for the treatment of HCV with the Humanity & Health Research Centre in Hong Kong, China. We do not expect that
the Phase 2a study, which commenced in May 2019, will be completed due to the conditions in Hong Kong.
The
Company is in partnership discussions for further clinical development of CC-31244.
Insurance
Coverage
On
December 16, 2019, Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. filed suit against the Company in federal court in Delaware seeking a
declaratory judgment that it is not required to provide coverage for certain pending litigation and seeking to recover approximately
$1 million in payments made to the Company. The Company has retained counsel and intends to vigorously defend the claim for damages
and seek a judgment that the insurer is required to defend the Company in the litigation. While we are uncertain as to the amount
of future litigation costs, any adverse judgment or settlement is likely to be material.
Intellectual
Property
Our
success depends, in part, upon our ability to protect our core technology. To establish and protect our proprietary rights, we
rely on a combination of patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and know-how, license agreements,
confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements with third parties, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements,
and other contractual rights.
As
of the date of this prospectus supplement, our patent portfolio consisted of patents and pending applications in the areas primarily
related to the treatment of influenza A, influenza B and HCV.
In
our influenza A and A/B programs, our patent portfolio consists of six families, including three pending U.S. provisional applications,
and three pending applications in PCT countries and Taiwan. For our influenza A/B program, the Collaboration Agreement with Merck
provides for joint ownership with Merck of the patent rights covering discoveries, improvements and inventions resulting from
the collaboration.
In
our norovirus and coronavirus programs, our patent portfolio consists of two patents licensed from the Foundation, and the KSU
Agreement with the Foundation provides the patent rights.
In
our HCV program, our patent portfolio consists of three families, including granted U.S. and European patents, and pending patent
applications in the PCT countries and various countries around the world. In addition we have one issued patent on a HCV protease
inhibitor.
Corporate
Information
Our
principal executive offices are located at 19805 N. Creek Parkway, Bothell, Washington 98011 and our telephone number is (786)
459-1831. Our Internet website address is www.cocrystalpharma.com. The information on our website is not incorporated into this
prospectus supplement.
The
Offering
Issuer
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Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc.
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Common stock offered
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8,461,540 shares
of common stock
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering
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47,103,661 shares
of common stock
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Use of proceeds
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We estimate the
net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $10.1 million, after deducting the placement agent fees and estimated
offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-13 of this prospectus supplement.
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Nasdaq Capital Market symbol
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“COCP”
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Risk factors
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This investment
involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement, our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement,
and the other reports incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully
consider before deciding to invest in our common stock.
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The
number of shares common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 38,642,121 shares of common stock
outstanding as of February 26, 2020 and excludes, as of that date:
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243,375 shares of
common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $10.53 per share;
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923,065 shares of
common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options at a weighted average exercise price of $4.15 per share;
and
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3,596,020 shares
of common stock available for future grants under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (“Equity Plan”).
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The
Company has agreed to pay one investor from a prior offering $275,000 for a waiver in order to complete this offering.
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in
our common stock involves a substantial risk of loss. You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below, in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, together with the other information included or incorporated by reference
into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before you decide to invest in our common stock. The occurrence
of any of these risks could harm our business. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may
lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial
may also impair our operations. You should also refer to the other information contained in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference herein or therein, including our financial statements and the notes to those
statements and the information set forth under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks
Relating to Our Business
We
have lost approximately $187.4 million from inception through September 30, 2019 and expect to continue losing money in the future.
We may never achieve income from operations or have positive cash flow from operations.
As
an early stage drug development company, our focus is on developing product candidates, obtaining regulatory approvals and commercializing
pharmaceutical products. As a result, we have lost approximately $187.4 million from inception through September 30, 2019. Consequently,
even with the proceeds of this offering, it is likely that we will need to raise money again in the future. We may never generate
income from operations or have positive cash flow.
Without
the proceeds from this offering, we may be required to scale back our research activities.
Presently
we have cash to last through July 2021. Under the Collaboration Agreement, Merck is providing the funding for our scientific research
into certain influenza A/B antivirals. Accordingly, if we do not close this offering or find other sources of financing, we will
be required to scale back or suspend our research activities (other than the Merck Research) until we obtain other financing.
Our
ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt.
We anticipate that we will continue to lose money for the foreseeable
future. The Company has incurred annual net losses and negative operating cash flows since inception. For the year ended December
31, 2018 and the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded a net loss of approximately $49 million and $0.3 million,
respectively. Although its audit is not complete, the Company expects to report a net loss for the year ending December 31, 2019.
This sum does not include a potential non-cash write off of the goodwill from its acquisition of RFS Pharma, LLC. Any such impairment
of goodwill would be material. The Company has not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover its operating
costs and allow it to continue as a going concern. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to
continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, our stockholders will likely lose all of their investment
in the Company.
Because
we believe the recent volatility of our stock price was caused by our announcement of our License Agreement with the Foundation
and our acquisition of rights to use the licensed patents to seek a treatment for coronavirus as well as norovirus, the increase
in our stock price may be temporary for a number reasons.
After
we announced our entry into the KSU Agreement, the price of our common stock surged from $0.49 as of February 21 to the closing
price of $1.77 on February 26. Our common stock traded as high as $2.37 and our daily volume for the first three days of the week
of February 24 averaged approximately 57.0 million shares per day (not counting after hours trading) in contrast to an average
daily volume of approximately 290,142 for the prior 90 trading days (which included higher volume for a few days in January when
we announced a public offering). Our common stock may continue to be volatile and could materially fall for a number of reasons
including:
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Announcements
by competitors that they are initiating human trials of drugs to treat the coronavirus
or with respect to a possible vaccine;
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Public
announcement that the rapid spread of the coronavirus has receded;
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Our
disclosure that the use of our technology and the Kansas State patents do not appear
promising for the treatment of this virus;
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The
continued large declines in major stock market indexes which causes investors to sell
our common stock;
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The
termination of any other factors which may have created the unusual volatility and spike
in volume; or
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Other
possible reasons for volatility which we have disclosed in our reports filed with the
SEC.
