As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2023

 

Registration No. 333-273256



 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

AMENDMENT NO. 3

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

under the Securities Act of 1933

 

Athersys, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

         

Delaware

 

2834

 

20-4864095

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2634

(216) 431-9900

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Daniel Camardo

Chief Executive Officer

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2634

(216) 431-9900

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

 

Faith L. Charles, Esq.

Naveen Pogula, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

300 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor

New York, New York 10017-6232

(212) 344-5680

 

Leslie Marlow, Esq.

Patrick J. Egan, Esq.

Hank Gracin, Esq.

Blank Rome LLP

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

(212) 885-5001

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:

As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, check the following box. ☒

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large Accelerated Filer ☐

 

Smaller Reporting Company ☒

Accelerated Filer ☐

 

Emerging Growth Company ☐

Non-Accelerated Filer ☒

   

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until this registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

1

 

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS                                                SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED AUGUST 7, 2023

 

 

Up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Series A Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Series B Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants

Up to 23,333,332 shares of Common Stock underlying the Common Warrants

 

 

 

athx20230711_s1img001.jpg

 

 


 

We are offering up to 11,666,666 shares (the “Shares”) of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, together with up to 11,666,666 Series A common warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of common stock (the “Series A Common Warrants”) and an additional 11,666,666 Series B common warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of common stock (the “Series B Common Warrants” and together with the Series A Common Warrants, the “Common Warrants”) at an assumed combined public offering price of $0.60, which is the last sale price of our common stock as reported by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq” or the “Nasdaq Capital Market”) on August 4, 2023. Our executive officers and directors may also participate in this offering. The Shares and Common Warrants will be sold in combination, with each Share that we sell in this offering being accompanied by one Series A Warrant to purchase one share of common stock and one Series B Warrant to purchase one share of common stock. The Shares and Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. Our common stock is currently listed on Nasdaq and trades under the symbol “ATHX.”

 

We are offering to certain purchasers whose purchase of Shares in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if any such purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), in lieu of Shares that otherwise would result in such purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding shares of common stock. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be offered and sold together with one Series A Warrant to purchase one share of common stock and one Series B Warrant to purchase one share of common stock. Each Pre-Funded Warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.0001, and the assumed purchase price for a Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrants is $0.5999. The Pre-Funded Warrants and accompanying Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. The Pre-Funded Warrants are immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of Shares we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis.

 

Each Common Warrant has an exercise price per share equal to 100% of the public offering price/assumed exercise price of $0.60. The Series A Common Warrants will expire in five years from the original issuance date and the Series B Common Warrants will expire in one and a half years from the original issuance date. Because we will issue one Series A Common Warrant and one Series B Common Warrant with each Share and/or each Pre-Funded Warrant sold in this offering, the number of Series A Common Warrants and Series B Common Warrants sold in this offering will not change as a result of a change in the mix of Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants sold.

 

There is no established trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on Nasdaq, any other national securities exchange or any other trading system. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants may be limited.

 

We have engaged A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (whom we refer to herein as the “Placement Agent”) to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with the securities offered by this prospectus. 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 but has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent a fee based upon the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering as set forth in the table below.

 

There is no minimum number of securities or minimum aggregate amount of proceeds for this offering to close. We will deliver all securities to be issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon receipt of investor funds received by us. Accordingly, neither we nor the Placement Agent have made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the Placement Agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of the securities offered hereunder. This offering will terminate on August 31, 2023, unless the offering is fully subscribed before that date or we decide to terminate the offering (which we may do at any time in our discretion) prior to that date.

 

The final public offering price of the securities sold in this offering will be determined between us, the Placement Agent, and the investors in the offering and may be at a discount to the current market price of our common stock. Therefore, the recent market price used throughout this prospectus will not be indicative of the actual public offering price.

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See the Risk Factors section beginning on page 14 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.

 

2

 

   

Per Share and
accompanying
Common
Warrants

 

Per Pre-
Funded
Warrant and
accompanying
Common
Warrants

 

Total

Public offering price(1)

 

$

   

$

   

$

 

Placement Agent’s fees (2)

 

$

   

$

   

$

 

Proceeds to us, before expenses(3)

 

$

   

$

   

$

 

(1)

The combined public offering price is $____ per share of common stock and accompanying Common Warrants and $____ per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrants. Our executive officers and directors may also participate in this offering

 

(2)

We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its accountable offering-related legal expenses in an amount up to $80,000 and pay the Placement Agent a non-accountable expense allowance of up to $75,000. See “Plan of Distribution” for a description of the compensation payable to the Placement Agent.

 

(3)

Does not include potential proceeds from the exercise of the Common Warrants and/or Pre-Funded Warrants for cash, if any.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Delivery of the securities is expected to be made on or about __________, 2023.

 

Sole Placement Agent

 

A.G.P.

 

The date of this prospectus is __________, 2023

 

3

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

5

SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

13

RISK FACTORS

14

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

21

USE OF PROCEEDS

22

DIVIDEND POLICY

23

CAPITALIZATION

24

DILUTION

26

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

28

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING

29

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

32

LEGAL MATTERS

34

EXPERTS

34

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

34

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION   

35

 

 

We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the Placement Agent has not, authorized anyone to provide you with any other information other than in this prospectus, and we take no responsibility for, and the Placement Agent has not taken responsibility for, any other information others may give you. We are not, and the Placement Agent is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than its date. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

4

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights certain information appearing elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information you should consider prior to investing in the securities offered hereby. After you read this summary, you should read and consider carefully the more detailed information and financial statements and related notes that we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. If you invest in our securities, you are assuming a high degree of risk.

 

References in this prospectus to the terms we, us or the Company or other similar terms mean Athersys, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless we state otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.

 

Company Overview

 

We are a biotechnology company that is focused primarily in the field of regenerative medicine. We are committed to the discovery and development of best-in-class therapies designed to extend and enhance the quality of human life and have established a portfolio of therapeutic product development programs to address significant unmet medical needs in multiple disease areas. Our MultiStem® (invimestrocel) cell therapy, a patented and proprietary allogeneic stem cell product candidate, is our lead platform product and is currently in late-stage clinical development. Our most advanced therapeutic program is focused on the treatment of ischemic stroke, which is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial ongoing in the United States under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement (“SPA”), from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), in Europe and in certain other international locations. Our current clinical development programs are focused on treating critical care and other conditions where current standard of care is limited or inadequate for many patients. These represent major areas of clinical need, as well as substantial commercial opportunities.

 

We believe our MultiStem cell therapy product candidate represents a potential breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, and could be used to treat a range of disease indications. MultiStem received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (“RMAT”), designation for the treatment of both ischemic stroke and acute respiratory distress syndrome (“ARDS”). MultiStem treatment has shown the potential to enhance tissue repair and healing in multiple ways, including reducing inflammatory damage, protecting tissue that is at risk following acute or ischemic injury, and promoting formation of new blood vessels in regions of ischemic injury. These cells appear to be responsive to the environment in which they are administered, by homing to sites of injury and/or organs involved in injury response and providing active disease response. These cells also produce proteins that may provide benefit in both acute and chronic conditions and regulate other cell types. In contrast to traditional pharmaceutical products or biologics that generally act through a single biological mechanism of action, MultiStem cell therapy may enhance healing and tissue repair through several distinct mechanisms acting in parallel, resulting in a more effective therapeutic response.

 

We believe the therapeutic and commercial potential for MultiStem cell therapy to be very broad, applying to many areas of significant unmet medical need, and we are pursuing opportunities in several potential multi-billion dollar markets. While traditional pharmaceuticals and biologic therapies typically may be used to treat only a single disease or a narrowly defined set of related conditions, MultiStem cell therapy may have far broader potential and could be developed in different formulations and with different delivery approaches to effectively treat a wide range of disease indications.

 

The MultiStem product candidate under development may be unique among regenerative medicine approaches because it has the potential to be manufactured on a large scale, can be administered in an “off-the-shelf” manner with minimal processing, and has the potential to augment healing by providing biological potency and therapeutic effects that other cell therapy approaches may not be able to achieve. Additionally, MultiStem treatment has consistently demonstrated good tolerability in both preclinical and clinical studies. Like conventional drugs and biologics, the product candidate is cleared from the body over time, which we believe may enhance product safety relative to other types of stem cell therapy. While the product candidate does not permanently engraft in the patient, the therapeutic effects of treatment with MultiStem cells appear to be durable based on both clinical and preclinical results.

 

We have evaluated the use of MultiStem cell therapy as a potential treatment in several disease areas. Working with an international network of leading investigators and prominent research and clinical institutions, and through our own internal efforts, we have explored the potential for MultiStem cell therapy to be used as a treatment of acute and chronic forms of neurological conditions or injury, inflammatory and immune disorders, certain pulmonary conditions and cardiovascular disease. We have advanced several MultiStem programs into clinical development, targeting areas of significant medical need and major commercial market opportunities, and have two ongoing clinical trials in the critical care area. We have a collaboration with HEALIOS K.K. (“Healios”), to develop and commercialize MultiStem for the treatment of certain indications in Japan. Among other things, Healios has a license to our technology and is responsible for the development and commercialization of MultiStem for ischemic stroke and ARDS in Japan on an exclusive basis.

 

Our lead program is our pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the potential for MultiStem treatment of patients who have suffered neurological damage from an ischemic stroke entitled, “MultiStem Administration for Stroke Treatment and Enhanced Recovery Study-2,” or MASTERS-2. The results from our completed Phase 2 study demonstrated favorable tolerability for MultiStem, consistent with the results from prior studies. Though the Phase 2 study did not achieve the primary endpoints for the intent-to-treat population, MultiStem treatment was associated with lower rates of mortality and life-threatening adverse events, infections and pulmonary events, and a reduction in hospitalization and time in the intensive care unit (“ICU”). In addition, analyses show that patients who received MultiStem treatment earlier in the study’s treatment window (24 to 36 hours post-stroke, in accordance with the original study protocol) had better recovery in comparison to placebo. Furthermore, analysis of biomarker data obtained from samples of study subjects indicated that MultiStem treatment reduced post-stroke inflammation compared to placebo, and the results suggest that this effect was more pronounced for subjects who received MultiStem earlier within the treatment window. This effect is consistent with our hypothesis regarding mechanisms of action and related preclinical data, and with the clinical data suggesting faster and improved recovery for MultiStem-treated patients relative to current standard of care.

 

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The one-year follow-up data from the Phase 2 trial demonstrated that MultiStem-treated subjects on average continued to improve through one year and had a significantly higher rate of “Excellent Outcome,” as defined below, compared to placebo subjects at one year when evaluating all of the intent-to-treat subjects enrolled in the study. Achievement of an Excellent Outcome is important because it means that a patient has substantially improved (i.e., receiving an “Excellent” score in each of the three clinical rating scales used to assess patient improvement) and has regained the ability to live and function independently with a high quality of life. The relative improvement in Excellent Outcome was even more pronounced in the study subjects who received MultiStem treatment within 36 hours of the stroke. If the MultiStem cell therapy candidate is proven effective in our ongoing Phase 3 registrational study, and if it receives a marketing authorization from the FDA, this treatment window and its favorable administration profile would make this therapy available to most ischemic stroke patients in contrast to other therapies (e.g., tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, or mechanical thrombectomy), which have shorter treatment windows or are limited to certain patients.

 

Our MASTERS-2 trial treating ischemic stroke patients is ongoing in the United States and certain other international locations. We received agreement from the FDA under a SPA that the design and planned analysis of MASTERS-2 adequately address the objectives necessary to support a regulatory submission. It is possible that following MASTERS-2 we will conduct either a post-registry study or a confirmatory study, depending on the strength and robustness of the study outcome. The FDA granted us Fast Track and RMAT designations for our clinical product for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Fast Track is an important designation given to qualified investigational therapies that show promise in providing benefit to patients in areas of significant unmet medical need. Fast Track designation allows for an expedited regulatory review process after the clinical data is submitted to help speed development of promising therapies to the market in order to help patients in areas where current standard of care is limited. Such designation for a new biologic product means that the FDA will take such actions as are appropriate to expedite the development and review of our application to approve the product, and specifically, under Fast Track designation, the program becomes eligible for rolling submission, accelerated approval and priority review, facilitating a timely regulatory review. This program subsequently received the RMAT designation from the FDA that was established under the 21st Century Cures Legislation. The RMAT designation may be obtained for eligible cell therapy and other regenerative medicine and advanced therapies when the FDA agrees that preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the therapy has demonstrated the potential to effectively address unmet medical needs for a serious or life-threatening disease or condition. The RMAT designation is the equivalent of the non-regenerative medicine product’s Breakthrough Therapy designation, and designated products benefit from all Breakthrough Therapy features, in addition to eligibility for filing for registration under accelerated approval path. The designation also enables sponsors to discuss with the FDA multidisciplinary strategic development plans, including expediting manufacturing development plans for commercialization and supporting priority review and rolling submission.

 

The design of MASTERS-2 has also received a Final Scientific Advice positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), representing the EMA’s agreement that successful results from the trial could result in registration and marketing approval of the MultiStem cell therapy. We have also received Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (“ATMP”), Certificate for Quality Data from the EMA. We believe these designations from the FDA and EMA could accelerate the development, regulatory review and subsequent commercialization of products, like MultiStem cell therapy for ischemic stroke and ARDS, if future clinical evaluation demonstrates appropriate safety and therapeutic effectiveness.

 

Business Strategy

 

Our principal business objective is to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutic products for disease indications that represent significant areas of clinical need and where we believe there is a substantial commercial opportunity. The key elements of our strategy are outlined below:

 

 

Advance our Lead Programs through Clinical Developments to Registration and Commercialization. We are focused on the design and execution of clinical studies (e.g., ischemic stroke and trauma) intended to enable product registration in major markets. We are also engaged in activities intended to enable effective commercialization (e.g., preparation for scaled commercial manufacturing, product branding, product reimbursement and marketing strategies). We may partner with other companies to complete such development and preparation activities, and to market the product upon regulatory approval.

 

 

Efficiently Conduct Clinical Development to Establish Clinical Proof-of-Concept and Biological Activity for Other Applications of our Product Candidates. We conduct our clinical studies with the intent to establish safety and efficacy proof-of-concept and/or evidence of biological activity in a number of important disease areas where our cell therapies are expected to have benefit. Our strategy is to conduct well-designed studies beginning early in the clinical development process, thus establishing a robust foundation for later-stage development, partnering activity and expansion into complementary areas. We are committed to a rigorous clinical and regulatory approach, which we believe has helped us to advance our programs efficiently, providing high quality, transparent communications and regulatory submissions.

 

 

Enter into Arrangements with Business Partners to Accelerate Development and Create Value. In addition to our internal development efforts, an important part of our strategy is to work with collaborators and partners to accelerate product development, reduce our development costs and broaden our commercial access. We anticipate that this strategy will help us to develop a portfolio of high-quality product development opportunities, enhance our clinical development and commercialization capabilities and increase our ability to generate value from our proprietary technologies. Historically, we have entered into licensing arrangements with companies such as Healios, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Johnson & Johnson, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. (now part of Pfizer), RTI Surgical, Inc. and others.

 

6

 

 

Efficiently Explore New High Potential Therapeutic Applications, Leveraging Third-Party Research Collaborations and our Results from Related Areas. Our MultiStem cell therapy has shown promise in many disease areas, including in treating neurological conditions, inflammatory and immune disorders, certain pulmonary conditions, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions where the current standard of care is limited or inadequate for many patients. We have explored potential clinical indications where our therapies may achieve best-in-class profile and where we believe we can effectively address significant unmet medical needs. In order to achieve this goal, we leveraged collaborative research relationships with investigators from many leading research and clinical institutions across the United States and Europe, including the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Minnesota, the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, and the University of Regensburg, among other institutions, with current research ongoing at UTHealth, Maastricht University, the University of Birmingham, and Newcastle University. Through this network of collaborations, we have evaluated MultiStem cell therapy in a range of preclinical models that reflect various types of human disease or injury and have advanced several indications to a state of Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”), readiness, which could be quickly advanced upon via a future partnership or internally if we elect to move them into the clinical stage.

 

 

Continue to Expand our Intellectual Property Portfolio. We have a broad intellectual property estate that covers our proprietary products and technologies, as well as methods of production and methods of use. Our intellectual property is important to our business and we take significant steps to protect its value. We have ongoing research and development efforts through collaborative research activities with others, which aim to develop new technologies, applications and intellectual property and enable us to file patent applications that cover new applications of our existing technologies or product candidates, including MultiStem cell therapy as well as methods of production and method of use and other opportunities. We currently have approximately 360 patents related to our technologies, providing protection in the United States, Europe, Japan and other areas.

