As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 30, 2023
Registration No. 333-275204
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
iBio, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 2834 | 26-279813 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
8800 HSC Parkway
Bryan, Texas 77807
(858) 925-8215
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Martin Brenner, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Scientific Officer
8800 HSC Parkway
Bryan, Texas 77807
(858) 925-8215
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Leslie Marlow, Esq. Patrick J. Egan, Esq. Melissa Palat Murawsky, Esq. Hank Gracin, Esq. Blank Rome LLP 1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020 (212) 885-5000 | Ron Ben-Bassat, Esq. Sullivan & Worcester LLP 1633 Broadway, Suite 3200 New York, New York 100019 (212) 660-3000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the date this registration statement becomes effective.
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, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please 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 | ¨ | Accelerated filer | ¨ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | x | Smaller reporting company | x | |||
| Emerging growth company | ¨ | |||||
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 pursuant 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 which 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 the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this 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 prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION | DATED NOVEMBER 30, 2023 |
Up to 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Series C Common Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Series D Common Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 5,370,843 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Series C Common Warrants, Series D Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants
We are offering on a best efforts basis up to 1,790,281 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001, or the Common Stock, together with Series C common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of our Common Stock and Series D common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of our Common Stock, based on an assumed offering price of $3.91, which was the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC on November 29, 2023. The Series C common warrants and the Series D common warrants are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the common warrants. Each share of Common Stock, or a pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof, is being sold together with a Series C common warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock and a Series D common warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock and common warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must be purchased together in this offering. The assumed public offering price for each share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrants is $3.91, which was the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC on November 29, 2023. Each Series C common warrant will have an exercise price per share of $[●] (100% of the public offering price per share), will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the two-year anniversary of the original issuance date. Each Series D common warrant will have an exercise price per share of $[●] (100% of the public offering price per share), will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the original issuance date.
We are also offering to certain purchasers whose purchase of shares of Common Stock in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if any such purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants, in lieu of shares of Common Stock that would otherwise result in such purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock. The public offering price of each pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrants will be equal to the price at which one share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrants is sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant will be $0.0001 per share. The pre-funded warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full. The pre-funded warrants and common warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must be purchased together in this offering. For each pre-funded warrant we sell, the number of shares of Common Stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis.
We have engaged A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, or A.G.P., to act as our lead placement agent and Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC, or Brookline, and together with A.G.P., the Placement Agents, as our co-placement agent, to use their reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. The Placement Agents are not purchasing or selling any of the securities we are offering, and the Placement Agents are not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities. We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agents the placement agent fees set forth in the table below, which assumes that we sell all of the securities offered by this prospectus.
The securities will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. The offering will terminate on December 29, 2023, unless (i) the closing occurs prior thereto or (ii) we decide to terminate the offering prior thereto (which we may do at any time in our discretion). Investors purchasing securities offered hereby will have the option to execute a securities purchase agreement with us. We expect that the closing of the offering will occur two trading days after we price the securities offered hereby. When we price the securities, we will simultaneously enter into securities purchase agreements relating to the offering with those investors who so choose. The offering will settle delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”). That is, on the closing date, we will issue the shares of Common Stock 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 us.
Since we will deliver the securities to be issued in this offering upon our receipt of investor funds, we and the Placement Agents have not made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account. Because this is a best-efforts offering, the Placement Agents do not have an obligation to purchase any securities, and, as a result, there is a possibility that we may not be able to sell the securities. There is no minimum offering requirement as a condition of closing of this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing this offering, we may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue our business goals described in this prospectus. In addition, because there is no escrow account and no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill all of our contemplated objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, any proceeds from the sale of securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” for more information.
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American LLC, or the NYSE American, under the symbol “IBIO.” On November 29, 2023, the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American was $3.91 per share. The actual public offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrants, and per pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrants, will be determined between us, the Placement Agents and the investors in this offering at the time of pricing, and may be at a discount to the current market price for our Common Stock. Therefore, the recent market price used throughout this preliminary prospectus as an assumed per unit offering price may not be indicative of the final offering price. There is no established public trading market for the common warrants and the pre-funded warrants, and we do not expect such a market to develop. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the pre-funded warrants and the common warrants will be limited. In addition, we do not intend to list the pre-funded warrants or the common warrants on NYSE American, any other national securities exchange or any other trading system.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as described beginning on page 9 of this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this prospectus or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| Per Share 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 $3.91 per share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrants and $3.9099 per pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrants. See “Plan of Distribution” for additional disclosure regarding compensation payable to the Placement Agents. |
| (2) | Represents a cash fee equal to five and one-half percent (5.5%) of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agents for its accountable offering-related legal expenses in an amount up to $75,000 and $15,000 for non-accountable expenses. See “Plan of Distribution.”