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We
cannot assure you that our stock price and volume will remain at current levels in which case investors may sustain large losses.
We
have never generated revenue from product sales and expect that due to the regulatory constraints on a drug development company
with products in the pre-clinical and early clinical stages, we may not ever generate revenue and may continue to incur significant
losses for the foreseeable future.
We
are a pre-clinical and early stage clinical, biopharmaceutical discovery and development company. From inception until 2016, our
operations were limited to organizing and staffing the Company, acquiring and developing intellectual property rights, developing
our technology platform, undertaking basic research on viral replication enzyme targets and conducting preclinical studies for
our initial programs. We currently have only one product candidate in a Phase 2a clinical trial. Because of the need to complete
clinical trials, establish safety and efficacy and obtaining regulatory approval, which is an expensive and time-consuming process,
we do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for at least five years and will continue to sustain considerable losses.
We may develop a partnership that could generate income sooner, but there is no guarantee that will be achievable.
To
date, we have devoted the majority of our financial resources to research and development. We have financed our operations primarily
through the sale of equity securities and entering into research collaborations. The results of our operations will depend, in
part, on the rate of future expenditures and our ability to obtain funding through equity or debt financings, strategic alliances
or grants. We anticipate our expenses will increase substantially if and as we continue our research and clinical and preclinical
development of our product candidates. We anticipate that if we continue to undertake clinical studies our expenses will increase
even further.
Because
we have yet to generate any revenue on which to evaluate our potential for future success and to determine if we will be able
to execute our business plan, it is difficult to evaluate our future prospects and the risk of success or failure of our business.
Our
ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with partners, to successfully complete
the development of, obtain the regulatory approvals for and commercialize pharmaceutical product candidates. We have no pharmaceutical
product candidates that have generated any commercial revenue, do not expect to generate revenues from the commercial sale of
pharmaceutical products in the near future, and might never generate revenues from the sale of pharmaceutical products. Our ability
to generate revenue and achieve profitability will depend on, among other things, the following:
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identifying and
validating new therapeutic strategies;
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completing our research
and preclinical development of pharmaceutical product candidates;
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initiating and completing
clinical trials for pharmaceutical product candidates;
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seeking and obtaining
regulatory marketing approvals for pharmaceutical product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
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establishing and
maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties;
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launching and commercializing
pharmaceutical product candidates for which we obtain regulatory marketing approval, with a partner or, if launched independently,
successfully establishing a sales force, marketing and distribution infrastructure;
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maintaining, protecting,
enforcing, defending and expanding our intellectual property portfolio; and
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attracting, hiring
and retaining qualified personnel.
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Because
of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development, we cannot predict the timing or amount
of increased expenses and when we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability, if ever. Our expenses could increase beyond
expectations if we are required by the regulatory agencies to perform unanticipated studies and trials.
Even
if one or more pharmaceutical product candidates we independently develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring
significant costs associated with commercializing any approved pharmaceutical product candidate. Moreover, if we can generate
revenues from the sale of any approved pharmaceutical products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional
funding to continue operations.
Because
early stage drug development requires major capital investment, as we continue to incur operating losses, we will need to raise
additional capital or form strategic partnerships to support our research and development activities in the future.
We
are still in the early stages of development of our product candidates and have no products approved for commercial sale. Developing
pharmaceutical products, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, is capital-intensive. As a rule, research
and development expenses increase substantially as we advance our product candidates toward clinical programs. We currently have
secured funding of the research and development of influenza A/B product candidates under our Collaboration Agreement with Merck.
We also have one hepatitis C product candidate in a Phase 2a clinical study. However, in order to conduct trials for our other
product candidates, we will need to raise additional capital to support our operations or form partnerships, in addition to our
existing collaborative alliances, which may give substantial rights to a partner. Such funding or partnerships may not be available
to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Moreover, any future financing may be very dilutive to our existing stockholders.
As
we move lead compounds through toxicology and other preclinical studies, also referred to as nonclinical studies, we have and
we will be required to file an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”) or its equivalent in foreign countries,
and as we conduct clinical development of product candidates, we may have adverse results that may cause us to consume additional
capital. Our partners may not elect to pursue the development and commercialization of our product candidates subject to our respective
agreements with them. These events may increase our development costs more than we expect. We may need to raise additional capital
or otherwise obtain funding through strategic alliances if we initiate clinical trials for new product candidates other than programs
currently partnered. We will require additional capital to obtain regulatory approval for, and to commercialize, product candidates.
In
securing additional financing, such additional fundraising efforts may divert our management’s attention from our day-to-day
activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize product candidates. We cannot guarantee that future
financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we cannot raise additional capital
when required or on acceptable terms, we may be required to:
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significantly delay,
scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of any product candidates;
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seek strategic alliances
for research and development programs at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms less favorable than
might otherwise be available; or
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relinquish or license
on unfavorable terms, our rights to technologies or any product candidates we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize
ourselves.
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If
we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we will be prevented from pursuing
development and commercialization efforts, which will have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects
or may render the Company unable to continue operations.
We
will depend substantially on Merck for the successful research, development and commercialization of our influenza A/B product
candidates.
In
January 2019, we entered into the Collaboration Agreement with Merck to research, develop, and commercialize certain proprietary
influenza A/B antiviral agents. See “Recent Developments – Influenza” for more information on the Collaboration
Agreement. The success of this collaborative alliance will depend substantially on the efforts and activities of Merck. Pursuant
to the Collaboration Agreement, in case the joint research committee overseeing the research program cannot reach an agreement,
the ultimate decision-making authority is vested in Merck as to most matters. Furthermore, Merck will be solely responsible for
the development and commercialization of any products derived from the collaboration.