 

Risk Factor Summary

 

Our ability to execute on our business strategy is subject to a number of risks, which are discussed more fully in the section “Risk Factors” of this prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, each filed with the SEC and incorporated herein by reference. You should carefully consider these risks before making an investment in our common stock. These risks include, among others, the following:

 

 

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds to us from this offering and may apply it to uses that do not improve our operating results or the value of our securities.

 

 

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase.

 

 

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may affect our ability to obtain future financing and may require us to curtail our operations. We will need substantial additional funding to develop our products and for our future operations. If we are unable to obtain the funds necessary to do so, we may be required to further delay, scale back or eliminate our product development activities or may be unable to continue our business.

 

 

If we are unable to raise capital, we could be forced to eliminate our product development programs, may be unable to continue our business and may need to file for protection under the bankruptcy laws.

 

 

We have incurred losses since inception, and we expect to incur significant net losses in the foreseeable future and may never become profitable.

 

 

We are heavily dependent on the successful development and commercialization of MultiStem products, and if we encounter delays or difficulties in the development of these product candidates, our business could be harmed.

 

 

We have reduced the size of our organization, and we may encounter difficulties in managing our business as a result of this reduction, which could disrupt our operations. In addition, we may not achieve anticipated benefits and savings from the reduction.

 

 

Our product candidates are currently in the development stage and we have no therapeutic products approved for sale. If we are unable to develop, obtain regulatory approval or market any of our product candidates, our financial condition will be negatively affected, and we may have to curtail or cease our operations.

 

 

We may experience delays in clinical trials and regulatory approval relating to our products that could adversely affect our financial results and our commercial prospects for our pharmaceutical or stem cell products.

 

 

Even if we obtain regulatory approval of any of our product candidates, the approved products may be subject to post-approval studies and will remain subject to ongoing regulatory requirements. If we fail to comply, or if concerns are identified in subsequent studies, our approval could be withdrawn, and our product sales could be suspended.

 

 

We are not currently in compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. If we are unable to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, our common stock could be delisted, which could affect the price of our common stock and liquidity and reduce our ability to raise capital.

 

7

 

 

If we inadvertently violate the guidelines pertaining to promotion and advertising of our clinical candidates or approved products, we may be subject to disciplinary action by the FDA’s Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications or other regulatory bodies.

 

 

If we inadvertently violate the guidelines pertaining to promotion and advertising of our clinical candidates or approved products, we may be subject to disciplinary action by the FDA’s Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications or other regulatory bodies.

 

 

Even if we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval for our products, those products may never be commercially successful.

 

 

We may not successfully maintain our existing collaborative and licensing arrangements, or establish new ones, which could adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates.

 

 

We rely on third parties to manufacture our MultiStem product candidate.

 

 

Our ability to compete may decline if we are not successful in adequately protecting our patented and other proprietary technologies.

 

 

We may not have adequate protection for our unpatented proprietary information, which could adversely affect our competitive position.

 

 

Many potential competitors, including those who have greater resources and experience than we do, may develop products or technologies that make ours obsolete or noncompetitive.

 

 

The availability, manner, and amount of reimbursement for our product candidates from government and private payers are uncertain, and our inability to obtain adequate reimbursement for any products could severely limit our product sales.

 

 

Increased information technology security threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime could pose a risk to our systems, networks, and products.

 

Recent Developments

 

Forbearance, Restructuring and Settlement Agreement

 

On May 17, 2023, we entered into a Forbearance, Restructuring and Settlement Agreement (the “Forbearance Agreement”) with a supplier, which amends certain supply agreements between us and the supplier (the “Supply Agreements”). The Forbearance Agreement restructures our matured and unmatured liabilities owed to the supplier under the Supply Agreements, comprised of past due and current due obligations in the approximate amount of $20.9 million and future obligations in the approximate amount of $9.8 million, less (i) approximately $3.9 million in credits applied by the supplier based upon prior agreements. The Forbearance Agreement provides that the supplier shall forbear from exercising rights and remedies available as a result of existing overdue amounts under the Supply Agreements, so long as we pay to the supplier an aggregate of $11.8 million, in monthly payments of $0.25 million, commencing in October 2023.

 

Under the Forbearance Agreement, we also issued a convertible promissory note, guaranteed by certain of our subsidiaries, to the supplier in the principal amount of $15.0 million (the “Note”). The Note bears interest at a rate of 10.0% per annum, which shall be capitalized and added to the principal amount semi-annually on January 1 and July 1, commencing on July 1, 2023, and must be repaid in full, including accrued and unpaid interest thereunder, on (or before, subject to certain conditions) May 17, 2026 (the “Maturity Date”). If an Event of Default (as defined in the Note) occurs, then (i) the interest on the Note shall accrue at a rate of 14.0% per annum (or, if less, the maximum rate permitted by applicable law) and (ii) the Maturity Date may be accelerated. Subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 19.99% of our outstanding common stock and any shareholder approval requirements, the supplier may elect, at its sole discretion, to convert any outstanding principal and interest on the Note into shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $1.30 per share.

 

8

 

Nasdaq Compliance

 

Market Value Standard Compliance

 

On October 14, 2022, we received a written notice (the “October 2022 Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that we are not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum market value of listed securities of $35 million, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “Market Value Standard”) because the market value of the common stock was below $35 million for 30 consecutive business days. The October 2022 Notice provided that, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), we had a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the October 2022 Notice, or until April 12, 2023, to regain compliance under the Market Value Standard.

 

On April 13, 2023, we received notice from Nasdaq that we had not regained compliance with the Market Value Standard. On April 14, 2023, we filed our request for a hearing, which was held before the Nasdaq Hearing Panel (the “Panel”) on May 18, 2023.

 

On June 26, 2023, the Panel notified us that it had granted our request for an exception through September 15, 2023, to the continued listing requirements, subject to our demonstrating compliance with the Market Value Standard by September 15, 2023. In accordance with the Market Value Standard and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), compliance with the Market Value Standard may be achieved if at any time during the compliance period the market value of the listed securities closes at a value of at least $35 million for a minimum of ten consecutive business days.

 

The Panel noted that it reserves the right to reconsider the terms of this exception based on any event, condition or circumstance that exists or develops that would, in the opinion of the Panel, make continued listing of our securities on Nasdaq inadvisable or unwarranted. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council may, on its own motion, determine to review any Panel decision within 45 calendar days after issuance of the written decision. There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance under the Market Value Standard, or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq listing criteria. While we are exercising diligent efforts to maintain the listing of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that we will be able to regain or maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing criteria.

 

Minimum Closing Bid Price Compliance

 

On July 28, 2023, we received a written notice (the “July 2023 Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that we are not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Requirement”), because the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock was below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days for the period of June 14, 2023 through July 27, 2023. The July 2023 Notice does not impact the listing of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market at this time.

 

The July 2023 Notice provided that, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the July 2023 Notice, or until January 24, 2024, to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. During this period, the Company’s common stock will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market. If at any time before January 24, 2024, the bid price of the Company’s common stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive trading days, Nasdaq will provide written notification that we have achieved compliance with the Bid Price Requirement and the matter will be closed. However, under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), Nasdaq may exercise its discretion to extend this ten day period as discussed in Rule 5810(c)(3)(H).

 

The Company is considering all available options to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the rule or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq listing criteria. In the event the Company does not regain compliance by January 24, 2024, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period to demonstrate compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. To qualify for the additional 180-day period, the Company will be required to meet the continued listing requirements for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards (with the exception of the Bid Price Requirement). In addition, the Company will need to provide written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If the Company does not qualify for the second compliance period or fails to regain compliance during the second 180-day period, then Nasdaq will notify the Company that its Common Stock is subject to delisting. At that time, the Company may appeal the delisting determination to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel.

 

MASTERS-2 Trial

 

We continue to enroll patients in the MASTERS-2 trial, our pivotal Phase 3 trial evaluating MultiStem for the treatment of adults who have suffered an acute ischemic stroke. As of August 7, 2023, the Company has surpassed 2/3 patient enrollment in this 300-patient trial.

 

As previously announced in March 2023, the Company held a Type B Meeting with the FDA and received approval on recommended protocol changes to the trial, including changing the Primary Endpoint to mRS Shift Analysis at Day 365 and adding an unblinded interim analysis for the purpose of study size adjustment. More than 60% of active clinical sites have implemented the FDA approved trial modifications and we expect the remaining clinical sites to be complete by the end of August. In addition, we plan to conduct the unblinded interim analysis in the next few weeks and anticipate the results will be available to share in early October. In addition to approving the request for an interim analysis, the FDA is allowing us the opportunity to perform a subset analysis.

 

9

 

Corporate Information

 

We were incorporated in Delaware and our headquarters are located at 3201 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. Our telephone number is (216) 431-9900. Our website is http://www.athersys.com. The information accessible on or through our website is not part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.

 

10

 

THE OFFERING

 

 

The summary below describes the principal terms of this offering. The Description of Capital Stock section of this prospectus contains a more detailed description of our common stock.

 

 

Issuer

 

Athersys, Inc.

     

Common stock offered by us

  Up to 11,666,666 Shares based on an assumed combined public offering price of $0.60, which is equal to the last sale price of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq on August 4, 2023.
     

Common Warrants offered by us

  Up to 11,666,666 Series A Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of our common stock, which will be exercisable during the period commencing on the date of their issuance and ending five years from such date at an exercise price per share equal to 100% of the public offering price/assumed exercise price of $0.60 and up to 11,666,666 Series B Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of our common stock, which will be exercisable during the period commencing on the date of their issuance and ending one and a half years from such date at an exercise price per share equal to 100% of the public offering price/assumed exercise price of $0.60. Each Share (or Pre-Funded Warrant in lieu of a Share) is being sold together with one Series A Common Warrant and one Series B Common Warrant but are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.  This prospectus also relates to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of any Common Warrants sold in this offering
     

Pre-Funded Warrants offered by us

 

We are offering to certain purchasers whose purchase of Shares in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the closing of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if such purchasers so choose, Pre-Funded Warrants, in lieu of Shares that would otherwise result in any such purchaser’s beneficial ownership, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of such purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering.  The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrants is equal to the purchase price of the Shares and accompanying Common Warrants in this offering minus $0.0001, the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant.  Each Pre-Funded Warrant is immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until it has been exercised in full.  For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of Shares we are offering will be decreased on a one- for-one basis. This offering also relates to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering.

     

Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering

  Up to 33,610,819 shares (assuming the sale of the maximum number of Shares in this offering, at the assumed combined public offering price of $0.60).
     

Use of proceeds

  We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of securities in this offering will be approximately $6.2 million, based on the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, and after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds.”

 

11

 

Prior Warrant Amendments

  In connection with this offering, we may enter into privately negotiated agreements with the holders of certain existing outstanding warrants to purchase shares of our common stock (the “Prior Warrants”) to, among other things, reduce the exercise price of such Prior Warrants to that of the Common Warrants being offered and sold in this offering and to extend the current expiration date of the Prior Warrants to the expiration date of the Series A Common Warrants being offered and sold in this offering. In addition, we expect that certain terms of the Prior Warrants will also be amended to be substantially consistent with those of the Series A Common Warrants being offered hereby. There can be no assurance that we will amend the Prior Warrants in connection with this offering or as to the final terms of any amendments to the Prior Warrants
     

Risk factors

 

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14 for a discussion of certain factors that you should consider when evaluating an investment in our securities.

     

Nasdaq trading symbol

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ATHX.”

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all information contained in this prospectus exclude, as of March 31, 2023:

 

 

a total of 1,626,312 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding awards under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 27,491 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 429,500 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding inducement awards granted outside of our equity incentive plans;

 

 

1,920,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued and sold in August 2022;

 

 

2,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in September 2022;

 

 

a total of 9,109,090 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our November 2022 public offering;

 

 

a total of 3,685,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our April 2023 public offering;

 

 

a total of 11,538,461 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon conversation feature of our May 2023 Convertible Note;

 

 

400,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants held by Healios; and

 

 

any exercise of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering.

 

The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Unless expressly indicated or the context requires otherwise, all information in this prospectus assumes an assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share of common stock, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023.

 

12

 

SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following is a summary of our results of operations and financial position. The summary consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and the notes thereto incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

   

Three Months Ended March 31,

   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2023

   

2022

   

2023

   

2022

 
   

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

                               

Contract and grant revenues

          2,912       5,325       5,514  

Operating expenses

    7,334       25,289       82,334       92,571  

Loss from operations

    (7,334 )     (22,378 )     (77,009 )     (87,058 )

Other income (expense), net

    (477 )     162       4,475       102  

Net loss

    (7,811 )     (22,216 )     (72,534 )     (86,955 )

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

  $ (0.43 )   $ (2.27 )   $ (6.07 )   $ (9.69 )

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

    18,292       9,768       11,945       8,971  

 

Please see Note C to our audited consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference into this prospectus for an explanation of the method used to calculate net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted net loss per common share, and the number of shares used in the computation of per share amounts.

 

                   

Pro forma as

 
   

Historical

   

Pro forma (1)

   

Adjusted (2)

 
   

March 31,

   

March 31,

   

March 31,

 
   

2023

   

2023

   

2023

 
   

(in thousands)

 

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                       

Cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities

    3,121       6,366       12,566  

Working capital

    (31,847

)

    (28,601

)

    (22,401

)

Total assets

    21,632       24,878       31,078  

Warrant liabilities and note payable

    (1,163

)

    (1,163

)

    (1,163

)

Total stockholders’ equity

    (31,011

)

    (27,766

)

    (21,566

)

 

(1)           Pro forma figures give effect to the receipt of $3,380,347 of net proceeds from the issuance of 2,315,000 shares of common stock in the April 2023 Offerings, the receipt of $81 of proceeds upon exercise of 813,000 shares of common stock underlying the pre-funded warrants issued in the April 2023 Offerings, and the vesting of 367,664 restricted stock units, with taxes paid on the employees behalf of $134,746.15 by the Company. Pro forma figures exclude the effect of the April 2023 amendment to the August 2022 and September 2022 Warrants to, among other things, reduce the exercise price to $0.96 per share with respect to 1,920,000 shares of Common Stock covered by the August 2022 Warrants and 1,760,000 shares of Common Stock covered by the September 2022 Warrants.

 

(2)           Pro forma as adjusted (i) gives effect to the pro forma adjustment described above and the net proceeds to be received in this offering from the sale of 11,666,666 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants at an assumed offering price of $0.60, and (ii) assumes no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering and no exercise of the Common Warrants sold in this offering.

 

13

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk and uncertainty. You should carefully consider each of the risks and uncertainties described below and discussed under the section captioned Risk Factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, (the Annual Report),as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, each of which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus and the information and documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, before you decide to buy our securities. If any of the risks and uncertainties therein or below materializes, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. You should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may affect our ability to obtain future financing and may require us to curtail our operations. We will need substantial additional funding to develop our products and for our future operations. If we are unable to obtain the funds necessary to do so, we may be required to further delay, scale back or eliminate our product development activities or may be unable to continue our business.

 

The audited financial statements and accompanying notes presented in our Annual Report include disclosures and an opinion from our independent registered public accounting firm stating that our recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

The development of our product candidates will require a commitment of substantial funds to conduct the research, which may include preclinical and clinical testing, necessary to obtain regulatory approvals and bring our products to market. Net cash used in our operations was $59.0 million in 2022, $76.2 million in 2021 and $61.8 million in 2020.

 

At December 31, 2022, we had $9.0 million of cash and cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2023, we had accounts payable of $29.0 million, of which approximately 75% is owed to our primary contract manufacturer, that was subsequently agreed to be settled for a convertible note as described in “Prospectus Summary — Recent Developments,” and we only had cash and cash equivalents of $3.1 million. Accordingly, we will need substantially more funding to advance our product candidates through development and into commercialization, including to put in place manufacturing capacity to support such commercial activity. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

 

 

our ability to raise capital to fund our operations;

 

 

the progress, scope, costs and results of our clinical and preclinical testing of any current or future product candidates;

 

 

the possibility of delays in, adverse events of and excessive costs of the development process;

 

 

the cost of manufacturing our product candidates;

 

 

the cost of prosecuting, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights;

 

 

the time and cost involved in obtaining regulatory approvals;

 

 

expenses related to complying with cGMP of therapeutic product candidates;

 

 

costs of financing or acquiring additional capital equipment and development technologies;

 

 

competing technological and market developments;

 

 

our ability to establish and maintain collaborative and other arrangements with third parties to assist in bringing our products to market and the cost of such arrangements;

 

14

 

 

the amount and timing of payments or equity investments that we receive from collaborators or changes in or terminations of future or existing collaboration and licensing arrangements and the timing and amount of expenses we incur to support these collaborations and license agreements;

 

 

costs associated with the integration of any new operation, including costs relating to future mergers and acquisitions with companies that have complementary capabilities;

 

 

expenses related to the establishment of sales and marketing capabilities for products awaiting approval or products that have been approved;

 

 

expenses related to establishing manufacturing capabilities;

 

 

the level of our sales and marketing expenses; and

 

 

our ability to introduce and sell new products.