Because there is no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds required as a condition to closing of this offering, the actual public offering amount, placement agent fees, and proceeds to us, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the total maximum offering amounts set forth above. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information. |
| (3) | Does not include proceeds from the exercise of the common warrants and/or pre-funded warrants in cash, if any. |
Delivery of the securities is expected to be made on or about , 2023.
Lead Placement Agent
A.G.P.
Co-Placement Agent
Brookline Capital Markets
a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC
The date of this prospectus is , 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on the information that we have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the cover of the document and that any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction. See “Plan of Distribution” for additional information on these restrictions.
In this prospectus, unless otherwise specified or the context requires otherwise, we use the terms “iBio,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” or similar references to refer to iBio, Inc., a Delaware corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that 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. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “poise,” “project,” “potential,” “suggest,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this prospectus and incorporated by reference into this prospectus, we caution you that these statements are based on our projections of the future that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, to differ. The section in this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and the sections in our periodic reports, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2023 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on September 27, 2023 entitled “Business,” “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” as well as other sections in this prospectus and the documents or reports incorporated by reference into this prospectus, discuss some of the factors that could contribute to these differences.
Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of those risks as you read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
1
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than as of the date of this prospectus, or that any information incorporated by reference into this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document so incorporated by reference. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materializes, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we anticipate. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or individuals acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Note. Before purchasing any shares of Common Stock, you should consider carefully all of the factors set forth or referred to in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference that could cause actual results to differ.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as our current plans, estimates and beliefs. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this document, particularly in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we have filed as exhibits to this prospectus and incorporated by reference herein completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
2
This summary contains basic information about us and this offering. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding to invest in our securities. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should read this entire prospectus carefully and the documents incorporated by reference herein, including the information included under the heading titled “Risk Factors.” Unless we specify otherwise, all references in this prospectus to “iBio,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “our company” refer to iBio Inc.
The Company
iBio, Inc., a preclinical stage biotechnology company that leverages the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the development of precision antibodies. Our proprietary technology stack is designed to minimize downstream development risks by employing AI-guided epitope-steering and monoclonal antibody (mAb) optimization.
In September 2022, iBio made a strategic pivot by acquiring substantially all of the assets of RubrYc Therapeutics, Inc., or RubrYc. This acquisition commenced our transition to an AI-enabled biotech company and led to the divestiture of our Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) business. This strategic decision allowed us to focus resources on the development of AI-powered precision antibodies, positioning iBio at the forefront of this exciting field.
One of the key features of iBio’s technology stack is the patented epitope-steering AI-engine. This advanced technology allows us to target specific regions of proteins with precision enabling the creation of antibodies highly specific to therapeutically relevant regions within large target proteins, potentially improving their efficacy and safety profile. Another integral part of iBio’s technology stack is the machine learning (ML) based antibody-optimizing StableHu™ technology. When coupled with our mammalian display technology, StableHu has been shown to accelerate the Lead Optimization process and potentially reduces downstream risks, making the overall development process faster, more efficient and cost-effective.
iBio also developed the EngageTx™ platform, which provides an optimized next-generation CD3 T-cell engager antibody panel. This panel is characterized by a wide spectrum of potencies, Non-Human Primate (NHP) cross-reactivity, enhanced humanness of the antibodies, and a maintained tumor cell killing capacity, all while reducing cytokine release. These attributes are meticulously designed to fine-tune the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of our antibody products. By incorporating EngageTx into iBio’s own development initiatives, our internal pre-clinical pipeline reaps the benefits of the same cutting-edge technology extended to our potential partners.
iBio’s scientific team, composed of experienced AI/ML scientists and biopharmaceutical scientists, located side-by-side in our San Diego laboratory, possess the skills and capabilities to rapidly advance antibodies in house from concept to in vivo proof-of-concept (POC). This multidisciplinary expertise allows us to quickly translate scientific discoveries into potential therapeutic applications.