In
addition, during the term of the research program and for a period of 12 months following the expiration or termination of the
research program under the Collaboration Agreement, we have agreed to work exclusively with Merck on the research and development
of influenza A/B antiviral agents. During the term of the Collaboration Agreement, we will be unable to conduct, or enable third
parties to conduct, research, development and commercialization activities related to such agents. These restrictions may impair
our ability to pursue research, development and commercialization opportunities that we would otherwise deem to be beneficial
to our business.
If
our research collaboration with Merck is terminated or is otherwise unsuccessful, including failure to reach milestones, we could
lose the research program funding, and would not receive milestone payments or royalties, which could materially and adversely
affect our business, our ability to successfully develop and commercialize influenza A/B product candidates and our future financial
condition.
Pursuant
to the terms of the Collaboration Agreement, Merck agreed to, among other things, (i) fund the research and development collaboration,
including clinical development and commercialization; (ii) make certain milestone payments up to a total of $156 million, including
payments associated with the successful product development and attainment of certain U.S. and EU regulatory approvals for the
developed products and sales volume; and (iii) pay royalties on net sales of the products.
Merck
can terminate the Collaboration Agreement at any time prior to the first commercial sale of the first product developed under
the Collaboration Agreement, in its sole discretion, without cause. Furthermore, research collaborations, including the Collaboration
Agreement, may turn out to be unsuccessful and are subject to certain risks, including the following risks:
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disagreements with
Merck resulting in delays or termination of the research, development or commercialization of product candidates, or litigation;
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change the focus
by Merck of its development and commercialization efforts;
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failure by Merck
to commit sufficient resources to the testing, marketing, distribution or development of product candidates; and
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development by Merck
of alternative products either on its own or in collaboration with others, or conflicts of interest or changes in business
strategy or other business issues, which could adversely affect its willingness or ability to fulfill their obligations to
us.
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If
our collaboration with Merck is unsuccessful for these or other reasons, or is otherwise terminated for any reason, we may lose
the research program funding, and would not receive the milestone payments or royalties under the Collaboration Agreement.
Further,
pursuant to the Collaboration Agreement Merck will only be obligated to make many of the milestone payments if our influenza A/B
product receives required regulatory approvals, is commercialized and net sales exceed the thresholds set forth in the Collaboration
Agreement. Achieving the milestones may be difficult and time-consuming. If some or all of these goals are not achieved, we may
not receive some or all of the milestone payments under the Collaboration Agreement.
Any
of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, our ability to successfully develop and commercialize influenza
A/B product candidates and our future financial condition.
We
are currently involved in a class action lawsuit, a related derivative action, and other litigation, and may in the future be
involved in other legal proceedings, which may be expensive and time consuming to defend, and, if resolved adversely, could harm
our business and financial condition.
We
and certain current and former executive officers and directors of the Company are currently defendants in a class action lawsuit
filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleging violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and a related derivative action lawsuit filed
with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, and may become involved in additional legal proceedings in
the future. See “Item 1 – Legal Proceedings” and Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements both of which
are contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2019. Similar allegations are also
asserted in a lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota by a former Biozone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
lawyer, and currently on appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. These proceedings can be time consuming,
divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. While we believe we have insurance
coverage for the class action suit and the derivative action, our insurance carrier has sued us. See “Recent Developments”
in this prospectus supplement for information on this lawsuit. In addition, the former Biozone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. lawyer also
sued us, Dr. Philip Frost, a director and another person in federal court in Minnesota. See Note 12 to our consolidated financial
statements contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2020 for further details. Furthermore,
because litigation is inherently unpredictable, the results of any such actions may have a material adverse effect on our business,
and financial condition, and cause our stock price to decrease.
Because,
we are unable to rely on certain exemptions from registration under the federal securities laws, as the result of a “disqualifying
event” involving a director of the Company, it could materially and adversely affect our ability to obtain future financing.
On
January 10, 2019, Dr. Frost, one of our directors, was permanently enjoined from violating a certain anti-fraud provision of the
Securities Act of 1933, future violations of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-1(a) thereunder, and participating
in penny stock offerings with certain exceptions. So long as Dr. Frost is a director, the Company will be unable to rely on certain
exemptions from registration including the exemptions under Regulation A and Rule 506 promulgated under the Securities Act absent
a waiver issued by the SEC. We have not applied for a waiver, and even if we do, the SEC may choose not to grant us a waiver.
While there is a statutory exemption for private placements under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, the absence of the Rule
506 safe harbor under Regulation D could adversely affect our ability to raise necessary financing in the future on terms favorable
to us, or at all.
Risk
Related to This Offering
We
have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds we receive from this offering and may not use them effectively.
We
cannot specify with certainty the particular uses of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering. We will have broad discretion
in the application of these net proceeds, including for any of the purposes described in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
Accordingly, you will have to rely upon our judgment with respect to the use of these net proceeds, with only limited information
concerning our specific intentions. We may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering in ways
that our stockholders may not desire or that may not yield a favorable return. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could
harm our business.
The
price of our common stock may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell
your shares at or above the price at which you purchase them in this offering.