 

We have secured capital historically from grant revenues, collaboration proceeds and debt and equity offerings. We will need to secure substantial additional capital to fund our future operations. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. To the extent we raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities, the ownership position of our existing stockholders could be substantially diluted. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of preferred stock or debt securities, these securities are likely to have rights, preferences and privileges senior to our common stock. Fluctuating interest rates could also increase the costs of any debt financing we may obtain.

 

Importantly, we expect that the results of our MASTERS-2 clinical trial, will have a significant impact, favorable or unfavorable, on our ability to access capital from potential third-party commercial partners or the equity capital markets. Depending on the nature of these results, we may accelerate or may delay certain programs. In the longer term, we will have to continue to generate additional capital to meet our needs until we would become cash flow positive as a result of the sales of our clinical products, if they are approved for marketing.

 

Failure to successfully address ongoing liquidity requirements will have a material adverse effect on our business. If we are unable to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms when needed, we may be required to take actions that harm our business and our ability to achieve cash flow in the future, including possibly the surrender of our rights to some technologies or product opportunities, delaying our clinical trials or curtailing or ceasing operations.

 

If we are unable to raise capital, we could be forced to eliminate our product development programs, may be unable to continue our business and may need to file for protection under the bankruptcy laws.

 

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may affect our ability to obtain future financing and may require us to curtail our operations. In the near term, we will need substantial additional funding to develop our MultiStem product candidate and to continue our operations. Even if we are able to obtain additional funding in the near term, such funding may not be sufficient to allow us to continue our operations for an extended period of time.

 

The audited financial statements and accompanying notes presented in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 include disclosures and an opinion from our independent registered public accounting firm stating that our recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

As of March 31, 2023, we had accounts payable of $29.0 million that is currently due and we only had cash and cash equivalents of $3.1 million. To conserve cash, we have been delaying payments to most of our suppliers and service providers, including our primary contract manufacturer. In the near term, we will need to obtain significant capital funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources to fund our operations. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain adequate funding on terms acceptable to us, on a timely basis or at all, particularly in light of our current stock price and liquidity. If we are unable to obtain funding, we may be required to further delay, reduce or eliminate our MultiStem product candidate approval efforts, which could adversely affect our business prospects, and we may be unable to continue operations.

 

If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, products or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.

 

15

 

Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. There can be no assurance that we will be able to license-out our MultiStem product candidate on a timely basis or on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. Our failure to raise capital through financing or a license as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. We could be forced to discontinue the development of our MultiStem product candidate and seek collaborators on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available, and relinquish or license, potentially on unfavorable terms, our rights to MultiStem. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing, we would likely have to file for protection under the bankruptcy laws to continue to pursue potential transactions and conduct a wind-down of our Company. If we decide to dissolve and liquidate our assets or to seek protection under the bankruptcy laws, it is unclear to what extent we will be able to pay our obligations, and, accordingly, it is further unclear whether and to what extent any resources will be available for distributions to stockholders.

 

We have incurred losses since inception, and we expect to incur significant net losses in the foreseeable future and may never become profitable.

 

Since our inception in 1995, we incurred significant losses and negative cash flows from operations. We incurred net losses of $72.5 million in 2022, $87.0 million in 2021 and $78.8 million in 2020. As of March 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $663.7 million, and we will not commence sales of our clinical product candidates until they receive regulatory approval for commercialization. We expect to spend significant resources over the next several years to continue our research and product development programs, including clinical trials of our product candidates and to prepare for possible regulatory approval and commercial activities. We expect to continue to incur substantial losses through at least the next several years and may incur losses in subsequent periods, and our ability to commercialize our product candidates is uncertain. To date, substantially all of our revenue has been derived from corporate collaborations, license agreements and government grants. In order to achieve profitability, we must develop products and technologies that can be commercialized by us or through our existing or future collaborations. Our ability to generate revenues and become profitable will depend on our ability, alone or with potential collaborators, to timely, efficiently and successfully complete the development of our product candidates. We have never earned revenue from selling a product and we may never do so, as none of our product candidates have been approved for sale, since they are currently being tested in human studies. We cannot assure you that we will ever earn sales revenue or that we will ever become profitable. If we sustain losses over an extended period, we may be unable to continue our business.

 

Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties

 

We may not successfully maintain our existing collaborative and licensing arrangements, or establish new ones, which could adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates.

 

A key element of our business strategy is to commercialize some of our product candidates through collaborations with other companies. Our strategy includes establishing collaborations and licensing agreements with one or more pharmaceutical, biotechnology or device companies, preferably after we have advanced product candidates through the initial stages of clinical development. However, we may not be able to establish or maintain such licensing and collaboration arrangements necessary to develop and commercialize our product candidates. Even if we are able to maintain or establish licensing or collaboration arrangements, these arrangements may not be on favorable terms and may contain provisions that will restrict our ability to develop, test and market our product candidates. Any failure to maintain or establish licensing or collaboration arrangements on favorable terms could adversely affect our business prospects, financial condition or ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates.

 

Our agreements with our collaborators and licensees may have provisions that give rise to disputes regarding the rights and obligations of the parties. These and other possible disagreements could lead to termination of the agreement or delays in collaborative research, development, supply, or commercialization of certain product candidates, or could require or result in litigation or arbitration. Moreover, disagreements could arise with our collaborators over rights to intellectual property or our rights to share in any of the future revenues of products developed by our collaborators. These kinds of disagreements could result in costly and time-consuming litigation. Any such conflicts with our collaborators could reduce our ability to obtain future collaboration agreements and could have a negative impact on our relationship with existing collaborators.

 

Currently, we have a material collaboration and licensing arrangement is with Healios, also a significant holder of our outstanding shares of common stock, to develop and commercialize MultiStem cell therapy for the treatment of ischemic stroke and ARDS in Japan, among other things, and we also have license agreements with third parties pursuant to which we in-license certain aspects of our technologies. These arrangements may not have specific termination dates; rather, each arrangement terminates upon the occurrence of certain events.

 

16

 

Healios has alleged that we are in material breach of our comprehensive framework agreement for commercial manufacturing and ongoing support for, among other things, not meeting our supply obligations and cooperation and assistance obligations. We strongly disagree with Healios’ allegations and will continue to work with Healios to try to resolve this dispute. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to resolve this dispute without legal proceedings, which could divert management’s attention, be costly and result in damages and/or costly injunctive or other remedies.

 

Risks Related to Our Common Stock and This Offering

 

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds to us from this offering and may apply it to uses that do not improve our operating results or the value of our securities.

 

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, and investors will be relying solely on such judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. We have not allocated the net proceeds for specific purposes. Investors will not have the opportunity, as part of their investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. Our use of the proceeds may not improve our operating results or increase the value of the securities being offered hereby.

 

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase.

 

Since the price per share of our common stock being offered is substantially higher than the historical net tangible book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, based on an assumed public offering price of $0.60 per Share of common stock and accompanying warrant, and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering, no exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering, that no value is attributed to such warrants, and that such warrants are classified as and accounted for as equity, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of approximately $1.24 per share in the adjusted net tangible book value of the common stock. See the section entitled “Dilution” in this prospectus for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase common stock in this offering.

 

You may experience dilution of your ownership interests because of the future issuance of additional shares of our common stock.

 

In the future, we may need to issue additional authorized but previously unissued equity securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of our stockholders. In May 2023, we also issued the Note to a supplier in exchange for a reduction in the amount of our liabilities owed to the supplier, and the Note is convertible into a significant amount of our common stock. We also have outstanding options and warrants that are convertible into shares of common stock. We may also issue additional common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock in connection with hiring or retaining employees, future acquisitions, future sales of securities for capital raising purposes, or for other business purposes. The future issuance of any such additional shares of common stock may create downward pressure on the trading price of our common stock. There can be no assurance that we will not be required to issue additional shares, warrants, or other convertible securities in the future in conjunction with any capital raising efforts, including at a price (or exercise prices) below the offering price of the shares of common stock in this offering.

 

We are not currently in compliance with Nasdaqs continued listing requirements. If we are unable to comply with Nasdaqs continued listing requirements, our common stock could be delisted, which could affect the price of our common stock and liquidity and reduce our ability to raise capital.

 

Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. The Nasdaq Capital Market has established certain quantitative criteria and qualitative standards that companies must meet to remain listed for trading on this market.

 

On October 14, 2022, we received a written notice (the “October 2022 Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that we are not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum market value of listed securities of $35 million, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “Market Value Standard”) because the market value of the common stock was below $35 million for 30 consecutive business days. The October 2022 Notice does not impact the listing of the common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market at this time.

 

17

 

The October 2022 Notice provided that, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), the Company had a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the October 2022 Notice, or until April 12, 2023, to regain compliance under the Market Value Standard.

 

On April 13, 2023, we received notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market that we had not regained compliance with the Market Value Standard. On April 14, 2023, we filed our request for a hearing, which was held before the Nasdaq Hearing Panel (the “Panel”) on May 18, 2023.

 

On June 26, 2023, the Panel notified the Company that it had granted our request for an exception through September 15, 2023, to the continued listing requirements, subject to the Company demonstrating compliance with the Market Value Standard by September 15, 2023.

 

The Panel noted that it reserves the right to reconsider the terms of this exception based on any event, condition or circumstance that exists or develops that would, in the opinion of the Panel, make continued listing of the Company’s securities on Nasdaq inadvisable or unwarranted. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council may, on its own motion, determine to review any Panel decision within 45 calendar days after issuance of the written decision.

 

There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Market Value Standard, or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq listing criteria. While the Company is exercising diligent efforts to maintain the listing of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain or maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing criteria. If the Company fails to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards during the exception period granted by the Panel, our common stock will be subject to delisting from Nasdaq. Any delisting of our common stock could adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock and the market price of our common stock could decrease. Furthermore, if our common stock were delisted it could adversely affect our ability to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations and our ability to attract and retain employees by means of equity compensation and/or result in the loss of confidence by investors.

 

In addition, on July 28, 2023, we received a written notice (the “July 2023 Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that we are not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Requirement”), because the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock was below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days for the period of June 14, 2023 through July 27, 2023. The July 2023 Notice does not impact the listing of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market at this time.

 

The July 2023 Notice provided that, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the July 2023 Notice, or until January 24, 2024, to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. During this period, the Company’s common stock will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market. If at any time before January 24, 2024, the bid price of the Company’s common stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive trading days, Nasdaq will provide written notification that we have achieved compliance with the Bid Price Requirement and the matter will be closed. However, under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), Nasdaq may exercise its discretion to extend this ten day period as discussed in Rule 5810(c)(3)(H).

 

The Company is considering all available options to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the rule or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq listing criteria. In the event the Company does not regain compliance by January 24, 2024, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period to demonstrate compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. To qualify for the additional 180-day period, the Company will be required to meet the continued listing requirements for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards (with the exception of the Bid Price Requirement). In addition, the Company will need to provide written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If the Company does not qualify for the second compliance period or fails to regain compliance during the second 180-day period, then Nasdaq will notify the Company that its Common Stock is subject to delisting. At that time, the Company may appeal the delisting determination to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel.

 

Broad market and industry factors, as well as economic and political factors, also may materially adversely affect the market price of Athersys common stock. The market price of our common stock has been extremely volatile and may continue to be volatile due to numerous circumstances beyond our control.

 

The market price of our common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate, widely, due to many factors, some of which may be beyond our control. The following factors, in addition to other risk factors described in this section, may have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock:

 

 

developments in our clinical trials, particularly our MASTERS-2 trial;

 

 

announcements of significant changes in our business or operations, including the decision to implement restructurings such as a reduction in our workforce;

 

 

the development status of our MultiStem product candidate, including clinical study results and determinations by regulatory authorities with respect thereto;

 

 

the initiation, termination or reduction in the scope of any collaboration arrangements, including with Healios, or any disputes or developments regarding such collaborations;

 

 

our inability to obtain additional funding;

 

 

disputes or other developments concerning our proprietary rights;

 

 

additions or departures of key personnel;

 

 

“short squeezes”;

 

 

comments by securities analysts or discussions of our business, products, financial performance, prospects or stock price by the financial and scientific press and online investor communities;

 

 

changes in, or failure to meet, securities analysts’ or investors’ expectations of our financial performance;

 

 

large stockholders exiting their position in our common stock or an increase or decrease in the short interest in our common stock;

 

18

 

 

public concern as to, and legislative action with respect to, the pricing and availability of prescription drugs or the safety of drugs and drug delivery techniques;

 

 

regulatory developments in the United States and in foreign countries;

 

 

dilutive effects of sales of shares of common stock by Athersys or Athersys’ stockholders; and

 

 

overall general market fluctuations.

 

The market prices for securities of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and early-stage drug discovery and development companies like Athersys in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies and our company. For example, on July 26, 2022 and July 28, 2022, the closing price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was $4.25 and $8.25, respectively, and daily trading volume on these days was approximately 0.2 million and 10.7 million shares, respectively.

 

During this time, we did not release any material information regarding us or our business. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. In particular, a proportion of our common stock has been and may continue to be traded by short sellers, which may put pressure on the supply and demand for our common stock, further influencing volatility in its market price. Additionally, these and other external factors have caused and may continue to cause the market price and demand for our common stock to fluctuate, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares of common stock and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of our common stock.

 

In addition, in the past, following periods of market volatility in the market price of a company’s securities or the reporting of unfavorable news, securities litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Volatility in the market price of our shares could also increase the likelihood of regulatory scrutiny. Securities litigation, if instituted against us, or any regulatory inquiries or actions that we face could result in substantial costs, diversion of our management’s attention and resources and unfavorable publicity, regardless of the merits of any claims made against us or the ultimate outcome of any such litigation or action.

 

A short squeeze is a sudden increase in demand for shares of our common stock that largely could lead to extreme price volatility in shares of our common stock.

 

Investors may purchase shares of our common stock to hedge existing exposure or to speculate on the price of our common stock. Speculation on the price of our common stock may involve long and short exposures. To the extent aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of shares of our common stock available for purchase on the open market, investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to repurchase shares of our common stock for delivery to lenders of our common stock. Those repurchases may, in turn, dramatically increase the price of our common stock until additional shares of our common stock are available for trading or borrowing. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A proportion of our common stock has been and may continue to be traded by short sellers, which may increase the likelihood that our common stock will be the target of a short squeeze. A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in shares of our common stock that are unrelated or disproportionate to our operating performance and, once investors purchase the shares of our common stock necessary to cover their short positions, the price of our common stock may rapidly decline. Investors that purchase shares of our common stock during a short squeeze may lose a significant portion of their investment.

 

There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrant being offered in this offering.

 

There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on Nasdaq or any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants will be limited.

 

We may not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.

 

Each Pre-Funded Warrant and Common Warrant may be exercised by way of a cashless exercise, meaning that the holder may not pay a cash purchase price upon exercise, but instead would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of our common stock determined according to the formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrant or Common Warrant. Accordingly, we may not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.

 

19

 

The Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants are speculative in nature.

 

The Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of common stock at a fixed price for a limited period of time. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Common Warrants may exercise their right to acquire common stock and pay an exercise price of $____ per share, subject to certain adjustments. The Series A Common Warrants will expire in five years from the original issuance date and the Series B Common Warrants will expire in one and a half years from the original issuance date, after which each time any unexercised Common Warrants will expire and have no further value. Holders of Pre-Funded Warrants have identical rights, except that the Pre-Funded Warrants have an exercise price of $0.0001 and do not expire until exercised in full. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants, if any, is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants will equal or exceed their imputed offering price. The Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants will not be listed or quoted for trading on any market or exchange. There can be no assurance that the market price of the common stock will ever equal or exceed the exercise price of the Common Warrants and consequently, whether it will ever be profitable for holders of the Common Warrants to exercise the warrants.

 

Holders of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby will have no rights as common stockholders with respect to the shares our common stock underlying the warrants until such holders exercise their warrants and acquire our common stock, except as otherwise provided in the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Until holders of the Common Warrants and/or Pre-Funded Warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise thereof, such holders will have no rights with respect to the shares of our common stock underlying such warrants, except to the extent that holders of such Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have certain rights to participate in distributions or dividends paid on our common stock as set forth in the Common Warrants. Upon exercise of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

 

The best efforts structure of this offering may have an adverse effect on our business plan.

 

The Placement Agent is offering the securities in this offering on a reasonable best efforts basis. The Placement Agent is not required to purchase any securities, but will use its reasonable best efforts to sell the securities offered. As a “best efforts” offering, there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated or will result in any proceeds being made available to us. The success of this offering will impact our ability to use the proceeds to execute our business plan. An adverse effect on the business may result from raising less than anticipated, and from the fact that there is no minimum raise.

