HEPA Hepion Pharmaceuticals Inc

PROPOSAL 1

THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT PROPOSAL

Our board of directors has approved an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to combine the outstanding shares of our common stock into a lesser number of outstanding shares (a “Reverse Stock Split”). If approved by the stockholders as proposed, the board of directors would have the sole discretion to effect the Reverse Stock Split, if at all, within one (1) year of the date the proposal is approved by stockholders and to fix the specific ratio for the combination within a range of one-for-two (1-for-2) to a maximum of a one-for-twenty (1-for-20) split. The board of directors has the discretion to abandon the amendment and not implement the Reverse Stock Split.

If approved by our stockholders, this proposal would permit (but not require) the board of directors to effect a Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding shares of our common stock within one (1) year of the date the proposal is approved by stockholders, at a specific ratio within a range of one-for-two (1-for-2) to a maximum of a one-for-twenty (1-for-20) split, with the specific ratio to be fixed within this range by the board of directors in its sole discretion without further stockholder approval. We believe that enabling the board of directors to fix the specific ratio of the Reverse Stock Split within the stated range will provide us with the flexibility to implement it in a manner designed to maximize the anticipated benefits for our stockholders.

In fixing the ratio, the board of directors may consider, among other things, factors such as: the initial and continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market; the number of shares of our common stock outstanding; potential financing opportunities; and prevailing general market and economic conditions.

The Reverse Stock Split, if approved by our stockholders, would become effective upon the filing of the amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, or at the later time set forth in the amendment. The exact timing of the amendment will be determined by the board of directors based on its evaluation as to when such action will be the most advantageous to our Company and our stockholders. In addition, the board of directors reserves the right, notwithstanding stockholder approval and without further action by the stockholders, to abandon the amendment and the Reverse Stock Split if, at any time prior to the effectiveness of the filing of the amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, the board of directors, in its sole discretion, determines that it is no longer in our best interest and the best interests of our stockholders to proceed.

The proposed form of amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement. Any amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split will include the Reverse Stock Split ratio fixed by the board of directors, within the range approved by our stockholders.

Reasons for the Reverse Stock Split

The Company’s primary reasons for approving and recommending the Reverse Stock Split are to make our common stock more attractive to certain institutional investors, which would provide for a stronger investor base and to increase the per share price and bid price of our common stock to regain compliance with the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq.

On June 3, 2022, the Company received written notice (the "Notice") from the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC ("Nasdaq") indicating that the bid price for the Company’s common stock (the "Common Stock"), for the last 30 consecutive business days, had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share and, as a result, the Company was not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for the continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days, or until November 30, 2022, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Common Stock must meet or exceed $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days during this 180 day period. If the Company is not in compliance by November 30, 2022, it may qualify for a second 180 calendar day compliance period. If we di not qualify for, or fails to regain compliance during the second compliance period, then the Nasdaq will notify the Company of its determination to delist its Common Stock, at which point the Company would have an option to appeal the delisting determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel.

Reducing the number of outstanding shares of common stock should, absent other factors, generally increase the per share market price of the common stock. Although the intent of the Reverse Stock Split is to increase the price of the common stock, there can be no assurance, however, that even if the Reverse Stock Split is effected, that the Company’s bid price of the Company’s common stock will be sufficient, over time, for the Company to regain or maintain compliance with the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement.

In addition, the Company believes the Reverse Stock Split will make its common stock more attractive to a broader range of investors, as it believes that the current market price of the common stock may prevent certain institutional investors, professional investors and other members of the investing public from purchasing stock. Many brokerage houses and institutional investors have internal policies and practices that either prohibit them from investing in low-priced stocks or tend to discourage individual brokers from recommending low-priced stocks to their customers. Furthermore, some of those policies and practices may function to make the processing of trades in low-priced stocks economically unattractive to brokers. Moreover, because brokers’ commissions on low-priced stocks generally represent a higher percentage of the stock price than commissions on higher-priced stocks, the current average price per share of common stock can result in individual stockholders paying transaction costs representing a higher percentage of their total share value than would be the case if the share price were higher. The Company believes that the Reverse Stock Split will make our common stock a more attractive and cost effective investment for many investors, which in turn would enhance the liquidity of the holders of our common stock.

Reducing the number of outstanding shares of our common stock through the Reverse Stock Split is intended, absent other factors, to increase the per share market price of our common stock. However, other factors, such as our financial results, market conditions and the market perception of our business may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Reverse Stock Split, if completed, will result in the intended benefits described above, that the market price of our common stock will increase following the Reverse Stock Split, that as a result of the Reverse Stock Split we will be able to meet or maintain a bid price over the minimum bid price requirement of Nasdaq or that the market price of our common stock will not decrease in the future. Additionally, we cannot assure you that the market price per share of our common stock after the Reverse Stock Split will increase in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of our common stock outstanding before the Reverse Stock Split. Accordingly, the total market capitalization of our common stock after the Reverse Stock Split may be lower than the total market capitalization before the Reverse Stock Split.