The
market price of our common stock following this offering may be higher or lower than the price at which you purchase them in this
offering. The market price of our common stock your purchase of shares in this offering will depend on a number of factors, many
of which are beyond our control and may not be related to our operating performance. These fluctuations could cause you to lose
part of your investment in our common stock since you might be unable to sell your shares at or above the price you paid in this
offering. Factors that could cause fluctuations in the market price of our common stock include the following:
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price
and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
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volatility in the
market prices and trading volumes of biotechnology stocks generally, or those in our industry in particular;
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our announcements
concerning the initiation and results of clinical trials or entering into collaboration or license agreements;
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changes in operating
performance and stock market valuations of other biotechnology companies generally, or those in our industry in particular;
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sales of shares
of our stock by us or our stockholders;
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the failure of securities
analysts to maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by securities analysts who follow us or our failure to
meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
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the financial projections
we may provide to the public, any changes in those projections or our failure to meet those projections;
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announcements by
us or our competitors of new novel medicines;
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the public’s
reaction to our earnings releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
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rumors and market
speculation involving us or other companies in our industry;
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actual or anticipated
developments in our business, our competitors’ businesses or the competitive landscape generally;
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actual or anticipated
changes in our operating results or fluctuations in our operating results;
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litigation involving
us, our industry or both, or investigations by regulators into our operations or those of our competitors;
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developments or
disputes concerning our intellectual property or other proprietary rights;
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new laws or regulations
or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
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changes in accounting
standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles;
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any significant
change in our management; and
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general economic
conditions and slow or negative growth in any of our significant markets.
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In
addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of particular companies’
securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies. This litigation, if instituted against
us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
If you purchase shares in this offering,
you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of your investment. You will experience further dilution if we issue additional
equity securities in future financing transactions.
Because the offering price per share of
our common stock is higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer immediate and substantial
dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering.
Investors purchasing shares of common stock
in this offering will incur immediate dilution of approximately $0.97 per share. In addition, we have stock options and warrants
outstanding that are exercisable into shares of our common stock. To the extent that such outstanding securities are exercised
into shares of our common stock, investors purchasing our securities in this offering may experience further dilution.
Because
certain of our stockholders control a significant number of shares of our common stock, they may have effective control over actions
requiring stockholder approval.
As of the date of this prospectus supplement,
our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders (those beneficially owning in excess of 5% except for one institutional
investor), and their respective affiliates, beneficially own approximately 39% of our outstanding shares of common stock.
As a result, these stockholders, acting together, would have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders
for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
Dr.
Raymond Schinazi, our former Chairman, and Dr. Phillip Frost, a director and certain other stockholders entered into a Stockholders
Rights Agreement in November 2014 when we acquired another company headed by Dr. Schinazi. This Agreement gives each of Dr. Schinazi
and Dr. Frost (and certain other stockholders) the right to designate three directors to a seven person board of directors and
together agree upon the seventh designee. In addition, our principal stockholders, acting together, would have the ability to
control our management and affairs. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership might harm the market price of our common stock
by:
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delaying, deferring
or preventing a change in corporate control;
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impeding a merger,
consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us; or
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discouraging a potential
acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
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Further,
the Stockholder Rights Agreement provides Dr. Schinazi and Dr. Frost and certain other Cocrystal stockholders with rights including
the right to approve future financings and a right of first refusal, which have not been impediments to date and have been waived
in connection with the offering of common stock pursuant to this prospectus supplement. However, in the event of any future disagreements
between Dr. Schinazi and Dr. Frost, we may be unable to raise future capital we need or make concessions to one of these directors,
which may adversely affect us or result in additional expenses.
Although
our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, we are subject to a risk that Nasdaq will delist our common stock or
subject us to additional trading restrictions, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities.
Our
common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), a national securities exchange. Nasdaq rules require
us to meet certain requirements for continued listing including our stock price and number of public stockholders. On December
13, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq notifying us that we were not in compliance with the minimum bid price continued listing
requirement. We have until June 10, 2020 to regain compliance, subject to a potential 180 calendar-day extension. We cannot assure
you that we will be able to regain compliance or continue to meet the other continued listing requirements. If our common stock
is delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market for failure to meet its continued listing requirements, we could face significant material
adverse consequences, including:
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a
limited availability of market quotations for our common stock;
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reduced
liquidity with respect to our common stock;
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a
determination that our shares of common stock are a “penny stock” which will require broker-dealers trading in
our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary
trading market for our common stock;
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a
limited amount of news and analyst coverage for the Company; and
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a
limited ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
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The
National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating
the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because our common stock is listed
on Nasdaq, our common stock is a covered security. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities,
the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding
of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. Further, if we
were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each
state in which we offer our securities. In many states, we would not meet the merit review standards which are applied to public
offerings.
Because
our common stock is not consistently actively traded, purchasers of our stock may incur difficulty in selling their shares at
or above the price they paid for them, or at all.
With
limited exceptions, until recently our common stock has not been actively traded. An active market for our common stock may not
be sustained. Accordingly, investors may experience difficulty is selling their shares of common stock at or above the price they
paid for them.
Future
sales of our common stock could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.
We
cannot predict the effect, if any, that market sales of shares of our common stock or the availability of shares of our common
stock for sale will have on the market price of our common stock prevailing from time to time. Sales of substantial amounts of
shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that those sales will occur, could cause the market price of
our common stock to decline or be depressed.
The
shares of common stock issued in connection with this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration
under the Securities Act.
If
we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce
timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
As
a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley
Act”) and the Nasdaq listing standards. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to
increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly,
and place significant strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.
The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control
over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed
to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed,
summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed
in reports under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. We are also
continuing to improve our internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, we have expended, and anticipate that we will
continue to expend, significant resources, including accounting-related costs and significant management oversight.
Our
management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2019 as the result
of certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2018. Other weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may
be identified in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation
or improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a
restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over
financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered
public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we
will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC.
BDO
USA, LLP, our former independent registered public accounting firm, audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting and has also concluded that we did not maintain, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2018.
Ineffective
disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence
in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common
stock.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We
estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $10.1 million, after deducting placement agent fees and
estimated offering expenses payable by us. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes
and the continued development of novel medicines for use in the treatment of human viral diseases.
As
of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses of the proceeds from this
offering. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of such proceeds. Pending the use of the net proceeds from
this offering as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade securities.