 

Purchasers who purchase our securities in this offering pursuant to a securities purchase agreement may have rights not available to purchasers that purchase without the benefit of a securities purchase agreement.

 

In addition to rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal securities and state law, the purchasers that enter into a securities purchase agreement will also be able to bring claims of breach of contract against us. The ability to pursue a claim for breach of contract provides those investors with the means to enforce the covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement.

 

Additionally, in connection with this offering, we may agree to amend the terms of certain of our outstanding warrants held by certain significant purchasers in this offering who will enter into the securities purchase agreement. Any such amendments may, among other things, decrease the exercise prices to be the same as the exercise prices of the Common Warrants offered in this offering, or increase the term of exercise of those warrants.

 

20

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the expected timetable for development of our product candidates, our growth strategy and our future financial performance, including our operations, economic performance, financial condition, prospects and other future events. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using such words as “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “should,” “suggest,” “will” or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are largely based on our current expectations.

 

In addition, a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could affect the accuracy of these statements. Some of the more significant known risks that we face are the risk that we will be unable to raise capital to fund our operations in the near term and long term, including our ability to obtain funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources, on terms acceptable to us or at all, and to continue as a going concern and our ability to successfully resolve the payment issues with our primary contract manufacturer and gain access to our clinical product. The following risks and uncertainties may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements:

 

 

our ability to raise capital to fund our operations in the near term and long term, including our ability to obtain funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources, on terms acceptable to us or at all, and to continue as a going concern;

 

 

our collaborators’ ability and willingness to continue to fulfill their obligations under the terms of our collaboration agreements and generate sales related to our technologies;

 

 

the possibility of unfavorable results from ongoing and additional clinical trials involving our MultiStem® (invimestrocel) cell therapy, or MultiStem;

 

 

the risk that positive results in a clinical trial may not be replicated in subsequent or confirmatory trials or success in an early stage clinical trial may not be predictive of results in later stage or large scale clinical trials;

 

 

our ability to regain compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum market value of listed securities of $35 million as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2);

 

 

the timing and nature of results from MultiStem clinical trials, including the MASTERS-2 Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the administration of MultiStem for the treatment of ischemic stroke;

 

 

our ability to meet milestones and earn royalties under our collaboration agreements, including the success of our collaboration with Healios;

 

 

the success of our MACOVIA clinical trial evaluating the administration of MultiStem for the treatment of ARDS induced by COVID-19 and other pathogens, and the MATRICS-1 clinical trial being conducted with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston evaluating the treatment of patients with serious traumatic injuries;

 

 

the availability of product sufficient to meet our clinical needs and potential commercial demand following any approval;

 

 

the possibility of delays in, adverse results of, and excessive costs of the development process;

 

 

our ability to successfully initiate and complete clinical trials of our product candidates;

 

 

the possibility of delays, work stoppages or interruptions in manufacturing by third parties or us, such as due to material supply constraints, contamination, operational restrictions due to COVID-19 or other public health emergencies, labor constraints, regulatory issues or other factors that could negatively impact our trials and the trials of our collaborators;

 

21

 

 

uncertainty regarding market acceptance of our product candidates and our ability to generate revenues, including MultiStem cell therapy for neurological, inflammatory and immune, cardiovascular and other critical care indications;

 

 

changes in external market factors;

 

 

changes in our industry’s overall performance;

 

 

changes in our business strategy;

 

 

our ability to protect and defend our intellectual property and related business operations, including the successful prosecution of our patent applications and enforcement of our patent rights, and operate our business in an environment of rapid technology and intellectual property development;

 

 

our possible inability to realize commercially valuable discoveries in our collaborations with pharmaceutical and other biotechnology companies;

 

 

the success of our efforts to enter into new strategic partnerships and advance our programs;

 

 

our possible inability to execute our strategy due to changes in our industry or the economy generally;

 

 

changes in productivity and reliability of suppliers;

 

 

the success of our competitors and the emergence of new competitors;

 

 

our ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq and meet Nasdaq’s listing requirements; and

 

 

the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our other filings with the SEC.

 

Any forward-looking statement you read in this prospectus or any document incorporated by reference herein reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, operating results, growth strategy and liquidity. Although we currently believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee our future results, levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our reports on Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K filed with the SEC. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

 

Any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may also contain statistical data and estimates we obtained from industry publications and reports generated by third parties. Although we believe that such publications and reports are reliable, we have not independently verified their data.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of the all securities offered hereby will be approximately $6.2 million, based upon an assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

Each $0.25 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, would increase or decrease, as applicable, the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $2.7 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase or decrease, as applicable, the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $558,000, assuming the public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, remains the same, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We do not expect that a change in the public offering price or the number of shares by these amounts would have a material effect on our uses of the proceeds from this offering, although it may accelerate the time at which we will need to seek additional capital.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. The amount, timing and nature of specific expenditures of net proceeds from this offering will depend on a number of factors, including the timing, scope, progress and results of our development efforts and the timing and progress of any collaboration efforts. As of the date of this prospectus, 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.

 

22

 

DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We would have to rely upon dividends and other payments from our wholly-owned subsidiary, ABT Holding Company, to generate the funds necessary to make dividend payments, if any, on our common stock. ABT Holding Company, however, is legally distinct from us and has no obligation to pay amounts to us. We do not anticipate that we will pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Rather, we anticipate that we will retain earnings, if any, for use in the development of our business. Payment of future cash 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, the requirements of then-existing debt instruments, and other factors that the board of directors deems relevant.

 

23

 

CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of March 31, 2023:

 

 

on an actual basis;

 

  on a pro forma basis to give effect to the receipt of $3,380,347 of net proceeds from the issuance of 2,315,000 shares of common stock in the April 2023 Offerings, the receipt of $81 of proceeds upon exercise of 813,000 shares of common stock underlying the pre-funded warrants issued in the April 2023 Offerings, and the vesting of 367,664 restricted stock units; and

 

  on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give effect to our issuance and sale of Shares of our common stock and Common Warrants in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per Share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The as adjusted information below is illustrative only, and our capitalization following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the actual public offering price of our common stock and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read the information in this table together with our financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

     

As of March 31, 2023

 
     

Actual

   

Pro

Forma

   

As

Adjusted

(1)(2)

 
     

(in thousands except share and per share data)

 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 3,121     $ 6,366     $ 12,566  

Warrant liabilities and note payable

  $ (1,163

)

  $ (1,163

)

  $ (1,163

)

Stockholders’ equity:

                         
 

Preferred stock, at stated value; 10,000,000 shares authorized, and no shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2023, actual and as adjusted

                 
 

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 600,000,000 shares authorized, and 18,448,489 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2023, actual, and 33,610,819 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2023, pro forma as adjusted

    18       22       34  
 

Additional paid-in capital

    632,660       635,917       642,105  
 

Accumulated deficit

    (663,689

)

    (663,705

)

    (663,705

)

Total stockholders’ equity

    (31,011

)

    (27,766

)

    (21,566

)

Total capitalization

  $ (32,174

)

  $ (28,929

)

  $ (22,729

)

 

(1)

A $0.25 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, would increase (decrease) each of our as adjusted cash and cash equivalents, common stock, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $2.7 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting placement agent’s fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) each of our as adjusted cash and cash equivalents, common stock, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $558,000, assuming the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, remains the same, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

24

 

(2)

The foregoing discussion and table above exclude, as of March 31, 2023, the following:

 

 

a total of 1,626,312 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding awards under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 27,491 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 429,500 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding inducement awards granted outside of our equity incentive plans;

 

 

1,920,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued and sold in August 2022;

 

 

2,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in September 2022;

 

 

a total of 9,109,090 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our November 2022 public offering;

 

 

a total of 3,685,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our April 2023 public offering;

 

 

a total of 11,538,461 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon conversation feature of our May 2023 Convertible Note

 

 

400,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants held by Healios; and

 

 

any exercise of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering.

 

25

 

DILUTION

 

If you invest in our securities in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

 

As of March 31, 2023, we had a historical net tangible book value of $(31.01) million, or $(1.681) per share of common stock, based on the 18,448,489 shares of common stock outstanding as of such date. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share represents historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023. 

 

As of March 31, 2023, we had a pro forma net tangible book value of $(27.77) million, or $(1.265) per share of common stock, based on the 21,944,153 shares of common stock outstanding as of such date. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share represents historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023. 

 

After giving effect to our issuance and sale of 11,666,666 shares of common stock in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2023 would have been $(21,566), or $(0.642) per share. This amount represents an immediate increase in our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $0.623 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $(1.242) per share to investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering. We determine dilution per share to investors participating in this offering by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by investors participating in this offering.

 

The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed public offering price per share

          $ 0.600  

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2023

  $ (1.681

)

       

Increase in net tangible book value (deficit) per share attributable to equity transactions since March 31, 2023

  $ 0.416          

Increase in net tangible book value (deficit) per share attributable to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering

  $ 0.623          

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value (deficit) per share after giving effect to this offering

          $ (0.642

)

Dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value (deficit) per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering

          $ (1.242

)

 

The dilution information discussed above is illustrative only and may change based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering. Each $0.25 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, would increase or decrease, as applicable, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.416 per share and increase or decrease, as applicable, the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering by $(1.41) per share, in each case assuming the number of shares of common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, an increase of 1,000,000 in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by $0.658 per share and decrease the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering by $(1.21) per share, and a decrease of 1,000,000 shares of common stock offered by us would decrease the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $0.394 per share, and increase the dilution per share to new investors in this offering by $(1.47) per share, in each case assuming the assumed public offering price of $0.60 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on August 4, 2023, remains the same, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The as adjusted number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering includes the following:

 

 

18,448,489 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023;

 

26

 

  on a pro forma basis to give effect to the receipt of $3,380,347 of net proceeds from the issuance of 2,315,000 shares of common stock in the April 2023 Offerings, the receipt of $81 of proceeds upon exercise of 813,000 shares of common stock underlying the pre-funded warrants issued in the April 2023 Offerings, and the vesting of 367,664 restricted stock units; and

 

 

on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give effect to the pro forma adjustments and the net proceeds shares of common stock to be issued at the closing of this offering.

 

The pro forma as adjusted number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering excludes, as of March 31, 2023, the following:

 

 

a total of 1,626,312 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding awards under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 27,491 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans;

 

 

a total of 429,500 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding inducement awards granted outside of our equity incentive plans;

 

 

1,920,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued and sold in August 2022;

 

 

2,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in September 2022;

 

 

a total of 9,109,090 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our November 2022 public offering;

 

 

a total of 3,685,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with our April 2023 public offering;

 

 

a total of 11,538,461 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon conversation feature of our May 2023 Convertible Note; and

 

 

400,000 shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants held by Healios.

 

To the extent that new stock options are issued or any outstanding stock options are exercised, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

General

 

The following description of our capital stock and certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation, as amended (“Certificate of Incorporation”), and our bylaws (“Bylaws”) is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

We are authorized to issue 600,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

 

Common Stock

 

This section describes the general terms and provisions of our common stock. For more detailed information, you should refer to our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC. These documents are also incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to receive dividends if and when declared by the board of directors from funds legally available therefor, and, upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our company, will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities. The holders of shares of our common stock will not have any preemptive rights, but will be entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held of record. Stockholders will not have the right to cumulate their votes for the election of directors. The shares of our common stock offered hereby, when issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable.

 

Preferred Stock

 

This section describes the general terms and provisions of our preferred stock. For more detailed information, you should refer to our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC. These documents are also incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Our board of directors is authorized, without action by our stockholders, to designate and issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, in one or more series. The board of directors can fix the rights, preferences and privileges of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions. 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 our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible future financings, acquisitions and other corporate purposes could, under certain circumstances, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. We do not have any shares of preferred stock outstanding, and we have no current plans to issue any preferred stock.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

We have appointed Computershare Investor Services as the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

 

Listing

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ATHX.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING

 

We are offering up to 11,666,666 shares (the “Shares”) of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, together with up to 11,666,666 Series A common warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of common stock (the “Series A Common Warrants”) and up to 11,666,666 Series B common warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of common stock (the “Series B Common Warrants” and together with the Series A Common Warrants, the “Common Warrants”) at an assumed combined public offering price of $0.60, which is the last sale price of our common stock as reported by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq” or the “Nasdaq Capital Market”) on August 4, 2023. The Shares and accompanying Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. We are also offering to certain purchasers whose purchase of Shares in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if any such purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), in lieu of Shares that otherwise would result in such purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding shares of common stock. Each Share of common stock and Pre-Funded Warrant will be sold together with one Series A Common Warrant and one Series B Common Warrant. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of Shares we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis.

 

Common Stock

 

The material terms and provisions of our common stock are described under the caption “Description of Capital Stock” in this prospectus and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The following summary of certain terms and provisions of Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the forms of such warrants, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions set forth in such forms of warrants for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be issued separately from the accompanying Common Warrants and may be transferred separately immediately thereafter.

 

Pre-Funded Warrants Being Offered in this Offering

 

Duration and Exercise Price

 

Each Pre-Funded Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price equal to $0.0001 per share of common stock. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate proportional adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.

 

Exercisability

 

The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice and, within the earlier of (i) two trading days and (ii) the number of trading days comprising the standard settlement period with respect to the common stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the notice of exercise thereafter, payment in full for the number of shares of common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other persons acting as a group together with any such persons, would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided that a holder with a Beneficial Ownership Limitation of 4.99%, upon notice to us and effective sixty-one (61) days after the date such notice is delivered to us, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation so long as it in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise.

 

Cashless Exercise

 

If, at the time a holder exercises its Pre-Funded Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may only exercise its Pre-Funded Warrants (either in whole or in part), at such time by means of a cashless exercise in which the holder shall be entitled to receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants, which generally provides for a number of shares equal to (A) (1) the volume weighted average price on (x) the trading day preceding the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered on a day that is not a trading day or prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” on a trading day or (y) the trading day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered after the close of “regular trading hours” on such trading day, or (2) the bid price on the day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a trading day and is delivered within two hours thereafter, less (B) the exercise price, multiplied by (C) the number of shares of common stock the Pre-Funded Warrant was exercisable into, with such product then divided by the number determined under clause (A) in this sentence.

 

29

 

Fractional Shares

 

No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Rather, we will, at our election, and in lieu of the issuance of such fractional share, either (i) pay cash in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or (ii) round up to the next whole share issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrant.

 

Transferability

 

Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.

 

Trading Market

 

There is no trading market available for the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “ATHX.”

 

Rights as a Stockholder

 

Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Fundamental Transaction

 

In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Pre-Funded Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Pre-Funded Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.

 

Common Warrants Being Offered in this Offering

 

Dilution and Exercise Price

 

Each Common Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to 100% of the public offering price/assumed exercise price of $0.60. The Common Warrants will be immediately exercisable. The Series A Common Warrants will expire in five years from the original issuance date and the Series B Common Warrants will expire in one and a half years from the original issuance date. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate proportional adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.

 

Exercisability

 

The Common Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice and, within the earlier of (i) two trading days and (ii) the number of trading days comprising the standard settlement period with respect to the common stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the notice of exercise thereafter, payment in full for the number of shares of common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder may not exercise any portion of the Common Warrant to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other persons acting as a group together with any such persons, would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided that a holder with a Beneficial Ownership Limitation of 4.99%, upon notice to us and effective  sixty-one (61) days after the date such notice is delivered to us, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation so long as it in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise.

 

30

 

Cashless Exercise

 

If, at the time a holder exercises its Common Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Common Warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may only exercise its Common Warrants (either in whole or in part), at such time by means of a cashless exercise in which the holder shall be entitled to receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Common Warrants, which generally provides for a number of shares of common stock equal to (A) (1) the volume weighted average price on (x) the trading day preceding the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered on a day that is not a trading day or prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” on a trading day or (y) the trading day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered after the close of “regular trading hours” on such trading day, or (2) the bid price on the day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a trading day and is delivered within two hours thereafter, less (B) the exercise price, multiplied by (C) the number of shares of common stock the Common Warrant was exercisable into, with such product then divided by the number determined under clause (A) in this sentence.

 

Fractional Shares

 

No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Common Warrants. Rather, we will, at our election, and in lieu of the issuance of such fractional share, either (i) pay cash in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or (ii) round up to the next whole share issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrant.

 

Transferability

 

Subject to applicable laws, a Common Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Common Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.

 

Trading Market

 

There is no trading market available for the Common Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Common Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “ATHX.”

 

Rights as a Stockholder

 

Except as otherwise provided in the Common Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of common stock, the holders of the Common Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Common Warrants.