Recent Developments
Purchase and Sale Agreement
On September 15, 2023, iBio CDMO LLC, or iBio CDMO, our subsidiary, entered into a purchase and sale agreement, dated as of September 15, 2023, or the Purchase and Sale Agreement, with Majestic Realty Co., a California corporation, Majestic Realty, pursuant to which iBio CDMO agreed to sell to Majestic Realty its cGMP biologics manufacturing facility, or the CDMO Facility, located in Bryan, Texas consisting of: (i) the ground leasehold estate and interest held under the Ground Lease Agreement, dated March 8, 2010, as amended by an Estoppel Certificate and Amendment to Ground Lease Agreement, dated as of December 22, 2015, between iBio CDMO (as assignee from College Station Investors LLC) and The Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System, together, the Ground Lease, related to 21.401 acres in Brazos County, Texas land, or the Land; (ii) the buildings, parking areas, improvements, and fixtures situated on the Land, or the Improvements; (iii) all of iBio CDMO’s right, title, and interest in and to furniture, personal property, machinery, apparatus, and equipment owned and currently used in the operation, repair and maintenance of the Land and Improvements and situated thereon, collectively, the Personal Property; (iv) all iBio CDMO’s rights under the contracts and agreements relating to the operation or maintenance of the Land, Improvements or Personal Property which extend beyond the closing date, or the Contracts ; and (iv) all iBio CDMO’s rights in intangible assets of any nature relating to any or all of the Land, the Improvements and the Personal Property, or the Intangibles; and together with the Ground Lease, Improvements and Personal Property, collectively, the Property.
3
The Purchase and Sale Agreement provides that the Property will be sold to Majestic Realty for a purchase price of $17,250,000, or the Purchase Price. The closing of the sale of the Property was to occur, with time being of the essence, on December 1, 2023 or such other date as mutually agreed.
On November 7, 2023, we received written notice from Majestic Realty of its election to terminate the Purchase and Sale Agreement. Although the CDMO Facility continues to be listed for sale, we do not currently have a buyer for the Property.
Sixth Amendment to Credit Agreement
On September 18, 2023, iBio CDMO, or the Borrower, and Woodforest National Bank, or Woodforest, entered into the Sixth Amendment, or the Sixth Amendment, to that certain Credit Agreement, dated November 1, 2021, as previously amended as of October 11, 2022, February 9, 2023, February 20, 2023, March 24, 2023 and May 10, 2023, or the Credit Agreement, to amend the Credit Agreement to: (i) set the maturity date of the term loan to the earlier of (a) December 31, 2023, or (b) the acceleration of maturity of the term loan in accordance with the Credit Agreement, (ii) provide that the Borrower will, immediately upon receipt of the proceeds of the sale of the Property, apply the net proceeds to satisfy all outstanding obligations under the term loan, and to the extent such net proceeds are sufficient, to pay off the term loan, and (iii) change the annual filing requirement solely for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, such that the filing is acceptable with or without a “going concern” designation; provided that (a) the Borrower shall deliver an executed copy of the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the sale of the CDMO Facility within one business day after entry into the Sixth Amendment, and (b) if the CDMO Facility is not sold on or before December 1, 2023, the Borrower will pay a fee in the amount of $20,000 upon the earlier of the date of the closing or the maturity date.
Seventh Amendment to Credit Agreement
On October 4, 2023, the Borrower and Woodforest entered into the Seventh Amendment, or the Seventh Amendment, to that certain Credit Agreement, which amendment among other things, permits us, in each case, so long as no Potential Default or Default (as such terms are defined in the Credit Agreement) to make the following withdrawals from the Reserve Funds Deposit Account (as defined in the Credit Agreement): (i) up to $1,000,000 on October 4, 2023 so long as Borrower maintains a minimum balance of $2,000,000 until October 16, 2023, (ii) up to an additional $750,000 after October 16, 2023 so long as Borrower maintains a minimum balance of $1,250,000 until November 13, 2023, and (iii) up to an additional $250,000 after November 13, 2023 so long as Borrower maintains a minimum balance of $1,000,000 until Payment in Full (as defined in the Credit Agreement). On the earlier of (a) the closing of the Purchase Agreement (as defined in the Credit Agreement), or (b) the Maturity Date (as defined in the Credit Agreement), we will pay Woodforest $20,000. In addition, on October 4, 2023, we, as guarantor, entered into the Fifth Amendment to the Guaranty, which was executed on November 1, 2021, as amended by the Guaranty First Amendment, the Guaranty Second Amendment, the Guaranty Third Amendment and the Guaranty Fourth Amendment, or the Guaranty, which amendment reduces the liquidity covenant that requires us to maintain a specified amount in unrestricted cash to $0.00.