DILUTION
If
you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the
price per share you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. Our
net tangible book value as of September 30, 2019 was approximately $5.5 million, or $0.18 per share. Net tangible book value per
share represents the amount of our total tangible assets, excluding goodwill and intangible assets, less total liabilities divided
by the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding.
After
giving effect to the sale of 8,461,540 shares of our common stock at the offering price of $1.30 per share, and after deducting
the placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2019 would
have been approximately $15.6 million or approximately $0.33 per share. This represents an immediate increase in the net
tangible book value of approximately $0.15 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted
net tangible book value of approximately $0.97 per share to purchasers of our common stock in this offering.
Dilution
per share of common stock to new investors is determined by subtracting as adjusted net tangible book value per share of common
stock after this offering from the offering price per share of common stock paid by new investors.
The
following table illustrates this per share dilution:
Offering
price per share
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$
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1.30
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Net
tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2019
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$
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0.18
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Increase
in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors this offering
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$
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0.15
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As
adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering
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$
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$
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0.33
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Dilution
in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering
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$
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0.97
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The
number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on the actual number of shares outstanding
as of September 30, 2019, which was 31,620,646, and excludes as of such date:
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243,375 shares of
common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $10.53 per share;
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930,708 shares of
common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options at a weighted average exercise price of $4.14 per share;
and
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3,588,377 shares
of common stock available for future grants under our Equity Plan.
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To
the extent that any outstanding options or warrants are exercised, or we otherwise issue additional shares of common stock in
the future, at a price less than the public offering price, there will be further dilution to the investors.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We have engaged H.C.
Wainwright & Co., LLC, which we refer to in this prospectus supplement as Wainwright or the placement agent, to act as our
exclusive placement agent to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. Wainwright is not purchasing
or selling any securities, nor are they required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of
securities, other than to use their reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities by us. Therefore, we may
not sell the entire amount of the securities being offered. There is no minimum amount of proceeds that is a condition to closing
of this offering. We will enter into purchase agreements directly with institutional investors that purchase our securities in
this offering. Wainwright may engage one or more sub-placement agents or selected dealers to assist with the offering.
Delivery of the
shares of our common stock offered hereby is expected to occur on or about February 28, 2020, subject to satisfaction of certain
closing conditions.
Fees
and Expenses
The
following table show the per share and total placement agent fees we will pay in connection with the sale of the securities in
this offering, assuming the purchase of all of the securities we are offering.
Per share placement agent cash fees
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$
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0.0845
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Total placement agent cash fees
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$
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715,000
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We have agreed to
pay Wainwright a cash fee equal to 6.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the offering. We
have also agreed to pay Wainwright a management fee equal 1.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from this offering,
$25,000 for non-accountable expenses, up to $50,000 for fees and expenses of legal counsel and other out-of-pocket expenses,
and up to $12,900 for clearing expenses. We estimate the total offering expenses of this offering that will be payable by
us, excluding the placement agent’s fees and expenses, will be approximately $50,000. After deducting the placement
agent fees and our estimated offering expenses, we expect the net proceeds from this offering to be approximately $10.1 million.
Right
of First Refusal
In
addition, we have granted a right of first refusal to the placement agent pursuant to which it has the right to act as the exclusive
advisor, manager or underwriter or agent, as applicable, if we or our subsidiaries sell or acquire a business, finance any indebtedness
using an agent, or raise capital through a public or private offering of equity or debt securities at any time prior to the 11
month anniversary of the date of this prospectus supplement.
Other
Relationships
The placement agent
may, from time to time, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of its business and may
in the future receive customary fees and commissions for these transactions.
Determination
of Offering Price
The
public offering price of the securities we are offering was negotiated between us and the investors, in consultation with the
placement agent based on the trading of our common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in
determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering include the history and prospects of our company, the
stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an
assessment of our management, general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors
as were deemed relevant.
Nasdaq
Listing
Our common stock is traded on The Nasdaq
Capital Market under the symbol “COCP.” On February 26, 2020, the last reported sale price of our common stock on
The Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.77 per share.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
The
transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equity Stock Transfer.
Indemnification
We
have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to
contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make with respect to any of these liabilities.
Regulation
M
The
placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act and any fees received
by it and any profit realized on the sale of the securities by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting
discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. The placement agent will be required to comply with the requirements of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These
rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our securities by the placement agent. Under these rules
and regulations, the placement agent may not (i) engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities and (ii)
bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted
under the Exchange Act, until they have completed their participation in the distribution.
DIVIDEND
POLICY
We
have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, for
use in our business and therefore do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of future dividends,
if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including our financial
condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs and plans for expansion.
LEGAL
MATTERS
Nason,
Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero, P.A., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, will pass upon certain legal matters relating to this
offering. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the placement agent in connection
with certain legal matters relating to this offering.
EXPERTS
The
consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and for the years then ended and management’s assessment
of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018 incorporated by reference in this prospectus
supplement have been so incorporated by reference in reliance on the reports of BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm (the report on the consolidated financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern and the report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting expresses
an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018),
incorporated by reference herein, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We
file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet
website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically
with the SEC, including Cocrystal at www.sec.gov. You may also access our SEC reports and proxy statements free of charge at our
website, www.cocrystalpharma.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this
prospectus supplement.
This
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of the registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC under
the Securities Act for the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement does not contain all
of the information set forth in the registration statement, certain parts of which have been omitted in accordance with the rules
and regulations of the SEC. For further information, reference is made to the registration statement and its exhibits. Whenever
we make references in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents,
the references are not necessarily complete and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for the
copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The
SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information
to you by referring you to another document that we have filed separately with the SEC. Any information that we incorporate by
reference is considered part of this prospectus supplement. We hereby incorporate by reference the following information or documents
into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus:
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Our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018;
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Our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2019;
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Our
current reports on Form 8-K filed on January 4, 2019, January 7, 2019, February 4, 2019, March 11, 2019, March 14, 2019, March
19, 2019, March 26, 2019, April 9, 2019, April 18, 2019, May 15, 2019, June 25, 2019, October 30, 2019, October 31, 2019,
November 6, 2019, December 16, 2019, January 29, 2020, January 31, 2020, February 18, 2020 and February 18, 2020 (other than
current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits that are related to such item); and
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The
description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-38418), filed under Section
12(b) of the Exchange Act on March 9, 2018, including any subsequent amendment or report filed for the purpose of amending
such description.