 

Fundamental Transaction

 

In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Common Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, the holders of the Common Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Common Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Common Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Additionally, in the event of a fundamental transaction, we or any successor entity will, at the option of the holder of a Common Warrant exercisable at any time concurrently with or within 30 days after the consummation of the fundamental transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement thereof), purchase the Common Warrant from the holder by paying to the holder an amount of consideration equal to the value of the remaining unexercised portion of such Common Warrant on the date of consummation of the fundamental transaction based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model, determined pursuant to a formula set forth in the Common Warrants. The consideration paid to the holder will be the same type or form of consideration that was offered and paid to the holders of shares of common stock in connection with the fundamental transaction; provided that if no such consideration was offered or paid, the holders of common stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the successor entity in such fundamental transaction for purposes of this provision of the Common Warrants.

 

Amendment to the Prior Warrants

 

In connection with this offering, we may enter into privately negotiated agreements with the holders the Prior Warrants to, among other things, reduce the exercise price of such Prior Warrants to that of the Common Warrants being offered and sold in this offering and to extend the current expiration date of the Prior Warrants to the expiration date of the Series A Common Warrants being offered and sold in this offering. In addition, we expect that certain terms of the Prior Warrants will also be amended to be substantially consistent with those of the Series A Common Warrants being offered hereby. There can be no assurance that we will amend the Prior Warrants in connection with this offering or as to the final terms of any amendments to the Prior Warrants.

 

31

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners has agreed to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement dated __________, 2023. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any of the securities offered by this prospectus, nor is it required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered hereby. Therefore, we may not sell the entire amount of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with certain investors, at the investor’s option, who purchase our securities in this offering. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement shall rely solely on this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering. Our executive officers and directors may also participate in this offering

 

We will deliver the securities being issued to the investors upon receipt of such investor’s funds for the purchase of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We will deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus upon closing. We expect this offering to be completed not later than two (2) business days following the commencement of this offering and we will deliver all securities to be issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon receipt of investor funds received by us. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus on or about __________, 2023.

 

We have agreed to indemnify the Placement Agent and specified other persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and to contribute to payments the Placement Agent may be required to make in respect thereof.

 

Fees and Expenses

 

We have engaged A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering. This offering is being conducted on a reasonable “best efforts” basis and 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 a fee based on the aggregate proceeds as set forth in the table below:

 

   

Per share of Common

Stock and

Accompanying Common

Warrants

   

Per Pre-Funded

Warrant and

Accompanying Common

Warrants

   

Total

 

Public offering price(1)

  $       $            

Placement agent fees(2)

  $       $            

Proceeds to us, before expenses(3)

  $       $            

 


(1)

The combined public offering price is $0.60 per share of common stock and accompanying Common Warrants and $0.5999 per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrants. Our executive officers and directors may also participate in this offering

 

(2)

We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its accountable offering-related legal expenses in an amount up to $80,000 and pay the Placement Agent a non-accountable expense allowance of up to $75,000.

 

(3)

Does not include potential proceeds from the exercise of the Common Warrants and/or Pre-Funded Warrants for cash, if any.

 

As stated in the table above, we have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent at closing (i) for legal and other expenses incurred by them in connection with the offering in an aggregate amount up to $80,000, and (ii) non-accountable expenses payable to the Placement Agent of up to $75,000. We estimate the total expenses payable by us for this offering, excluding the Placement Agent fees and expenses, will be approximately $310,000.

 

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The Placement Agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the shares sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the Placement Agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares by the Placement Agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the Placement Agent:

 

 

may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and

 

 

may not 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 it has completed its participation in the distribution.

 

Lock-Up Agreements

 

Our directors and officers have entered into lock-up agreements. Under these agreements, these individuals agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to sell or transfer any shares of common stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, common stock during a period ending      days after the completion of this offering, without first obtaining the written consent of the Placement Agent. Specifically, these individuals agreed, in part, subject to certain exceptions, not to:

 

 

offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock;

 

 

enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of common stock; or

 

 

make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any of our securities.

 

No Sales of Similar Securities

 

We have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of, any shares of common stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock) or, subject to certain exceptions, file any registration statement, including any amendments or supplements thereto (other than the prospectus supplement, registration statement or amendment to the registration statement relating to the securities offered hereunder and a registration statement on Form S-8), until 45 days after the completion of this offering. We have also agreed not to enter into a variable rate transaction (as defined in the securities purchase agreement) for 180 days after the completion of this offering.

 

Discretionary Accounts

 

The Placement Agent does not intend to confirm sales of the securities offered hereby to any accounts over which it has discretionary authority.

 

Listing

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol “ATHX.” We do not plan to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on Nasdaq or any other securities exchange or trading market.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

We have appointed Computershare Investor Services as the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

 

Other Activities and Relationships

 

The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

 

33

 

In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the Placement Agent or its affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The Placement Agent and its affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions that consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

 

As stated above, the Placement Agent and its affiliates have and may in the future provide, from time to time, investment banking and financial advisory services to us in the ordinary course of business, for which they may receive customary fees and commissions.

 

For example, on April 18, 2023, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with each purchaser identified on the signature pages thereto, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell, in a public offering, (i) an aggregate of 2,315,000 shares of our common stock, and (ii) pre-funded warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 1,370,000 shares of our common stock, together with warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 3,685,000 shares of our common stock in a concurrent private placement (the “April 2023 Offerings”), which transactions closed on April 19, 2023. We received gross proceeds of approximately $3.6 million from the April 2023 Offerings. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners served as exclusive Placement Agent for the issuance and sale of the securities in the April 2023 Offerings and received an aggregate cash fee equal to 6.5% of the gross proceeds received by us from the sale of the securities in these offerings. We also reimbursed A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners $65,000 for fees and expenses of its legal counsel and other out-of-pocket expenses and agreed to indemnify A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners and specified other persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

The foregoing does not purport to be a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement or the securities purchase agreement entered into in connection with this offering, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Thompson Hine LLP, New York, New York. Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the Placement Agent in connection with certain legal matters related to this offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements of Athersys, Inc. at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, incorporated by reference in this Prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph describing conditions that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note B to the consolidated financial statements) included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Any information referenced this way is considered to be part of this prospectus, and any information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the following documents that we have filed with the SEC (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the SEC’s rules):

 

 

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on April 3, 2023;

 

34

 

 

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on May 15, 2023;

 

 

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed (and/or amendments thereto) on January 5, 2023, January 25, 2023, April 14, 2023, April 18, 2023, May 23, 2023, June 28, 2023, July 5, 2023, July 14, 2023, and July 31, 2023; and

 

 

the description of our common stock set forth in the registration statement on Form 8-A filed on December 6, 2007, as updated by Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 24, 2022, and all amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating that description.

 

Additionally, all documents filed by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after (i) the date of the initial filing of the registration statement to which this prospectus relates and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement, and (ii) the date of this prospectus and before the termination or completion of any offering hereunder, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus from the respective dates of filing of such documents, except that we do not incorporate any document or portion of a document that is “furnished” to the SEC, but not deemed “filed.”

 

We will not, however, incorporate by reference in this prospectus any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of our current reports on Form 8-K unless, and except to the extent, specified in such current reports.

 

We will provide you with a copy of any of these filings (other than an exhibit to these filings, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into the filing requested) at no cost, if you submit a request to us by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:

 

Athersys, Inc.

 

3201 Carnegie Avenue

 

Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2634

 

(216) 431-9900

 

Attn: Secretary

 

Any statements contained in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified, superseded or replaced for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus (or in any other subsequently filed document which also is incorporated by reference in this prospectus) modifies, supersedes or replaces such statement. Any statement so modified, superseded or replaced shall not be deemed, except as so modified, superseded or replaced, to constitute a part of this prospectus. Statements contained in this prospectus and any document incorporated by reference as to the contents of any contract, agreement or other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, reference is made to the copy of the contract, agreement or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or any incorporated document, each statement being so qualified by this reference.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the common stock we are offering pursuant to this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information pertaining to us and our common stock, you should refer to the registration statement and to its exhibits. Whenever we make reference in this 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 copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet website that contains reports and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically with the SEC, and you can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.athersys.com and you may access, free of charge, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus.

 

35

 

DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES

 

Our directors and officers are indemnified to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law. We also maintain insurance which protects our officers and directors against any liabilities incurred in connection with their service in such a capacity.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of ours in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

36

 

 

 

 
 

Up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Series A Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 Series B Common Warrants to purchase up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock

Up to 11,666,666 shares of Common Stock underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants

 

Up to 23,333,332 shares of Common Stock underlying the Common Warrants

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

athx20230711_s1img002.jpg

 

Preliminary Prospectus

 

Sole Placement Agent

A.G.P.

__________, 2023

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 13. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

 

The following are the estimated expenses of the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered, all of which are payable by us. All of the items below, except for the SEC registration fee and FINRA filing fee, are estimates.

 

   

Amounts to be Paid

 

SEC registration fee

  $ 2,644.80  

FINRA filing fee

    *  

Printing and engraving fee

    *  

Legal fees and expenses

    *  

Accounting fees and expenses

    *  

Transfer agent’s fees

    *  

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

    *  

Total

  $ 2,644.80*  

*

Fees and expenses (other than the SEC registration fee to be paid upon the filing of this registration statement) will depend on the number and nature of any offerings of securities made pursuant to this registration statement, and cannot be estimated at this time. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the distribution of securities being offered will be included in any applicable amendment to this registration statement.

 

ITEM 14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

Delaware law provides that directors of a company will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liabilities:

 

 

for any breach of their duty of loyalty to the company or its stockholders;

 

 

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

 

for unlawful payment of dividend or unlawful stock repurchase or redemption, as provided under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”); or

 

 

for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

The provisions of Delaware law that relate to indemnification expressly state that the rights provided by the statute are not exclusive and are in addition to any rights provided in bylaws, by agreement, or otherwise. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that if Delaware law is amended to further eliminate or limit the liability of directors, then the liability of our directors shall be eliminated or limited, without further stockholder action, to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law as so amended.

 

Our certificate of incorporation requires us to indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, any and all persons we have the power to indemnify under the DGCL from and against any and all expenses, liabilities or other matters covered by the DGCL. Additionally, our certificate of incorporation requires us to indemnify each of our directors and officers in each and every situation where the DGCL permits or empowers us (but does not obligate us) to provide such indemnification, subject to the provisions of our bylaws. Our bylaws requires us to indemnify our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and permits us, to the extent authorized by the board of directors, to indemnify our officers and any other person we have the power to indemnify against liability, reasonable expense or other matters.

 

Under our certificate of incorporation, indemnification may be provided to directors and officers acting in their official capacity, as well as in other capacities. Indemnification will continue for persons who have ceased to be directors, officers, employees or agents, and will inure to the benefit of their heirs, executors and administrators. Additionally, under our certificate of incorporation, except under certain circumstances, our directors are not personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officers, or employees in which indemnification is sought, nor are we aware of any threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification.

 

38

 

Our bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee, or agent for any liability arising out of actions in his or her capacity as an officer, director, employee, or agent. We have obtained an insurance policy that insures our directors and officers against losses, above a deductible amount, from specified types of claims. Finally, we have entered into indemnification agreements with most of our directors and executive officers, which agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify them and advance expenses to them relating to indemnification suits to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

ITEM 15.         RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.

 

The following list sets forth information regarding all unregistered securities sold by us over the three year period preceding the date of the prospectus that forms a part of this registration statement.

 

 

On May 17, 2023, we entered into a Forbearance, Restructuring and Settlement Agreement with a supplier, pursuant to which we issued a convertible promissory note to the supplier in the principal amount of $15.0 million (the “Note”). Subject to a beneficial ownership limitation of 19.99% of our outstanding common stock and any shareholder approval requirements, the supplier may elect, at its sole discretion, to convert any outstanding principal and interest on the Note into shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $1.30 per share.

 

 

On April 18, 2023, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investors, pursuant to which we agreed to sell shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants, in a registered direct offering, for an aggregate offering price of approximately $3.6 million. We agreed to pay A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, the placement agent for the offering, a cash fee equal to 6.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds received from the offering. In a concurrent private placement, we issued warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 3,685,000 shares of our common stock.

 

 

On April 18, 2023, we amended (i) common stock purchase warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 1,920,000 shares of our common stock that we issued to an accredited investor on September 22, 2022 (the “September Warrants”), and (ii) common stock purchase warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares that we issued to an accredited investor on August 17, 2022, as amended on September 22, 2022 (the “August Warrants”). The September Warrants and the August Warrants were issued in a concurrent private placement in connection with a registered direct offering of our securities under that securities purchase agreement, dated August 15, 2022, as amended on September 22, 2022, for an aggregate offering price of approximately $12 million. We agreed to pay A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, the placement agent for the offering, a cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received from the offering.

 

 

On November 5, 2019, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC (“Aspire Capital”), pursuant to which Aspire Capital committed to purchase from us up to an aggregate of $100 million of shares of our common stock, subject to the terms and conditions specified in such common stock purchase agreement, over the 36-month term of the common stock purchase agreement. From July 1, 2020 through August 11, 2021, the Company sold 1,186,000 shares of its common stock under such common stock purchase agreement, generating proceeds of $54,828,034.

 

 

On June 24, 2021, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital, pursuant to which Aspire Capital committed to purchase from us up to an aggregate of $100 million of shares of our common stock, subject to the terms and conditions specified in such common stock purchase agreement, over the 36-month term of the common stock purchase agreement. From June 24, 2021 through June 23, 2022, the Company sold 1,600,000 shares of its common stock under such common stock purchase agreement, generating proceeds of $31,068,740.

 

 

On May 12, 2022, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital, pursuant to which Aspire Capital committed to purchase from us up to an aggregate of $100 million of shares of our common stock, subject to the terms and conditions specified in such common stock purchase agreement, over the 24-month term of the common stock purchase agreement. On July 6, 2022, Aspire Capital delivered notice to us, terminating such common stock purchase agreement, effective immediately. From May 12, 2022 through the date of termination, the Company sold 274,800 shares of its common stock under such common stock purchase agreement, generating proceeds of $1,859,529.

 

39

 

We believe the offers, sales and issuances of the above securities by us were exempt from registration under the Securities Act by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 thereunder as transactions not involving a public offering. All of the investors were accredited investors as such term is defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act. The recipients of the securities in each of these transactions represented their intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were placed upon the stock certificates, notes and warrants issued in these transactions, as applicable. All recipients had adequate access, through their relationships with us, to information about our Company. The sales of these securities were made without any general solicitation or advertising.