Omnibus Incentive Plan
On October 9, 2023, our board of directors adopted, subject to stockholder approval, the iBio, Inc. 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan, or the 2023 Plan, which was approved by our stockholders at our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on November 27, 2023, or the 2023 Annual Meeting. The 2023 Plan will be effective on January 1, 2024 and will be the successor to the iBio, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2020 Plan.
Reverse Split
On November 27, 2023, our stockholders approved a proposal at our 2023 Annual Meeting, to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split, of our Common Stock, at a ratio between 1-for-5 to 1-for-20, with the ratio within such range to be determined at the discretion of our board of directors, without reducing the authorized number of shares of Common Stock. Following the 2023 Annual Meeting, our board of directors approved a final split ratio of 1-for-20 (1:20). Following such approval, on November 28, 2023, we filed an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect the reverse stock split, with an effective time of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on November 29, 2023, or the 2023 Reverse Stock Split. All of our historic share numbers and share prices in this prospectus have been adjusted to reflect the 2023 Reverse Stock Split.
4
As a result of the 1:20 2023 Reverse Stock Split, each twenty (20) pre-split shares of Common Stock outstanding were automatically combined into one (1) new share of Common Stock without any action on the part of the holders, and the number of outstanding shares Common Stock was reduced from 28,100,733 shares to 1,405,036 shares (subject to rounding of fractional shares, which will be paid in cash). Proportional adjustments were also made to the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise or conversion of our outstanding equity awards and warrants, as well as the applicable exercise price.
No fractional shares were issued in connection with the 2023 Reverse Stock Split. In lieu of fractional shares, any person who would have otherwise been entitled to a fractional share of Common Stock as a result of the reclassification and combination following the effective time of the 2023 Reverse Stock Split (after taking into account all fractional shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to such holder) is entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the number of shares of Common Stock held by such stockholder before the 2023 Reverse Stock Split that would otherwise have been exchanged for such fractional share interest multiplied by $5.32, the average closing sales price of our Common Stock as reported on the NYSE American for the ten days preceding November 29, 2023. Holders of as many as nineteen (19) shares of Common Stock were eliminated as a result of the cash payment in lieu of any issuance of fractional shares or interests in connection with the 2023 Reverse Stock Split.
The following table presents selected share information reflecting the 2023 Reverse Stock Split for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022:
| Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding - pre-split | 12,244,969 | 8,721,324 | ||||||
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding - post-split | 612,248 | 436,066 | ||||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (2.39 | ) | (3.39 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (47.87 | ) | (67.88 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (2.92 | ) | (2.39 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (58.31 | ) | (47.88 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (5.31 | ) | (5.78 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (106.18 | ) | (115.56 | ) | |||
The following table presents selected share information reflecting the 2023 Reverse Stock Split for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding - pre-split | 23,968,517 | 8,842,180 | ||||||
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding - post-split | 1,198,426 | 442,109 | ||||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (0.21 | ) | (0.85 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (4.23 | ) | (17.05 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (0.03 | ) | (1.20 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share from discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (0.56 | ) | (23.96 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - pre-split | $ | (0.24 | ) | (2.05 | ) | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - post-split | $ | (4.79 | ) | (41.01 | ) | |||
Going Concern
Our management has concluded that substantial doubt exists about our ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the date of this prospectus. We do not expect that the net proceeds from this offering will be sufficient to allow us to continue as a going concern for one year from the date of this prospectus. If we were to receive gross proceeds of $3.5 million from this offering, we believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will meet our capital needs into the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. If we receive raise $7.0 million in gross proceeds through the sale of securities or otherwise throughout 2023, we believe that we will then meet our capital needs into the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. However, if a sale of the CDMO Facility is not consummated prior to the December 31, 2023 maturity date of the term loan with Woodforest we will not have sufficient funds to repay the term loan on its maturity date, which term loan has an outstanding balance of $12.6 million as of September 30, 2023, in which case we anticipate negotiating with Woodforest a further amendment to the Credit Agreement while we search for a new purchaser of the CDMO Facility or conducting further offerings, both public and private, to repay the term loan and meet our capital needs. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in negotiating with Woodforest a further amendment to the Credit Agreement to extend out the maturity date and/or implementing any of the options that we are evaluating.