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Any
information in any of the foregoing documents will automatically be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that information
in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or in a later filed document that is incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference modifies or replaces such information.
We
also incorporate by reference any future filings (excluding information furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and
exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of
the Exchange Act, until we sell all of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement. Information in such future filings
updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus supplement. Any statements in any such future filings will
automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such
earlier statements.
Upon
written or oral request, we will provide to you, without charge, a copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus, including exhibits
which are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents. Requests should be directed to:
Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc.
19805
N. Creek Parkway
Bothell,
Washington 98011
Telephone
number: (786) 459-1831
PROSPECTUS
$150,000,000
Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc.
Common
Stock
Preferred
Stock
Warrants
Units
Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc. intends to offer and sell from time to time the securities described in this prospectus. The total offering price
of the securities described in this prospectus will not exceed a total of $150,000,000.
This
prospectus describes some of the general terms that apply to the securities. We will provide specific terms of any securities
we may offer in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement carefully
before you invest. We also may authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with the offering.
The prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus also may add, update or change information contained or incorporated
in this prospectus.
We
may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, or directly to purchasers on a
continuous or delayed basis. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe the plan of distribution
for that offering. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, see “Plan of Distribution”
in this prospectus. The prospectus supplement also will set forth the price to the public of the securities and the net proceeds
that we expect to receive from the sale of such securities.
Our
common stock is traded on the OTCQB under the symbol “COCP.” On September 22, 2017, the last reported sales price
of our common stock on the OTCQB was $0.28 per share and our public float consisted of 293,887,980 shares of common stock.
Investing
in our securities involves risks. You should read carefully and consider “Risk Factors” included in our most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K and on page 2 of this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement before investing in our
securities.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or
determined whether this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The
date of this prospectus is October 10, 2017
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
You
should rely only on information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that
is different from that contained in this prospectus. We are not offering to sell or seeking offers to buy shares of common stock
in jurisdictions where offers and sales are not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of
the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of our common stock. We are
responsible for updating this prospectus to ensure that all material information is included and will update this prospectus to
the extent required by law.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
This
summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. It may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should carefully read the entire prospectus
and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our securities. Unless otherwise
indicated or the context requires otherwise, in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement hereto references to “Cocrystal,”
“we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
About
This Prospectus
This
prospectus is part of a “shelf” registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
or the SEC. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell, at any time and from time to time, in one or more offerings,
any combination of the securities described in this prospectus. The exhibits to our registration statement contain the full text
of certain contracts and other important documents we have summarized in this prospectus. Since these summaries may not contain
all the information that you may find important in deciding whether to purchase the securities we offer, you should review the
full text of these documents. The registration statement and the exhibits can be obtained from the SEC as indicated under the
section entitled “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
This
prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will
provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of those securities. The prospectus supplement
also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is an inconsistency between the information
in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should
read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described below under
the section entitled “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
We
are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the
information in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of the document.
Our
Company
Cocrystal
Pharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company working to develop novel medicines for use in the treatment of human viral diseases. Cocrystal
has developed proprietary structure-based drug design technology and antiviral nucleoside chemistry to create first-in-class and
best-in-class antiviral drug candidates. Our focus is to pursue the development and commercialization of broad-spectrum antiviral
drug candidates that will transform the treatment and prophylaxis of hepatitis C, influenza and norovirus infections. By concentrating
our research and development efforts on viral replication inhibitors, we plan to leverage our infrastructure and expertise in
these areas.
Corporate
Information
Our
principal executive offices are located at 1860 Montreal Road, Tucker, Georgia 30084 and our telephone number is (404) 601-1430.
Our Internet website address is www.cocrystalpharma.com. The information on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus.
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus including the incorporated documents contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical
facts, including statements regarding our future financial position, liquidity, business strategy and plans and objectives of
management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,”
“continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,”
“target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions,
as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely
on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial
condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs.
The
results anticipated by any or all of these forward-looking statements might not occur. Important factors, uncertainties and risks
that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are contained in the risk factors that
follow and elsewhere in this prospectus and the incorporated documents. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information regarding
some of the ongoing risks and uncertainties of our business, see the risk factors that follow and or that are disclosed in our
incorporated documents.
RISK
FACTORS
Investing
in our securities involves risks. Before purchasing the securities offered by this prospectus you should consider carefully the
risk factors incorporated by reference in this prospectus from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2016 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017, as subsequently amended, as well as the risks, uncertainties and additional information
(i) set forth in our SEC reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in the other documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus
that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and which are deemed incorporated by reference in this prospectus,
and (ii) the information contained in any applicable prospectus supplement. For a description of these reports and documents,
and information about where you can find them, see “Incorporation of Certain Documents By Reference.” The risks and
uncertainties we discuss in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus are those that we
currently believe may materially affect our company. Additional risks not presently known, or currently deemed immaterial, also
could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Unless
we specify otherwise in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities
by us to provide additional funds for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Any specific allocation of the net
proceeds of an offering of securities will be determined at the time of such offering and will be described in the accompanying
supplement to this prospectus.
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK
We
are authorized to issue 800,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock,
par value $0.001 per share.
Common
Stock
We
are authorized to issue 800,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. The holders of common stock are entitled
to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of directors. There is no cumulative
voting in the election of directors. In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, holders of common stock are entitled to share
ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preferences of any outstanding shares of preferred
stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive rights and have no right to convert their common stock into any other securities
and there are no redemption provisions applicable to our common stock.