 

ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

 

(a)         Exhibits:

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description of Exhibit

1.1

 

Form of Placement Agency Agreement

     

3.1

 

Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended as of June 20, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on May 8, 2019)

     

3.2

 

Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended as of June 7, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 9, 2017)

     

3.3

 

Bylaws of Athersys, Inc., as amended and restated as of March 13, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 14, 2019)

     

3.4

 

Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended, effective as of June 16, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the registrants Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Commission No. 333-257409) filed with the Commission on June 25, 2021)

     

3.5

 

Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended, effective as of August 26, 2022 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 29, 2022)

     

4.1

 

Description of the Registrant's Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 16, 2020)

     

4.2

 

Common Stock Purchase Warrant (ARDS) issued to HEALIOS K.K. by Athersys, Inc. dated August 5, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 15, 2021)

     

4.3

 

Common Stock Purchase Warrant (Ischemic Stroke) issued to HEALIOS K.K. by Athersys, Inc. dated August 5, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 15, 2021)

 

40

 

4.4

 

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 17, 2022)

     

4.5

 

Form of Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 17, 2022)

     

4.6

 

Form of Warrant Amendment (incorporate herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on September 22, 2022)

     

4.7

 

Form of New Warrant (incorporate herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on September 22, 2022)

     

4.8

 

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 10, 2022)

     

4.9

 

Form of Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 10, 2022)

     

4.10

 

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 18, 2023)

     

4.11

 

Form of Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 18, 2023)

     

4.12

 

Form of Warrant Amendment No. 1 to Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 18, 2023)

     

4.13

 

Form of Warrant Amendment No. 2 to Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 18, 2023)

     

4.14

 

Form of Convertible Promissory Note, dated May 17, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on May 23, 2023)

     

4.15#

 

Form of  Pre-Funded Warrant

     

4.16

 

Form of  Series A Common Warrant

     
4.17   Form of Series B Common Warrant
     

5.1

 

Opinion of Thompson Hine LLP

     

10.1**

 

Exclusive License Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2002, by and between Regents of the University of Minnesota and MCL LLC, assumed by ReGenesys, LLC through operation of merger on November 4, 2003 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 000-52108) filed with the Commission on June 14, 2007)

 

41

 

10.2

 

Form Indemnification Agreement for Directors, Officers and Directors and Officers (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 000-52108) filed with the Commission on August 6, 2007)

     

10.3

 

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.47 to the registrants Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 25, 2011)

     

10.4*

 

Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to the registrants Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 25, 2011)

     

10.5*

 

Athersys, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Companys Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-212119) filed with the Commission on June 20, 2016)

     

10.6*

 

Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Non-Employee Directors pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Amended and Restated Effective June 16, 2011) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.49 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on May 6, 2011)

     

10.7*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2011)

     

10.8*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on June 20, 2013)

     

10.9

 

License Agreement by and between ABT Holding Company and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of January 8, 2016 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on May 5, 2016)

     

10.10

 

First Amendment to License Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2017, by and between ABT Holding Company and HEALIOS K.K. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 8, 2017)

     

10.11

 

Second Amendment to License Agreement, dated as of September 19, 2017, by and between ABT Holding Company and HEALIOS K.K. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 8, 2017)

     

10.12

 

Investor Rights Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of March 13, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on May 10, 2018)

     

10.13**

 

Collaboration Expansion Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of June 6, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 9, 2018)

 

42

 

10.14

 

Amendment No. 1 to Collaboration Expansion Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of August 31, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 6, 2018)

     

10.15

 

Amendment No. 2 to Collaboration Expansion Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of December 6, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.44 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 15, 2019)

     

10.16

 

Amendment No. 3 to Collaboration Expansion Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of December 14, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.45 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 15, 2019)

     

10.17*

 

Summary of Athersys, Inc. 2022 Cash Bonus Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 15, 2022

     

10.18*

 

Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-232075) filed with the Commission on June 12, 2019)

     

10.19*

 

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 7, 2019)

     

10.20*

 

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 7, 2019)

     

10.21*

 

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (Directors) pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 7, 2019)

     

10.22*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (Executives) pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 7, 2019)

     

10.23*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (Non-Executive) pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 7, 2019)

     

10.24*

 

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan for grants beginning in 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020)

 

43

 

10.25*

 

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan for grants beginning in 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020)

     

10.26*

 

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (Directors) pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan for grants beginning in 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020)

     

10.27*

 

Form of Notice of Amendment to Option Rights for Employees (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020)

     

10.28*

 

Form of Notice of Amendment to Option Rights for Directors (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020)

     

10.29

 

Cooperation Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2021, by and among Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K. and Dr. Tadahisa Kagimoto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on February 16, 2021)

     

10.30

 

Separation Letter, dated as of February 15, 2021, by and between Athersys, Inc. and Dr. Gil Van Bokkelen (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on February 16, 2021)

     

10.31†

 

Comprehensive Framework Agreement for Commercial Manufacturing and Ongoing Support, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of August 5, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 15, 2021)

     

10.32

 

Amendment to Cooperation Agreement, dated as of August 5, 2021, by and among Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K. and Dr. Tadahisa Kagimoto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 15, 2021)

     

10.33

 

Amendment to Investor Rights Agreement, by and between Athersys, Inc. and HEALIOS K.K., dated as of August 5, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the registrants Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 15, 2021)

     

10.34

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 15, 2022, between Athersys, Inc. and each purchaser named in the signature pages thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 17, 2022)

     

10.35

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement Amendment, dated as of September 22, 2022, between Athersys, Inc. and each purchaser named in the signature pages thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on September 22, 2022)

 

44

 

10.36

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 10, 2022, between Athersys, Inc. and each purchaser named in the signature pages thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on November 10, 2022)

     

10.37

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 18, 2023, between the Company and each purchaser named in the signature pages thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrants Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 18, 2023)

     

10.38

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement

     

21.1

 

List of Subsidiaries (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the registrants Annual report on Form 10-K (Commission No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on April 3, 2023)

     

23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     

23.2

 

Consent of Thompson Hine LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

     

24.1#

 

Power of Attorney

     

107

 

Filing Fee Table

 

# Previously filed.

 

* Indicates management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.

 

** Confidential treatment requested as to certain portions, which portions have been filed separately with the SEC.

 

† Portions of this exhibit (indicated by bracketed asterisks) are omitted in accordance with the rules of the SEC.

 

(b)         Financial Statements Schedules:

 

Schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.

 

ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)          To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement is:

 

(i)           To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

(ii)          To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of the securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

45

 

(iii)        To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement; provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement;

 

(2)          That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

 

(3)          To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

 

(4)          That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to any purchaser:

 

(i)           Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424 (b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this registration statement; and

 

(ii)          Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(l)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

 

(1)

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

 

(2)

For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

46

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, on August 7, 2023.

 

 

ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Daniel A. Camardo

 

 

 

Name: Daniel A. Camardo

 

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment to No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name

 

Title

 

Date

     

/s/ Daniel A. Camardo

 

Chief Executive Officer

  August 7, 2023

Daniel A. Camardo

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

   
         

*

 

Interim Chief Financial Officer

  August 7, 2023

Kasey Rosado

 

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

   
         

*

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors

  August 7, 2023

Ismail Kola

       
         

*

 

Director

  August 7, 2023

Joseph Nolan

       
         

*

 

Director

  August 7, 2023

Jane Wasman

       
         

*

 

Director

  August 7, 2023

Jack L. Wyszomierski

       
         

 

* By Daniel A. Camardo, as Attorney in fact, pursuant to Power of Attorney dated July 14, 2023.

 

47
 

Exhibit 1.1

 

PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT

 

[●], 2023 

 

Athersys, Inc.

Attention: Mr. Daniel Camardo

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

 

Re: Athersys, Inc. Offering

 

Dear Mr. Camardo:

 

This letter (the “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement between A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, as exclusive placement agent (the “Placement Agent”), and Athersys, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), that the Placement Agent shall serve as the exclusive placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, in connection with the proposed placement (the “Placement”) of (i) shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) Series A Common Stock purchase warrants (the “Series A Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Common Warrant Shares”), (iii) Series B Common Stock purchase warrants (the “Series B Warrants” and together with Series A Warrants, the “Common Warrants”), and, depending on the beneficial ownership percentage of the purchaser of the Common Stock following its purchase,  (iii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants” and together with the Common Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants Shares”). The Shares, Common Warrant Shares, Common Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, and Pre-Funded Warrants are collectively referred to as the “Securities”. The Securities shall be offered and sold under the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-273256) (the “Registration Statement”). The Securities actually placed by the Placement Agent are referred to herein as the “Placement Agent Securities.” The terms of the Placement shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers of the Securities (each, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”); provided, however, that nothing herein constitutes that the Placement Agent would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser, or an obligation for the Company to issue any Securities or complete the Placement. The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s obligations hereunder are on a “reasonable best efforts” basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by the Placement Agent to purchase the Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Securities or any portion thereof or the success of the Placement Agent with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected dealers on its behalf in connection with the Placement. Certain affiliates of the Placement Agent may participate in the Placement by purchasing some of the Placement Agent Securities. The sale of Placement Agent Securities to any Purchaser will be evidenced by a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) between the Company and such Purchaser, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Purchaser. Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, officers of the Company will be available to answer inquiries from the prospective Purchasers.

 

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SECTION 1REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY; COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.

 

(A)     Representations of the Company. With respect to the Placement Agent Securities, each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) and covenants made by the Company to the Purchasers in the Purchase Agreement in connection with the Placement, is hereby incorporated herein by reference into this Agreement (as though fully restated herein) and is, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the date of the sale of the Placement Agent Securities (the “Closing Date”), hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent. In addition to the foregoing, the Company represents and warrants that there are no affiliations with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5.0%) or greater securityholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

(B)       Covenants of the Company. From the date hereof until forty-five (45) days after the Closing Date (the “Restriction Period”), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Shares or Common Stock Equivalents. In addition, during the Restriction Period, the Company shall not effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance of Placement Agent Securities or Common Stock Equivalents involving an at-the-market offering or Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 1.B shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance or filing of a registration statement (or amendment to or supplement thereof) registering the resale of shares of Common Stock underlying warrants issued by the Company in August 2022, September 2022, November of 2022, and April 2023, or a registration statement (or amendment to or supplement thereof) registering the resale of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of any convertible promissory note issued or to be issued by the Company to LONZA NETHERLANDS B.V. or any of its affiliates.

 

SECTION 2REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PLACEMENT AGENT. The Placement Agent represents and warrants that it (i) is a member in good standing of FINRA, (ii) is registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the securities laws of each state in which an offer or sale of Placement Agent Securities is made (unless exempted from the respective state’s broker-dealer registration requirements), (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the United States of America, applicable to the offers and sales of the Placement Agent Securities by the Placement Agent, (iv) is and will be a corporate body validly existing under the laws of its place of incorporation, and (v) has full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Placement Agent will immediately notify the Company in writing of any change in its status with respect to subsections (i) through (v) above. The Placement Agent covenants that it will use its “reasonable best efforts” to conduct the Placement in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.

 

SECTION 3COMPENSATION. In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent and/or its respective designees a cash fee of 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised from the sale of the Placement Agent Securities (the “Cash Fee”).

 

SECTION 4. EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Placement Agent Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Placement Agent Securities; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Placement Agent Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Placement Agent Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country; (vii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Placement Agent Securities on the Trading Market; (viii) $80,000 for accountable, documented expenses related to legal fees of counsel to the Placement Agent; and (viii) non-accountable expenses up to $75,000; provided, that this sentence in no way limits or impairs the indemnification or contribution provisions contained herein. The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.

 

2

 

SECTION 5INDEMNIFICATION.

 

(A) To the extent permitted by law, with respect to the Placement Agent Securities, the Company shall indemnify the Placement Agent and its affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, members, counsel and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) against all losses, claims, damages, expenses and liabilities, as the same are incurred (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), relating to or arising out of its activities hereunder, its status, title or role as Placement Agent or pursuant to this Agreement, except to the extent that any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) are found in a final judgment (not subject to appeal) by a court of law to have resulted primarily and directly from the Placement Agent’s fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence in performing the services described herein. Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, the Company agrees to indemnify the Placement Agent and its counsel, Blank Rome LLP, to the fullest extent set forth in this Section 4, against any and all claims asserted by any or person or entity alleging that the Placement Agent was not permitted or entitled to act as a placement agent herein, or that the Company was not permitted to hire or retain the Placement Agent herein, including but not limited to any claims arising out of any purported right of first refusal another person or entity claims to have to act as a placement agent or any similar role with respect to the Company or its securities.

 

(B) Promptly after receipt by the Placement Agent of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which the Placement Agent is entitled to indemnity hereunder, the Placement Agent will notify the Company in writing of such claim or of the commencement of such action or proceeding, but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have hereunder, except and only to the extent such failure results in the forfeiture by the Company of substantial rights and defenses. If the Company so elects or is requested by the Placement Agent, the Company will assume the defense of such action or proceeding and will employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and will pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Placement Agent will be entitled to employ counsel separate from counsel for the Company and from any other party in such action if counsel for the Placement Agent reasonably determines that it would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional responsibility for the same counsel to represent both the Company and the Placement Agent. In such event, the reasonable fees and disbursements of no more than one (1) such separate counsel will be paid by the Company, in addition to fees of local counsel. The Company will have the right to settle the claim, action or proceeding, provided that the Company shall not settle any such claim, action or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, which may not be unreasonably withheld.

 

(C) The Company agrees to notify the Placement Agent promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to a transaction contemplated by this Agreement.

 

3

 

(D) If for any reason the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to the Placement Agent or insufficient to hold the Placement Agent harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Placement Agent as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other, but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any relevant equitable considerations. The amounts paid or payable by a party in respect of losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees and expenses incurred in defending any litigation, proceeding or other action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions hereof, the Placement Agent’s share of the liability hereunder shall not be in excess of the amount of fees actually received, or to be received, by the Placement Agent under this Agreement.

 

(E) These indemnification provisions of this Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect whether or not the transaction contemplated by this Agreement is completed and shall survive the termination of this Agreement, and shall be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have to any indemnified party under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

SECTION 6ENGAGEMENT TERM. The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder will commence on the date hereof and continue through the Closing Date. The date of termination of this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Termination Date.” In the event, however, in the course of the Placement Agent’s performance of due diligence it deems it necessary to terminate the engagement, the Placement Agent may do so prior to the Termination Date. The Company may elect to terminate the engagement hereunder for any reason prior to the Termination Date but will remain responsible for fees and expenses pursuant to Section 3 and Section 4 hereof and fees and expenses with respect to the Placement Agent Securities, if sold in the Placement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees or expenses actually earned pursuant to Section 3 and Section 4 hereof and the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution, no fiduciary duty and governing law (including the waiver of the right to trial by jury) contained herein will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the completion of the Placement, all fees or expenses due to the Placement Agent shall be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees or expenses are earned or owed as of the Termination Date). The Placement Agent agrees not to use any confidential information concerning the Company provided to the Placement Agent by the Company for any purposes other than those contemplated under this Agreement.

 

SECTION 7PLACEMENT AGENT INFORMATION. The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by the Placement Agent in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in their evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.

 

SECTION 8NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and shall have no duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of the Placement Agent hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.

 

SECTION 9. CLOSING. The obligations of the Placement Agent, and the closing of the sale of the Placement Agent Securities hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and in the Purchase Agreement, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions, except as otherwise disclosed to and acknowledged and waived by the Placement Agent:

 

4

 

(A) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the Placement Agent Securities, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby with respect to the Placement Agent Securities have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to the Placement Agent.

 

(B) The Placement Agent shall have received from outside counsel to the Company a reliance letter from such counsel allowing the Placement Agent to rely upon such counsel’s written opinion with respect to the Placement Agent Securities delivered to the Purchasers.

 

(C) The Placement Agent has received customary certificates of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “Officers Certificate”) as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties contained in the Purchase Agreement, and a certificate of the Company’s Secretary (or other suitable executive officer) (the “Secretarys Certificate”) certifying (i) that the Company’s organizational documents are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (or any authorized committee thereof) relating to the Placement are in full force and effect and have not been modified; and (iii) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. Each of the Officer’s Certificate and Secretary’s Certificate must be dated as of the Closing Date, and all documents referenced in the Secretary’s Certificate must be attached thereto.

 

(D) The Common Stock, including the Shares and the Warrant Shares, shall be registered under the Exchange Act. The Company shall have taken no action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing except as otherwise publicly disclosed.

 

(E) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Placement Agent Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Placement Agent Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.

 

(F) The Company shall have entered into a Purchase Agreement with each of the several Purchasers of the Placement Agent Securities, and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and contain representations, warranties and covenants of the Company as agreed upon between the Company and the Purchasers.

 

(G) FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements of this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, make or authorize Placement Agent’s counsel to make on the Company’s behalf, any filing with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 with respect to the Placement and pay all filing fees required in connection therewith.

 

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(H) The Placement Agent shall have received an executed lock-up agreement from each of the Company’s executive officers and directors prior to the Closing Date.

 

(I) The Placement Agent shall have received an executed FINRA questionnaire from each of the Company and the Company’s executive officers and directors.

 

(J) On or before the Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Placement Agent Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties of the Company, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be cancelled by the Placement Agent at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or orally. Any such oral notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.

 

SECTION 10GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

SECTION 11ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both the Placement Agent and the Company. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing Date of the Placement and delivery of the Placement Agent Securities. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or a .pdf format file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof.

 

6

 

SECTION 12NOTICES. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder must be in writing and will be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Business Day, (b) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Business Day, (c) the third business day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. internationally recognized air courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications are as set forth on the signature pages hereto.

 

SECTION 13. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent shall, on and after the Closing Date, have the right to reference the Placement and the Placement Agent’s role in connection therewith in the Placement Agent’s marketing materials and on its website and to place advertisements in financial and other newspapers and journals, in each case at its own expense.

 

 

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]

 

7

 

 

Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to the Placement Agent the enclosed copy of this Agreement.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

A.G.P./ALLIANCE GLOBAL PARTNERS

 

 

By:    
  Name: Thomas Higgins  
  Title: Managing Director  

 

 

Address for notice:

 

590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Attn: Thomas Higgins

Email: thiggins@allianceg.com

 

 

[Signature Page to the Placement Agency Agreement]

 

 

 

Accepted and Agreed to as of
the date first written above:

 

 

ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

By:    
  Name: Daniel Camardo  
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Address for notice:

 

3201 Carnegie Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Attn: Daniel Camardo

Email: dcamardo@athersys.com

 

 

[Signature Page to the Placement Agency Agreement]

 

 
 

Exhibit 4.16

 

SERIES A COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

Warrant Shares:                    

 

Initial Exercise Date: [_____], 2023

Issue Date: [______], 2023

 

 

THIS SERIES A COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, ______________or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 2028 (the “Termination Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Athersys, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to [______] shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated [_____], 2023, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.

 

Section 2. Exercise.

 

(a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy or PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Trading Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

 


1 The date that is five (5) years following the Issue Date.

 

1

 

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no circumstance that would require the Company to net cash settle the Warrants.

 

(b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[__], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).