In addition, the Reverse Stock Split will be a necessary tool in order to satisfy its contractual obligations with regard to the issuance of common stock upon proper exercise of its outstanding warrants, convertible note, restricted stock units and options.

The terms of the Series G Preferred Stock are set forth in a Certificate of Designation of Series G Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”), filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and effective on November 4, 2022. The Series G Preferred Stock does not have any voting rights except with respect to a reverse stock split proposal, including the Reverse Stock Split proposal presented at the Special Meeting, or otherwise as required by law. With respect to the Reverse Stock Split proposal, each outstanding share of Series G Preferred Stock is entitled to 100,000 votes on such proposal, which is referred to as supermajority voting (or 10,000,000,000 votes in the aggregate); however the votes by the holder of Series G Preferred Stock will be counted in the same “mirrored” proportion as the aggregate votes cast by the holders of Common Stock and Series F Preferred Stock who vote on this proposal. For example, if 50.5% of the shares of Common Stock voted in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting are voted FOR Proposal 1, then the Company will count 50.5% of the votes cast (or votes) by the holder of the Series G Preferred Stock as votes FOR Proposal 1. Holders of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock and Series G Preferred Stock will vote on the Reverse Stock Split proposal as a single class.

The Board of Directors determined that it was in the best interests of the Company to provide for supermajority voting of the Series G Preferred Stock in order to obtain sufficient votes for the Reverse Stock Split proposal and thereby to attempt to avoid delisting by Nasdaq of the Common Stock. Due to the required proportional voting structure of the Series G Preferred Stock that mirrors the actual voting by holders of the Common Stock and Series F Preferred Stock, the supermajority voting will serve to reflect the voting preference of the holders of Common Stock and Series F Preferred Stock that actually vote on the matter, whether for or against the proposal, and therefore will not override the stated preference of the holders of Common Stock.

In evaluating whether to seek stockholder approval for the Reverse Stock Split, our Board took into consideration negative factors associated with reverse stock splits. These factors include: the negative perception of reverse stock splits that investors, analysts and other stock market participants may hold; the fact that the stock prices of some companies that have effected reverse stock splits have subsequently declined, sometimes significantly, following their reverse stock splits; the possible adverse effect on liquidity that a reduced number of outstanding shares could cause; and the costs associated with implementing a reverse stock split.

Even if our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split, our Board reserves the right not to effect the Reverse Stock Split if in our Board’s opinion it would not be in the best interests of the Company or our stockholders to effect such Reverse Stock Split.

Potential Effects of the Proposed Amendment

If our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split and the board of directors effects it, the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding will be reduced, depending upon the ratio determined by the board of directors. The Reverse Stock Split will affect all holders of our common stock uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company, except that as described below in “Fractional Shares,” record holders of common stock otherwise entitled to a fractional share as a result of the Reverse Stock Split because they hold a number of shares not evenly divisible by the Reverse Stock Split ratio will automatically be entitled to receive an additional fraction of a share of common stock to round up to the next whole share. In addition, the Reverse Stock Split will not affect any stockholder’s proportionate voting power (subject to the treatment of fractional shares).

The Reverse Stock Split will not change the terms of the common stock. Additionally, the Reverse Stock Split will have no effect on the number of common stock that we are authorized to issue. After the Reverse Stock Split, the shares of common stock will have the same voting rights and rights to dividends and distributions and will be identical in all other respects to the common stock now authorized. The common stock will remain fully paid and non-assessable.

After the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split, we will continue to be subject to the periodic reporting and other requirements of the Exchange Act.

Registered “Book-Entry” Holders of Common Stock

Our registered holders of common stock hold some or all of their shares electronically in book-entry form with the transfer agent. These stockholders do not have stock certificates evidencing their ownership of the common stock. They are, however, provided with statements reflecting the number of shares registered in their accounts.

Stockholders who hold shares electronically in book-entry form with the transfer agent will not need to take action to receive evidence of their shares of post-Reverse Stock Split common stock.

Holders of Certificated Shares of Common Stock

Stockholders holding shares of our common stock in certificated form will be sent a transmittal letter by the transfer agent after the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split. The letter of transmittal will contain instructions on how a stockholder should surrender his, her or its certificate(s) representing shares of our common stock (the “Old Certificates”) to the transfer agent. Unless a stockholder specifically requests a new paper certificate or holds restricted shares, upon the stockholder’s surrender of all of the stockholder’s Old Certificates to the transfer agent, together with a properly completed and executed letter of transmittal, the transfer agent will register the appropriate number of shares of post-Reverse Stock Split common stock electronically in book-entry form and provide the stockholder with a statement reflecting the number of shares registered in the stockholder’s account. No stockholder will be required to pay a transfer or other fee to exchange his, her or its Old Certificates. Until surrendered, we will deem outstanding Old Certificates held by stockholders to be cancelled and only to represent the number of shares of post-Reverse Stock Split common stock to which these stockholders are entitled. Any Old Certificates submitted for exchange, whether because of a sale, transfer or other disposition of stock, will automatically be exchanged for appropriate number of shares of post-Reverse Stock Split common stock. If an Old Certificate has a restrictive legend on its reverse side, a new certificate will be issued with the same restrictive legend on its reverse side.

STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK CERTIFICATE(S) AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT ANY STOCK CERTIFICATE(S) UNTIL REQUESTED TO DO SO.

Fractional Shares

We will not issue fractional shares in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Instead, stockholders who otherwise would be entitled to receive fractional shares because they hold a number of shares not evenly divisible by the Reverse Stock Split ratio will automatically be entitled to receive an additional fraction of a share of common stock to round up to the next whole share. In any event, cash will not be paid for fractional shares.

Effect of the Reverse Stock Split on Outstanding Stock Options and Warrants

Based upon the Reverse Stock Split ratio, proportionate adjustments are generally required to be made to the per share exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding options and warrants. This would result in approximately the same aggregate price being required to be paid under such options or warrants upon exercise, and approximately the same value of shares of common stock being delivered upon such exercise immediately following the Reverse Stock Split as was the case immediately preceding the Reverse Stock Split. The number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to these securities will be reduced proportionately based upon the Reverse Stock Split ratio.

Accounting Matters

The proposed amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation will not affect the par value of our common stock. As a result, at the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split, the stated capital on our balance sheet attributable to the common stock will be reduced in the same proportion as the Reverse Stock Split ratio, and the additional paid-in capital account will be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced. The per share net income or loss will be restated for prior periods to conform to the post-Reverse Stock Split presentation.

Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reverse Stock Split

The following summary describes, as of the date of this proxy statement, certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to holders of our common stock. This summary addresses the tax consequences only to a U.S. holder, which is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is either:

This summary is based on the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative rulings and judicial authority, all as in effect as of the date of this proxy statement. Subsequent developments in U.S. federal income tax law, including changes in law or differing interpretations, which may be applied retroactively, could have a material effect on the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split.

This summary does not address all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to any particular investor, including tax considerations that arise from rules of general application to all taxpayers or to certain classes of taxpayers or that are generally assumed to be known by investors. This summary also does not address the tax consequences to (i) persons that may be subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law, such as banks, insurance companies, thrift institutions, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt organizations, U.S. expatriates, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, partnerships or other pass-through entities, traders in securities that elect to mark to market and dealers in securities or currencies, (ii) persons that hold our common stock as part of a position in a “straddle” or as part of a “hedging transaction,” “conversion transaction” or other integrated investment transaction for federal income tax purposes or (iii) persons that do not hold our common stock as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment). This summary does not address backup withholding and information reporting. This summary does not address U.S. holders who beneficially own common stock through a “foreign financial institution” (as defined in Code Section 1471(d)(4)) or certain other non-U.S. entities specified in Code Section 1472. This summary does not address tax considerations arising under any state, local or foreign laws, or under federal estate or gift tax laws.

If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships that hold our common stock, and partners in such partnerships, should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split.

Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisors concerning the particular U.S. federal tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split, as well as the consequences arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction, including any foreign, state, or local income tax consequences.

General Tax Treatment of the Reverse Stock Split

The Reverse Stock Split is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” under Section 368 of the Code that should constitute a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming the Reverse Stock Split qualifies as a reorganization, a U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of our ordinary shares for a lesser number of ordinary shares, based upon the Reverse Stock Split ratio. A U.S. holder’s aggregate tax basis in the lesser number of ordinary shares received in the Reverse Stock Split will be the same such U.S. holder’s aggregate tax basis in the shares of our common stock that such U.S. holder owned immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split. The holding period for the ordinary shares received in the Reverse Stock Split will include the period during which a U.S. holder held the shares of our common stock that were surrendered in the Reverse Stock Split. The United States Treasury regulations provide detailed rules for allocating the tax basis and holding period of the shares of our common stock surrendered to the shares of our common stock received pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split. U.S. holders of shares of our common stock acquired on different dates and at different prices should consult their tax advisors regarding the allocation of the tax basis and holding period of such shares.

THE FOREGOING IS INTENDED ONLY AS A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A TAX OPINION. EACH HOLDER OF OUR COMMON SHARES SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT TO THEM AND FOR REFERENCE TO APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CODE.

Interests of Officers and Directors in this Proposal

Our officers and directors do not have any substantial interest, direct or indirect, in in this proposal.

Required Vote of Stockholders

The affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock of the Company entitled to vote, voting together as a single class, on this item at the Special Meeting is required for approval of this Proposal 1. Proxies solicited by our Board of Directors will be voted for approval of this Proposal 1 unless otherwise specified.

Board Recommendation

The board of directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” Proposal 1.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of Record Date, based on 76,229,617 shares issued and outstanding by (i) each person known to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) our executive officers and (iv) all directors and executive officers as a group. Shares are beneficially owned when an individual has voting and/or investment power over the shares or could obtain voting and/or investment power over the shares within 60 days of the Record Date. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws, where applicable. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed below is c/o Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 399 Thornall Street, First Floor, Edison, New Jersey 08837.

* less than one percent.