The
holders of common stock are entitled to any dividends that may be declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available
for payment of dividends subject to the prior rights of holders of preferred stock and any contractual restrictions we have against
the payment of dividends on common stock. We have not paid dividends on our common stock since inception and do not plan to pay
dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
As
of September 25, 2017, we had 726,531,530 shares of common stock outstanding. In addition, as of that date, there were 29,326,000
shares underlying our outstanding warrants and stock options.
Preferred
Stock
We
are authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock with designations, rights and preferences
as may be determined from time to time by our Board of Directors. As the date of this prospectus, we had no shares of preferred
stock issued and outstanding.
Preferred
stock is available for possible future financings or acquisitions and for general corporate purposes without further authorization
of our shareholders unless such authorization is required by applicable law, or the rules of any securities exchange or market
on which our stock is then listed or admitted or trading.
Our
Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect
the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility
in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes could, under some circumstances, have the effect of delaying,
deferring or preventing a change in control of the Company. For a description of how future issuances of our preferred stock could
affect the rights of our shareholders, see “Certain Provisions of Delaware Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws - Issuance
of “blank check” Preferred Stock,” below.
A
prospectus supplement relating to any series of preferred stock being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering.
Such prospectus supplement will include:
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the
title and stated or par value of the preferred stock;
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the
number of shares of the preferred stock offered, the liquidation preference per share and the offering price of the preferred
stock;
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the
dividend rate(s), period(s) and/or payment date(s) or method(s) of calculation thereof applicable to the preferred stock;
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whether
dividends shall be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends on the preferred stock shall
accumulate;
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the
provisions for a sinking fund, if any, for the preferred stock;
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any
voting rights of the preferred stock;
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the
provisions for redemption, if applicable, of the preferred stock;
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any
listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange;
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the
terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, including the
conversion price or the manner of calculating the conversion price and conversion period;
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if
appropriate, a discussion of federal income tax consequences applicable to the preferred stock; and
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any
other specific terms, preferences, rights, limitations or restrictions of the preferred stock.
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DESCRIPTION
OF WARRANTS
We
may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock. Warrants may be issued independently or together with other securities and
may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement.
The following outlines some of the general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may issue from time to time. Additional
terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The
following descriptions, and any description of the warrants included in a prospectus supplement, may not be complete and is subject
to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the applicable warrant agreement, which we will file
with the Commission in connection with any offering of warrants.
General
The
prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants will describe the terms of the warrants, including the following:
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the
title of the warrants;
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the
offering price for the warrants, if any;
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the
aggregate number of the warrants;
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the
terms of the security that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;
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if
applicable, the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants are issued with and the number of warrants issued
with each security;
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if
applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any securities issued with the warrants will be separately transferable;
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the
dates on which the right to exercise the warrants commence and expire;
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if
applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
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if
applicable, a discussion of material United States federal income tax considerations;
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anti-dilution
provisions of the warrants, if any;
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redemption
or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants; and
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any
additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the
warrants.
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Exercise
of warrants
Each
warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement
at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to
the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on
the expiration date, unexercised warrants will be void. Holders may exercise warrants as set forth in the prospectus supplement
relating to the warrants being offered. Until a holder exercises the warrants to purchase any securities underlying the warrants,
the holder will not have any rights as a holder of the underlying securities by virtue of ownership of warrants.
Transfer
Agent
We
have appointed Equity Stock Transfer as our transfer agent. Their contact information is: 237 West 37th Street, Suite 601, New
York, New York 10018, phone number (917) 746-4595, facsimile (347) 584-3644.
CERTAIN
PROVISIONS OF DELAWARE LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS
Anti-takeover
Provisions
In
general, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, prohibits a Delaware corporation with a class of voting
stock listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by 2,000 or more shareholders from engaging in a “business
combination” with an “interested shareholder” for a three-year period following the time that this shareholder
becomes an interested shareholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination”
includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested
shareholder. An “interested shareholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own
within three years prior to the determination of interested shareholder status, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting
stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested shareholder is prohibited unless it satisfies
one of the following conditions:
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before
the shareholder became interested, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which
resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder;
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upon
consummation of the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder
owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for
purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee
stock plans, in some instances; or
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at
or after the time the shareholder became interested, the business combination was approved by the board of directors of the
corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the shareholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds
of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested shareholder.
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The
DGCL permits a corporation to opt out of, or choose not to be governed by, its anti-takeover statute by expressly stating so in
its original certificate of incorporation (or subsequent amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its
shareholders). Our Certificate of Incorporation does not contain a provision expressly opting out of the application of Section
203 of the DGCL; therefore we are subject to the anti-takeover statute.
Issuance
of “blank check” preferred stock
Our
Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 5,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock with
designations, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by our Board of Directors. Our Board is empowered,
without shareholder approval, to issue a series of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights
which could dilute the interest of, or impair the voting power of, our common shareholders. The issuance of a series of preferred
stock could be used as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control. For example, it would be possible
for our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of
any attempt to effect a change in control of our company.
Our
Bylaws also allow our Board of Directors to fix the number of directors. Our shareholders do not have cumulative voting in the
election of directors.
Special
Shareholder Meetings and Action by Written Consent
Under
our Bylaws, special meetings of the shareholders shall be held when directed by (i) the
Board of Directors, or (ii) when requested in writing by the holders of not less than 20 percent of all the shares entitled to
vote at the meeting. Our Bylaws do not permit meetings of shareholders to be called by any other person. This could have
the effect of delaying or preventing unsolicited takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management.
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers.