 

(c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering the issuance to or, if required, the resale of the Warrant Shares by, the Holder, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or, if required, the resale by the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the greater of (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and any holding period of the Warrant Shares being issued may be tacked on to the holding period of this Warrant. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the VWAP of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

 


2 The exercise price per share is equal to 100% of the public offering per share of common stock sold in the offering.
 
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“Trading Day” means any day on which the Trading Market is open for trading, including any day on which the Trading Market is open for trading for a period of time less than the customary time.

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

(d) Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Warrant Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale limitations pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Warrants), and otherwise by crediting the account of the Holder in the DRS book entry system maintained by the transfer agent for the Common Stock, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, at the option of the Holder, either (A) in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until the earlier of such Warrant Shares being delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise or (B) the amount pursuant to a Buy-In pursuant to Section 2(d)(iv) hereof. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date and the Initial Exercise Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date for purposes hereunder, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by such Warrant Share Delivery Date.

 

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ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Warrant Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Warrants with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

4

 

v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share of Common Stock.

 

vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. The issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form, attached hereto as Exhibit B, duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.

 

vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

5

 

(e) Holders Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with (i) the Holder’s Affiliates, (ii) any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates, and (iii) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s for the purposes of Section 13(d) (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of Warrant Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination and shall have no liability for exercises of the Warrant that are not in compliance with the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, except to the extent the Holder relies on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock that was provided by the Company. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination and shall have no liability for exercises of the Warrant that are not in compliance with the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, except to the extent the Holder relies on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock that was provided by the Company. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be [4.99/9.99]% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant. If the Warrant is unexercisable as a result of the Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation, no alternate consideration is owing to the Holder.

 

Section 3. Certain Adjustments.

 

(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Warrant Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

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(b) [RESERVED].

 

(c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

(d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

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(e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person in which the Company is not the surviving entity (other than a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company), (ii) the Company (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s (including its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole) assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of consideration equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity, the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, on the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365-day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the greater of (x) the last VWAP immediately prior to the public announcement of such contemplated Fundamental Transaction and (y) the last VWAP immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

8

 

(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

(g) Notice to Holder.

 

i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If, while the Warrant is outstanding, (A) the Company declares a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the shares of Common Stock, (B) the Company declares a special nonrecurring cash dividend on, or a redemption of, the shares of Common Stock, (C) the Company authorizes the granting to all holders of the shares of Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company is required in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, or (E) the Company authorizes the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

9

 

iii. Voluntary Adjustment by the Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant, subject to the prior written consent of the Holder, reduce the then current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.

 

Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.

 

(a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Purchase Agreement, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

(b) New Warrants. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

10

 

(c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

(d) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be either (i) registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or (ii) eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, comply with the provisions of Section 5.7 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(e) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law.

 

Section 5. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.

 

(b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

(c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Trading Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.

 

11

 

(d) Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued and delivered as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued and delivered upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

(e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws, and in such case, the Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that the Holder will acquire such Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law.

 

(g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

(h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

12

 

(i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

(j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

(k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

(l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

 

(m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

(n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

13

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

 

ATHERSYS, INC. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name: 

Daniel Camardo 

 

Title: 

Chief Executive Officer 

 

14

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

 

TO: ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

 

[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or

 

[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

_______________________________

 

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

(4) Accredited Investor. The undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

 

Name of Investing Entity:
 
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
 
Name of Authorized Signatory:
 
Title of Authorized Signatory:
 
Date:
 

 

 

15

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to exercise the Warrant to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

Name:

 
 

(Please Print)

Address:

 

Phone Number:

Email Address:

(Please Print)

______________________________________

______________________________________

Dated: _______________ __, ______

 

Holder’s Signature:

 

Holder’s Address:

 

 

16
 

Exhibit 4.17

 

SERIES B COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

Warrant Shares:                    

 

Initial Exercise Date: [_____], 2023

Issue Date: [______], 2023

 

 

THIS SERIES B COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, ______________or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 2025 (the “Termination Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Athersys, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to [______] shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated [_____], 2023, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.

 

Section 2. Exercise.

 

(a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy or PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Trading Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

 


1 The date that is one and one half (1.5) years following the Issue Date.

 

1

 

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no circumstance that would require the Company to net cash settle the Warrants.

 

(b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[__], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).

 

(c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering the issuance to or, if required, the resale of the Warrant Shares by, the Holder, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or, if required, the resale by the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the greater of (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and any holding period of the Warrant Shares being issued may be tacked on to the holding period of this Warrant. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the VWAP of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

 


1 The exercise price per share is equal to 100% of the public offering per share of common stock sold in the offering.

 

2

 

“Trading Day” means any day on which the Trading Market is open for trading, including any day on which the Trading Market is open for trading for a period of time less than the customary time.

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

(d) Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Warrant Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale limitations pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Warrants), and otherwise by crediting the account of the Holder in the DRS book entry system maintained by the transfer agent for the Common Stock, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, at the option of the Holder, either (A) in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until the earlier of such Warrant Shares being delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise or (B) the amount pursuant to a Buy-In pursuant to Section 2(d)(iv) hereof. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date and the Initial Exercise Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date for purposes hereunder, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by such Warrant Share Delivery Date.

 

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ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Warrant Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Warrants with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

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v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share of Common Stock.

 

vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. The issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form, attached hereto as Exhibit B, duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.

 

vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

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(e) Holders Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with (i) the Holder’s Affiliates, (ii) any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates, and (iii) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s for the purposes of Section 13(d) (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of Warrant Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination and shall have no liability for exercises of the Warrant that are not in compliance with the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, except to the extent the Holder relies on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock that was provided by the Company. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination and shall have no liability for exercises of the Warrant that are not in compliance with the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, except to the extent the Holder relies on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock that was provided by the Company. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be [4.99/9.99]% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant. If the Warrant is unexercisable as a result of the Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation, no alternate consideration is owing to the Holder.

 

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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.

 

(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Warrant Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

(b) [RESERVED].

 

(c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

(d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

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(e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person in which the Company is not the surviving entity (other than a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company), (ii) the Company (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s (including its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole) assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of consideration equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity, the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, on the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365-day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the greater of (x) the last VWAP immediately prior to the public announcement of such contemplated Fundamental Transaction and (y) the last VWAP immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

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(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

(g) Notice to Holder.

 

i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If, while the Warrant is outstanding, (A) the Company declares a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the shares of Common Stock, (B) the Company declares a special nonrecurring cash dividend on, or a redemption of, the shares of Common Stock, (C) the Company authorizes the granting to all holders of the shares of Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company is required in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, or (E) the Company authorizes the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

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iii. Voluntary Adjustment by the Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant, subject to the prior written consent of the Holder, reduce the then current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.

 

Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.

 

(a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Purchase Agreement, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

(b) New Warrants. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

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(c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

(d) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be either (i) registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or (ii) eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, comply with the provisions of Section 5.7 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(e) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law.

 

Section 5. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.

 

(b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

(c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Trading Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.

 

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(d) Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued and delivered as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued and delivered upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

(e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws, and in such case, the Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that the Holder will acquire such Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law.

 

(g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

(h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

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(i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

(j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

(k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

(l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

 

(m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

(n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

13

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

 

ATHERSYS, INC. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name: 

Daniel Camardo 

 

Title: 

Chief Executive Officer 

 

14

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

 

TO: ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

 

[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or

 

[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

_______________________________

 

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

(4) Accredited Investor. The undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:
 
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
 
Name of Authorized Signatory:
 
Title of Authorized Signatory:
 
Date:

 

 

15

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to exercise the Warrant to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

 

Name:

 
 

(Please Print)

Address:

 

Phone Number:

Email Address:

(Please Print)

______________________________________

______________________________________

Dated: _______________ __, ______

 

Holder’s Signature:

 

Holder’s Address:

 

 

16

Exhibit 5.1

 

thllp.jpg

 

 

August 7, 2023

 

Athersys, Inc.

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2634

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel for Athersys, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”), including a related preliminary prospectus filed with the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”), with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), covering an offering of (i) shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) common stock purchase warrants (the “Common Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (“Common Warrant Shares”), and (iii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants” and, together with the Common Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (together with the Common Warrant Shares, the “Warrant Shares”). The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Shares of Common Stock and the Warrant Shares is $7,000,000.

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of (i) the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as currently in effect, (ii) the Company’s Bylaws as currently in effect, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (iv) the form of Common Warrant, (v) the form of Pre-Funded Warrant, and (vi) such corporate records, agreements, documents, and other instruments, and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials or of officers and representatives of the Company, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth.

 

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As to certain questions of fact material to this opinion letter, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company and have not sought to independently verify such facts.

 

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, we are of the opinion that (i) the Shares, when duly issued and sold by the Company as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, (ii) the Warrants, when duly issued and sold by Company as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will constitute the legal, valid, and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and to general equitable principles, and (iii) the Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued upon the due exercise of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable.

 

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (including reported judicial decisions interpreting the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) and, with respect to the enforceability of the Warrants, the laws of the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to the effect on the matters covered by this opinion of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

footer.jpg

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving such consents, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

/s/ Thompson Hine LLP

 

Thompson Hine LLP

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.38

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [●], 2023, between Athersys, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).

 

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act (as defined below), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:

 

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

1.1    Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

 

Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.6.

 

Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).

 

Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

Applicable Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(pp).

 

Authorization” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(pp).

 

BHCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).

 

Board of Directors” means the board of directors, or any authorized committee thereof, of the Company.

 

Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close; providedhowever, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in the City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof.

 

 

 

 

Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.

 

Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.

 

Common Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants.

 

Common Warrants” means, collectively, the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants.

 

Company Counsel” means Thompson Hine LLP, with offices located at 300 Madison Ave, 27th Floor, New York, New York 10017.

 

Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.

 

Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.

 

DWAC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a).

 

EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

 

Environmental Law” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).

 

Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(v).

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

2

 

Exempt Issuance” means (a) the issuance of shares of Common Stock, options, restricted stock units or other equity awards to employees, consultants, contractors, advisors, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan or arrangement duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, (b) the issuance of securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and upon exercise of other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities, (c) the issuance of securities pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) that is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities (for avoidance of doubt, securities issued to a venture arm of a strategic investor shall be deemed an “Exempt Issuance”), (d) the issuance of securities to consultants or vendors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein, (e) the issuance of shares of Common Stock to existing holders of the Company’s securities in compliance with the terms of agreements entered into with, or instruments issued to, such holders, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein (other than shares of Common Stock issuable to holders of the Company’s outstanding warrants upon the exercise of such warrants, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities), (f) the issuance of securities of the Company issued pursuant to a concurrent private placement (including any securities issued upon conversion thereof) and (g) amendments to certain existing warrants of the Company held by one or more of the Purchasers.

 

FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Federal Reserve” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).

 

GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(k).

 

Hazardous Substances” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).

 

Health Care Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(ss).

 

Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(s).

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(f)(ii).

 

IT Systems” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(oo).

 

Lien” means a lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, right of first refusal, pre-emptive right, or other encumbrance of any kind whatsoever.

 

3

 

Lock-Up Agreements” means the lock-up agreements, each dated as of the date hereof in substantially the form of Exhibit A.

 

Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).

 

Money Laundering Laws” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(nn).

 

Offering” means the offering of the Securities hereunder.

 

Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

Personal Data” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(oo).

 

Per Share Purchase Price” equals $[●], subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement; provided that the purchase price per Pre-Funded Warrant shall be the Per Share Purchase Price minus $0.0001.

 

Placement Agency Agreement” means that certain Placement Agency Agreement by and between the Company and the Placement Agent, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Placement Agent” means A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners.

 

Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Pre-Funded Warrants” means, collectively, the Pre-Funded Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, in substantially the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.

 

Preliminary Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective.

 

Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition) pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing against or affecting the Company, a Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign).

 

Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(f).

 

Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9.

 

Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement with the Commission on Form S-1 (File No. 333-273256), as amended, including all information, documents and exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference into such registration statement, which registers the sale of the Securities and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

 

Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).

 

4

 

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Securities, which was filed with the Commission on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.

 

Sanctions” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(jj).

 

SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).

 

Securities” means for each Purchaser, the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Series A Warrants” means, collectively, the Series A Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Series A Warrants shall be exercisable immediately upon issuance and have terms equal to five (5) years, in substantially the form of Exhibit B-1 attached hereto.

 

Series B Warrants” means, collectively, the Series B Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Series B Warrants shall be exercisable immediately upon issuance and have terms equal to one and one-half (1.5) years, in substantially the form of Exhibit B-2 attached hereto.

 

Shares” means the Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing Common Stock).

 

Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants (in lieu of Shares) and Common Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.

 

Subsidiary” and “Subsidiaries” shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in Section 3.1(a).

 

Trading Day” means a day on which The Nasdaq Capital Market is open for trading.

 

Trading Market” means The Nasdaq Capital Market (or any nationally recognized successor thereto); provided, however, that in the event the Company’s Common Stock is ever listed or traded on The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca, the OTC Bulletin Board, or the OTCQX or the OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or any nationally recognized successor to any of the foregoing), then the “Trading Market” shall mean such other market or exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock is then listed or traded.

 

5

 

Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Warrants, the Lock-Up Agreements, and the Placement Agency Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12(b).

 

Transfer Agent” means Computershare Investor Services, the current transfer agent of the Company, at its principal office in Canton, Massachusetts, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Warrant Shares” means, collectively, the Common Warrant Shares and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares.

 

ARTICLE II
PURCHASE AND SALE

 

2.1    Closing.

 

(a) On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, Company will sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, will agree to purchase, the number of shares of Common Stock set forth under the heading “Subscription Amount” on the Purchaser’s signature page hereto, at the Per Share Purchase Price and Common Warrants exercisable for shares of Common Stock as calculated pursuant to Section 2.2 (a) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates and any Person acting as a group together with such Purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s Affiliates) would cause such Purchaser’s beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock to exceed the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, or as such Purchaser may otherwise choose, such Purchaser may elect to purchase Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu of the Shares as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a). The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, at the election of the Purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the Closing Date. In each case, the election to receive Pre-Funded Warrants is solely at the option of the Purchaser; provided, however, the Purchaser shall receive Pre-Funded Warrants at the option of the Company if necessary to avoid a stockholder vote in connection with the purchase.

 

Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company, via wire transfer, immediately available funds equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser shall be made available for Delivery Versus Payment (“DVP”) settlement with the Company or its designees. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via DVP (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company). Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, the Warrants shall be issued to each Purchaser in originally signed form.

 

6

 

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time on or after the time of execution of this Agreement by the Company and an applicable Purchaser through, and including the time immediately prior to the Closing (the “Pre-Settlement Period”), such Purchaser sells to any Person all, or any portion, of any Securities to be issued hereunder to such Purchaser at the Closing (collectively, the “Pre-Settlement Securities”), such Purchaser shall, automatically hereunder (without any additional required actions by such Purchaser or the Company), be deemed to be a Purchaser under this Agreement unconditionally bound to purchase, and the Company shall be deemed unconditionally bound to sell, such Pre-Settlement Securities to such Purchaser at the Closing; provided, that the Company shall not be required to deliver any Pre-Settlement Securities to such Purchaser prior to the Company’s receipt of the purchase price of such Pre-Settlement Securities hereunder; and provided, further, that the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the forgoing shall not constitute a representation or covenant by such Purchaser as to whether or not during the Pre-Settlement Period such Purchaser shall sell any shares of Common Stock to any Person and that any such decision to sell any shares of Common Stock by such Purchaser shall solely be made at the time such Purchaser elects to effect any such sale, if any.

 

 

2.2

Deliveries.

 

(a)    On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:

 

(i)          this Agreement duly executed by the Company;

 

(ii)         a legal opinion and negative assurance letter of the Company Counsel, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent;

 

(iii)        a special intellectual property legal opinion, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent;

 

(iv)        the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;

 

(v)         subject to the penultimate sentence of Section 2.1(a), a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price (minus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such Purchaser’s Pre-Funded Warrant, if applicable), registered in the name of such Purchaser;

 

(vi)         an originally signed Series A Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s investment with an exercise price equal to $[●], subject to adjustment as set forth therein;

 

(vii)         an originally signed Series B Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s investment with an exercise price equal to $[●], subject to adjustment as set forth therein;

 

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(viii)         if applicable, an originally signed Pre-Funded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the difference between (A) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price and (B) the number of Shares otherwise issuable to such Purchaser that would cause such Purchaser’s beneficial ownership of Common Stock to be more than the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, with an exercise price equal to $0.0001 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment therein;

 

(ix)         the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act);

 

(x)         Lock-up Agreements, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers, executed by each executive officer and director of the Company

 

(xi)         an Officer’s Certificate, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent; and

 

(xii)        a Secretary’s Certificate, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

(b)    On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following:

 

(i)          this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and

 

(ii)         such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, which shall be made available for DVP settlement with the Company or its designees.