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Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on April 17, 2008, under the name iBioPharma, Inc. We engaged in a merger with InB:Biotechnologies, Inc., a New Jersey corporation on July 25, 2008, and changed our name to iBio, Inc. on August 10, 2009.
Our principal executive offices are located at 8800 Health Science Center Parkway, Bryan, Texas and our telephone number is (979) 446-0027. Our website address is www.ibioinc.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website does not constitute part of this Registration Statement. We have included our website address in this Registration Statement solely as an inactive textual reference.
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Share information presented below and in this prospectus reflects the 1-for-20 2023 Reverse Stock Split of our Common Stock, which was effected on November 29, 2023.
| Securities offered by us: | Up to 1,790,281 shares of Common Stock, together with Series C common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of Common Stock and Series D common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of Common Stock, or pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and Series C common warrants and Series D common warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock on a “reasonable best efforts” basis. The shares of Common Stock or pre-funded warrants, respectively, and Series C common warrants and Series D common warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must initially be purchased together in this offering. The Series C common warrants are exercisable immediately, have an exercise price equal to $[●] (100% of the public offering price per share), and will expire two years after the date of issuance. The Series D common warrants are exercisable immediately, have an exercise price equal to $[●] (100% of the public offering price per share), and will expire five years after the date of issuance. The Series C common warrants and Series D common warrants are hereinafter collectively referred to as the common warrants. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants. For more information regarding the common warrants and pre-funded warrants, you should carefully read the section titled “Description of Securities to be Registered” in this prospectus. | |
| Pre-funded warrants offered by us in this offering | We are also offering to each purchaser 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% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants (each pre-funded warrant to purchase one share of our Common Stock) in lieu of shares that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of our outstanding Common Stock (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%). The purchase price of each pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrants will equal the price at which one share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrants are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant will be $0.0001 per share. The pre-funded warrants will be exercisable immediately 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. | |
| Reasonable Best Efforts Offering | We have agreed to issue and sell the securities offered hereby to the purchasers through the placement agent. The placement agent is not required to buy or sell any specific number or dollar amount of the securities offered hereby, but will use their reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 30 of this prospectus.
| |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering
| 3,195,317 shares (assuming all of the securities we are offering under this prospectus are sold, and assuming no sale of pre-funded warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of shares of Common Stock that we are offering on a one-for-one basis, and no exercise of the common warrants issued in this offering.) | |
| Use of proceeds | Assuming all of the securities we are offering under this prospectus are sold at an assumed public offering price of $3.91, we estimate that we will receive approximately $5.8 million in net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses. However, this is a reasonable best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and general corporate purposes, including for research and development and other trial preparation expenses and, retention and severance payments to certain of our employees or former employees. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to invest in or acquire other products, businesses or technologies, although we have no commitments or agreements with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus supplement. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information. |
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| Lock-Up | Our directors and officers have agreed with the Placement Agents, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell, transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our Common Stock for a period of 90 days after the completion of this offering. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information.
| |
| Risk Factors | You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors,” together with all of the other information set forth in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in shares of our Common Stock. | |
NYSE American symbol | Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “IBIO” |
Except as otherwise indicated, the number of shares of Common Stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 1,405,036 shares of our Common Stock outstanding as of November 30, 2023, and excludes:
| ● | 38,206 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding at a weighted average exercise price of $150.65 per share; | |
| ● | 2,579 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding at a weighted average exercise price of $665.00 per share; | |
| ● | 5,866 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the vesting of restricted stock units; | |
| ● | 3,307 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under the 2020 Plan, which shares will no longer be available for future issuance upon the effectiveness of the 2023 Plan on January 1, 2024; | |
| ● | 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock which will be reserved for future issuance under the 2023 Plan upon effectiveness thereof on January 1, 2024; and | |
| ● | shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants offered in this offering. |
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Our business, results of operations and financial condition and the industry in which we operate are subject to various risks. Accordingly, investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. This prospectus does not describe all of those risks. You should consider the risk factors described in this prospectus below, as well as those described under the caption “Risk Factors” in the documents incorporated by reference herein, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, together with the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We have described below and in the documents incorporated by reference herein the most significant risk factors applicable to us, but they do not constitute all of the risks that may be applicable to us. New risks may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all potential risks or to assess the likely impact of all risks. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks described below. See the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to this Offering
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our Common Stock. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our shares of Common Stock to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
This is a reasonable best efforts offering, with no minimum amount of securities required to be sold, and we may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby.