Section
145(a) of the DGCL, which Cocrystal is subject to, provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party
or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person
is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as
a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by
the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides that a corporation
may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action
or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was
a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including
attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action
or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests
of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such
person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the
court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but
in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which
the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation
has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 145(a) and
(b) of the DGCL, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including
attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.
Any
indemnification under Section 145(a) and (b) of the DGCL (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by Cocrystal only as authorized
in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is
proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 145(a) and (b).
Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1)
by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or
(2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if
there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the
shareholders. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition
of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount
if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this
section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents
may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate. The indemnification and advancement
of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those
seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested
directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while
holding such office. We have entered into Indemnification Agreements with each director and executive officer.
Section
145 of the DGCL also empowers a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted
against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether
or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under Section 145.
Article
11 of Cocrystal’s Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors, officers, employees and agents shall be indemnified
to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
Cocrystal
carries directors and officers liability coverages designed to insure its officers and directors and those of its subsidiaries
against certain liabilities incurred by them in the performance of their duties, and also providing for reimbursement in certain
cases to Cocrystal and its subsidiaries for sums paid to directors and officers as indemnification for similar liability.
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling
persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, Cocrystal has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We
may sell the securities offered by this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including without limitation:
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underwriters or dealers;
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directly
to purchasers;
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in
a rights offering;
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in
“at the market” offerings, within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act to or through a market maker
or into an existing trading market on an exchange or otherwise;
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through
agents;
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in
block trades;
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through
a combination of any of these methods; or
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through
any other method permitted by applicable law and described in a prospectus supplement.
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In
addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution to our existing stockholders or other security holders.
The
prospectus supplement with respect to any offering of securities will include the following information:
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the
terms of the offering;
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the
names of any underwriters or agents;
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the
name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;
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the
purchase price or initial public offering price of the securities;
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the
net proceeds from the sale of the securities;
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any
delayed delivery arrangements;
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any
underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation;
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any
discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;
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any
commissions paid to agents; and
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any
securities exchange on which the securities may be listed.
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Sale
through Underwriters or Dealers
If
underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including
negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may
offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly
by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations
of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to
purchase all of the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any initial
public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
We
will describe the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the purchase price of the securities in a prospectus
supplement relating to the securities.
In
connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities,
for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to
or through dealers, and these dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters
and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents, which is not expected to exceed that customary in the
types of transactions involved. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be
deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us, and any profit on the resale of the securities
they realize may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions, under the Securities Act. The prospectus supplement will
identify any underwriter or agent and will describe any compensation they receive from us.
Underwriters
could make sales in privately negotiated transactions and/or any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an
“at-the-market” offering, sales made directly on the OTCQB, the existing trading market for our shares of common stock,
or sales made to or through a market maker other than on the OTCQB. The name of any such underwriter or agent involved in the
offer and sale of our securities, the amounts underwritten, and the nature of its obligations to take our securities will be described
in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless
otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, each series of the securities will be a new issue with no established trading
market, other than our shares of common stock, which are currently traded on the OTCQB. It is possible that one or more underwriters
may make a market in a series of the securities, but underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market
making at any time without notice. Therefore, we can give no assurance about the liquidity of the trading market for any of the
securities.
Under
agreements we may enter into, we may indemnify underwriters, dealers, and agents who participate in the distribution of the securities
against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute with respect to payments that the underwriters,
dealers or agents may be required to make.
Any
compensation we pay underwriters or dealers will be subject to the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority,
Inc. We will disclose the compensation in any applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.
To
facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize,
maintain, or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities,
which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we sold to them. In these circumstances,
these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their
over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for
or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating
in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The
effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might
otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
From
time to time, we may engage in transactions with these underwriters, dealers, and agents in the ordinary course of business.
Direct
Sales and Sales through Agents
We
may sell the securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We also may sell the securities through
agents designated by us from time to time. In the applicable prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer
or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in
the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period
of its appointment.
We
may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning
of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. We will describe the terms of any sales of these securities
in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Remarketing
Arrangements
Securities
also may be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their
purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms,
acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its
agreements, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Delayed
Delivery Contracts
If
we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from
certain types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These
contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those
conditions described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission
payable for solicitation of those contracts.
General
Information
We
may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments that the underwriters, dealers, agents
or remarketing firms may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms may be customers of, engage
in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The
validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce, P.A., Palm Beach
Gardens, Florida.
EXPERTS
The
consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 and for each of the three years in the period ended December
31, 2016 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31,
2016 incorporated by reference in this Prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of BDO USA, LLP, an independent
registered public accounting firm (the report on the consolidated financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding
the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and the report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting expresses an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting as
of December 31, 2016), incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The
documents listed below are incorporated by reference into this registration statement:
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Our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed on March 31, 2017 (as amended by the Form 10-K/A filed
April 27, 2017);
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Our
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, filed on May 10, 2017 and our quarterly report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed on August 8, 2017;
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Our
current reports on Form 8-K filed on January 9, 2017, January 30, 2017, February 16, 2017, February 24, 2017, April 24, 2017,
and June 1, 2017;
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The
description of our common stock in our registration statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on January 2, 2014, as updated
by any amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and
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All
documents subsequently filed pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange
Act”) prior to the termination of the offering, other than information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 and 7.01 of
Form 8-K and any related exhibits, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into the prospectus.
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Any
statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus is modified or superseded
for purposes of the prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed
document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
We
will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information
that has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus.
We
are an Exchange Act reporting company and are required to file periodic reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q and current reports on Form
8-K. You may read and copy all or any portion of the registration statement or any other information, which we file at the SEC’s
public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549, Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information
on the operation of the public reference room. Also, the SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information that we file electronically with the SEC, including the registration statement. The website
address is www.sec.gov.
8,461,540 Shares
Common
Stock
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
H.C.
Wainwright & Co.
February 27, 2020
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