 

2.3    Closing Conditions.

 

(a)    The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)    the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

(ii)    all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and

 

(iii)    the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.

 

(b)    The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)    the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

(ii)    all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;

 

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(iii)    the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;

 

(iv)    there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and

 

(v)    from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.

 

ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

3.1    Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser in addition to the information included in the Disclosure Schedules attached hereto, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules:

 

(a)    Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) (each, a “Subsidiary”, and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or equity interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. There are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any capital stock or equity interests, as applicable, of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue capital stock or equity interests, as applicable.

 

(b)    Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and validly exists as a corporation, limited partnership or company in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof, if any) under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign or extra-provincial corporation, partnership, company or limited liability company in each jurisdiction in which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually and in the aggregate) would not have a Material Adverse Effect. No Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. The term “Material Adverse Effect” means an effect, change, event or occurrence that, alone or in conjunction with any other or others: has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on: (A) the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (B) the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document or the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document; provided that a change in the market price or trading volume of the Common Stock alone shall not be deemed, in and of itself, to constitute a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(c)    Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders or others in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which the Company is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

(d)    No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority, to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(e)    Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state (including state blue sky law), local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.5 and Section 4.18 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus, and (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(f)    Issuance of the Shares and Warrant Shares; Qualification; Registration.

 

(i)         The Shares and Warrant Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens. The Warrants are duly authorized and binding obligations of the Company under the law of the jurisdiction governing the Warrants, and, when issued in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, and free and clear of all Liens. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants.

 

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(ii)         The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on [●], 2023, including the Preliminary Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company shall file the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective as determined under the Securities Act, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

Any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the Securities is hereafter referred to as an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”. Any reference herein to the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of filing thereof; and any reference herein to any “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to any of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document with the Commission incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference after the date of filing of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus and (ii) any such document so filed.

 

All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR.

 

(g)    Securities Act Compliance. The Registration Statement complies, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus will comply, in all material respects, with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act. Each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as of its filing date, and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(h)    No Stop Orders. No order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission.

 

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(i)    Capitalization. The equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports as of the dates indicated therein. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid and non-assessable and have been duly and validly authorized and issued, in compliance with all federal and state securities laws and not in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that entitles any person to acquire from the Company any Common Stock or other security of the Company or any security convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock or any other such security, except for such rights as may have been fully satisfied or waived prior to the date hereof. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports or on Schedule 3.1(i), the Company has no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company is or may become bound to issue additional Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents and no Person has any right of first refusal, pre-emptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company (other than in connection with a stock split). There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company is or may become bound to redeem an equity security of the Company. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom share” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

(j)    Reports. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension (or waiver from the Commission) of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(k)    Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements of the Company, including the notes thereto, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

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(l)    Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest consolidated financial statements included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, except as set forth in the Registration, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting in any material respect, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any executive officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.

 

(m)    Litigation. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or executive officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty, which could result in a Material Adverse Effect. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or executive officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

 

(n)    Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect

 

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(o)    Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case of (i), (ii) and (iii) as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(p)    Environmental Law. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, use, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, contamination, release or other activity involving any kind of hazardous, toxic or other wastes, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances, chemicals or materials (“Hazardous Substances”) by, due to, on behalf of, or caused by the Company or any Subsidiary (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously owned, operated, used or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or upon any other property, which would be a violation of or give rise to any liability under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, common law provision or other legally binding standard relating to pollution or protection of human health and the environment (“Environmental Law”), except for violations and liabilities which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no disposal, discharge, emission contamination or other release of any kind at, onto or from any such property or into the environment surrounding any such property of any Hazardous Substances with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has knowledge, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any Subsidiary, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. No property of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject to any Lien under any Environmental Law. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to any order, decree, agreement or other individualized legal requirement related to any Environmental Law, which, in any case (individually or in the aggregate), would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure or remediation of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(q)    Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities currently held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects, except where the failure to so comply could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(r)    Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.

 

(s)    Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use (or can acquire on reasonable terms), all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person or is aware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in their respective businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or such Subsidiary in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its subsidiaries in violation of the rights of any person. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps in accordance with normal industry practice to protect and maintain the Intellectual Property Rights including, without limitation, the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of, or payment of, and additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of, any other person regarding the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ right to own or use any of the Intellectual Property Rights as owned or used in the conduct of such party’s business as currently conducted. To the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, no employee of any of the Company or its subsidiaries is the subject of any pending claim or proceeding involving a violation of any term of any employment contract, invention disclosure agreement, patent disclosure agreement, noncompetition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or restrictive covenant to or with a former employer, where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or its subsidiaries or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(t)    Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.

 

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(u)    Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of the executive officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, executive officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any executive officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any executive officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.

 

(v)    Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, except as disclosed in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of applicable dates specified under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and the Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and the Subsidiaries.

 

(w)    Certain Fees. Except for fees payable to the Placement Agent, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company, any Subsidiary or any related entity to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

(x)    Investment Company. The Company is not, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be required to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not be required to register as an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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(y)    Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(z)    Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Exchange Act and files periodic reports with the Commission; the Securities are registered with the Commission under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and the Company is not in breach of any filing or other requirements under the Exchange Act. The Company has not received any notice from that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock are or have been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

(aa)    Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s articles of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.

 

(bb)    Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including pursuant to the SEC Reports and the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.

 

(cc)    No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of (i) the Securities Act, or (ii) except as set forth in the SEC Reports, any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

 

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(dd)    Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.

 

(ee)    Foreign Corrupt Practices; Criminal Acts. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA.

 

(ff)    Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is as set forth in the Prospectus. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act.

 

(gg)    Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.

 

(hh)    Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(e) and 4.13 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities (in material compliance with applicable laws) at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.

 

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(ii)    Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf (other than the Placement Agent, as to which no representation is made) has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Placement Agent pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement.

 

(jj)    Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company's knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any “Sanctions,” which shall include but are not limited to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any Sanctions, including but not limited to U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(kk)    Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan or omnibus long-term incentive plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of such plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan or omnibus long-term incentive plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or the Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

(ll)    U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.

 

(mm)    Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

(nn)    Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.

 

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(oo)    Information Technology. The Company’s, the Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently conducted. The Company, the Subsidiaries maintain commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”) processed and stored thereon, and to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, incidents, violations, outages, compromises or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws or statutes and all applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except for any such noncompliance that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(pp)    Regulatory. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as applicable, the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are and at all times have been in material compliance with all statutes, rules and regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, advertising, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company including, without limitation the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.), the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws, and any successor government programs and comparable state laws, regulations relating to Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices and all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, manual provisions, policies and administrative guidance relating to the regulation of the Company (collectively, the “Applicable Laws”); (ii) have not received any notice from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, exemptions, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits, registrations and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”); (iii) possess all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (iv) have not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation arbitration or other action from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations nor is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened; (v) have not received any written notice that any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority has taken, is taking or intends to take, action to limit, suspend, materially modify or revoke any Authorizations nor is any such limitation, suspension, modification or revocation threatened; (vi) have filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (vii) are not a party to any corporate integrity agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority. The statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as applicable, incorporated by reference pursuant to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, under the caption “Business-Government Regulation” and “Risks Related to Development, Clinical Testing, and Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates” and “Risks Related to Commercialization of our Product Candidates”, are true in all material aspects.

 

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3.2    Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):

 

(a)    Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies; and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

(b)    Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).

 

(c)     Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

(d)    Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the reports filed with the Commission, including the SEC Reports, the Registration Statement and the Preliminary Prospectus, and has been afforded: (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent, nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent, has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent, nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.

 

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(e)    Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty against, or a prohibition of, any actions with respect to the borrowing of, arrangement to borrow, identification of the availability of, and/or securing of, securities of the Company in order for such Purchaser (or its broker or other financial representative) to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, except as set forth in this Agreement, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

 

ARTICLE IV
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

 

4.1    Legends. The Shares and the Warrant Shares shall be issued free of legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Shares, the Warrants or the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Shares, the Warrants or the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Shares, the Warrants or the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance of the Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Warrants.

 

4.2 [Reserved.]

 

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4.3  Furnishing of Information; Public Information. Until the earliest of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns Securities, or (ii) the Common Warrants have expired, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the Common Stock under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act, even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, except in the event that the Company consummates (in each case on or after the date as of which the Purchasers may sell all of their Securities without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144): (a) any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company; (b) a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity; or (c) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, where the consummation of such transaction results in the Company no longer being subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

4.4  Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.

 

4.5    Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto as deemed required by Company Counsel, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).

 

4.6    Stockholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.

 

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4.7    Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.5, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or any Purchaser’s agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such material non-public information on with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.

 

4.8    Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital and general corporate purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation, or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.

 

4.9    Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.9, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur caused by or based upon (a) any inaccuracy in any of the representations or warranties made by the Company in this Agreement or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). The Company will indemnify each Purchaser Party, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses, as incurred, caused by or based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by or based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any prospectus or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Purchaser Party furnished in writing to the Company by such Purchaser Party expressly for use therein, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder in connection therewith. If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (x) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (y) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (z) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (1) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (2) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.9 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

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4.10    Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants.

 

4.11    Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market; provided, however, that the Purchasers acknowledge that the Common Stock is currently subject to delisting by the Trading Market on which it is currently listed. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

4.12    Subsequent Equity Sales.

 

(a)    From the date hereof until forty-five (45) days after the Closing, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than filing the final Prospectus, a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan, a registration statement (or amendment to or supplement thereof) registering the resale of Shares underlying warrants issued by the Company in August, September, November of 2022, and April 2023, or a registration statement (or amendment to or supplement thereof) registering the resale of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of any convertible promissory note issued or to be issued by the Company to LONZA NETHERLANDS B.V. or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b)    From the date hereof until the six (6) month anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security (other than in connection with a stock split or stock dividend or similar event) or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for shares of Common Stock or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.

 

(c)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.12 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.

 

4.13    Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to such Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Shares or otherwise.

 

4.14    Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.5. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.5, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in this Agreement, including the schedules hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.5, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.5 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or the Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

 

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4.15    Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants sets forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information, or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and shall deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions, and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.

 

4.16    Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.

 

ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1    Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof; providedhowever, that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).

 

5.2    Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser). The Company shall pay any issuance, stamp or documentary taxes (other than transfer taxes) or charges imposed by any governmental body, agency or official (other than income taxes) by reason of the issuance of Shares to the Purchasers.

 

5.3    Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, and the Preliminary Prospectus contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.

 

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5.4    Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously disclose such information in accordance with applicable law and file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

5.5    Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and Purchasers which purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the Securities based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder (or, prior to the Closing, the Company and each Purchaser) or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.

 

5.6    Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

5.7    Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”

 

5.8    Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be the third-party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.9 and this Section 5.8.

 

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5.9    Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.9, the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

5.10    Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities for a period of five (5) years from the Closing.

 

5.11    Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, by other electronic signing created on an electronic platform (such as DocuSign) or by digital signing (such as Adobe Sign), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.

 

5.12    Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

 

5.13    Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights provided, however, that in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently (if such shares were delivered to the applicable Purchaser) with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).

 

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5.14    Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.

 

5.15    Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

5.16    Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.

 

5.17    Independent Nature of Purchasers Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through Blank Rome LLP, the legal counsel of the Placement Agent, Blank Rome LLP, as legal counsel of the Placement Agent, does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents The Placement Agent The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.

 

5.18    Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.

 

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5.19    Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc.  If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

5.20    Currency. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar amounts and references to “$” in this Agreement refer to the lawful currency of the United States.

 

5.21    Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.

 

5.22    WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

 

ATHERSYS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Name: Daniel Camardo

 

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address for Notice:

 

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Email: dcamardo@athersys.com

 

 

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[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO ATHERSYS, INC.

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

Name of Purchaser:  

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser:  

 

Name of Authorized Signatory:  

 

Title of Authorized Signatory:  

 

Email Address of Authorized Signatory:  

 

Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory:  

 

Address for Notice to Purchaser:  

 

Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):  

 

DWAC for Common Stock:  

 

Subscription Amount: $  

 

Shares of Common Stock:  

 

Pre-Funded Warrant Shares: ________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%

 

Series A Warrant Shares: __________________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%

 

Series B Warrant Shares: __________________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%

 

EIN Number: ____________________

 

☐  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.

 

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SCHEDULES TO BE UPDATED BY THE COMPANY

Schedule 3.1(a) Subsidiaries

 

Name of Subsidiary

Jurisdiction

ABT Holding Company

Delaware

Advanced Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Delaware

Athersys Limited

United Kingdom

Athersys G.K.

ReGenesys LLC

Japan

Delaware

ReGenesys BVBA

Belgium

ReGenesys EU NV

Belgium

 

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Schedule 3.1(i) Capitalization

 

Capitalization of the Company - Authorized Capital Stock (pre-Closing)

 

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

600,000,000 Shares

Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share

10,000,000 shares

 

 

Capitalization of the Company - Issued and Outstanding Capital Stock (pre-Closing)

 

         Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

18,555,888 shares issued and outstanding

         Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share

No shares issued and outstanding

 

1. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding awards under equity incentive plans: 1,460,805

 

2. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under equity incentive plans: 33,874

 

3. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance under outstanding inducement awards granted outside of equity incentive plans: 429,500

 

4. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with the Company’s August 2022 registered direct offering: 3,920,000 (exercise price of $6.385 per share, being reduced to the Nasdaq Minimum Price)

 

5. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with the Company’s November 2022 public offering: 9,109,090 (exercise price of $1.10 per share)

 

6. Shares of common stock authorized and reserved for future issuance upon exercise of warrants held by HEALIOS K.K. (“Healios”): 400,000 (exercise price of $45.00 per share with respect to 120,000 shares, exercise price of $60.00 per share with respect to 280,000 shares)

 

7. Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2018, by and between Athersys, Inc. and Healios

 

8. Cooperation Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2021, by and among Athersys, Inc., Healios and Dr. Tadihisa Kagimoto, as amended

 

9. Comprehensive Framework Agreement for Commercial Manufacturing and Ongoing Support, by and between Athersys, Inc. and Healios, dated as of August 5, 2021

 

10. Common Stock Purchase Warrant (ARDS) issued to Healios by Athersys, Inc. dated August 5, 2021 (exercise price of $45.00 per share)

 

11. Common Stock Purchase Warrant (Ischemic Stroke) issued to Healios by Athersys, Inc. dated August 5, 2021 (exercise price of $60.00 per share)

 

12. Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 9, 2022, between the Company and each purchaser identified in the signature pages thereto

 

35

 

 

Schedule 3.1(qq) Solvency

 

36

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

(See attached)

 

37

 

 

Exhibit B-1

 

Form of Series A Warrant

 

(See attached)

 

38

 

 

Exhibit B-2

 

Form of Series B Warrant

 

(See attached)

 

39

 

Exhibit C

 

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant

 

(See attached)

 

40

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-273256) and related Prospectus of Athersys, Inc. for the registration of shares of its common stock, common warrants and pre-funded warrants and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated March 31, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Athersys, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Cleveland Ohio

August 7, 2023

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

Form S-1

(Form Type)

Athersys, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities

 

 

Security

Type

Security

Class Title

Fee

Calculation

or Carry

Forward

Rule

Amount

Registered

Proposed

Maximum

Offering

Price

Per

Unit

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering

Price(1)

Fee Rate

Amount of

Registration

Fee

Carry

Forward

Form

Type

Carry

Forward

File

Number

Carry

Forward

Initial

effective

date

Filing Fee

Previously

Paid In

Connection

with

Unsold

Securities

to be Carried

Forward

Newly Registered Securities

Fees to Be Paid

Equity

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share (2)

Rule 457(o)

$7,000,000

0.0001102

$771.40(4)

       
 

Other

Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase shares of common stock(3)(5)

Other

       
 

Equity

Common Stock underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants(3)

Rule 457(o)

       
 

Other

Common Warrants to purchase shares of common stock(5)

Other

       
 

Equity

Common Stock underlying the Common Warrants to purchase Common Stock

Rule 457(o)

$14,000,000

0.0001102

1,542.80

       

Fees Previously Paid

       

Carry Forward Securities

Carry Forward Securities

       
 

Total Offering Amounts

 

$21,000,000

 

$2,314.20

 
 

Total Fees Previously Paid

     

2,644.80

 
 

Total Fee Offsets

     

 
 

Net Fee Due

     

$—

 

 

(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the amount of the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.
(2) Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, this registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of the registrant’s securities that become issuable by reason of any share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.

(3)

The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the shares of common stock proposed to be sold in the offering will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis based on the aggregate offering price of the Pre-Funded Warrants offered and sold in the offering (plus the aggregate exercise price of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants), and as such the proposed aggregate maximum offering price of the shares of common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants (including shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants), if any, is $7,000,000.

(4)

Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.

(5)

No fee due pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

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