The placement agents have agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities in this offering. The placement agents have 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 the securities. There is no required minimum number of securities that must be sold as a condition to completion of this offering, and there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated. Even if we sell securities offered hereby, because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing of this offering, the actual offering amount is not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us. Thus, we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our operations in the short-term and may need to raise additional funds, which may not be available or available on terms acceptable to us.
Because there is no minimum required for the offering to close, investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue the business goals outlined in this prospectus.
We have not specified a minimum offering amount nor have or will we establish an escrow account in connection with this offering. Because there is no escrow account and no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill our objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, because there is no escrow account in operation and no minimum investment amount, any proceeds from the sale of securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. Investor funds will not be returned under any circumstances whether during or after the offering.
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If the price of our Common Stock fluctuates significantly, your investment could lose value.
Although our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American, we cannot assure you that an active public market will continue for our Common Stock. If an active public market for our Common Stock does not continue, the trading price and liquidity of our Common Stock will be materially and adversely affected. If there is a thin trading market or “float” for our stock, the market price for our Common Stock may fluctuate significantly more than the stock market as a whole. Without a large float, our Common Stock would be less liquid than the stock of companies with broader public ownership and, as a result, the trading prices of our Common Stock may be more volatile. In addition, in the absence of an active public trading market, investors may be unable to liquidate their investment in us. Furthermore, the stock market is subject to significant price and volume fluctuations, and the price of our Common Stock could fluctuate widely in response to several factors, including:
| · | our quarterly or annual operating results; |
| · | changes in our earnings estimates; |
| · | investment recommendations by securities analysts following our business or our industry; |
| · | additions or departures of key personnel; |
| · | our failure to achieve operating results consistent with securities analysts’ projections; and |
| · | changes in industry, general market or economic conditions. |
The stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations in recent years that have significantly affected the quoted prices of the securities of many companies, including companies in our industry. The changes often appear to occur without regard to specific operating performance. The price of our Common Stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our company and these fluctuations could materially reduce our stock price.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our Common Stock, so any returns will be limited to increases, if any, in our stock’s value. Your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation, if any, in the price of our Common Stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation in the value of their stock, if any.
There is no public market for the common warrants or pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our Common Stock being offered by us in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the common warrants or pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our Common Stock that are being offered as part of this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the common warrants or pre-funded warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including the NYSE American. Without an active market, the liquidity of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants will be limited.
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The common warrants and pre-funded warrants are speculative in nature.
The common warrants and pre-funded warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of Common Stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our Common Stock at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants may exercise their right to acquire the shares of our Common Stock upon the payment of an exercise price of $[●] per share in the case of common warrants and an exercise price of $0.0001 per share in the case of pre-funded warrants. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the common warrants or pre-funded warrants will equal or exceed their imputed public offering prices. Furthermore, each Series C common warrant will expire two years from the original issuance date, each Series D common warrant will expire five years from the original issuance date, and each pre-funded warrant will not expire until it has been exercised in full. In the event the price of our Common Stock does not exceed the exercise price of the common warrants during the period when such common warrants are exercisable, the common warrants may not have any value. There is no established public trading market for common warrants and pre-funded 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 common warrants or pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, including NYSE American. Without an active market, the liquidity of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants will be limited.
Holders of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they acquire shares of our Common Stock.
The common warrants and pre-funded warrants in this offering do not confer any rights of share ownership on their holders, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our common stock at a fixed price. Until holders of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants, as applicable, holders of common warrants and pre-funded warrants will have no rights with respect to our shares of common stock underlying such common warrants and pre-funded warrants.
Provisions of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.
In addition to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, as amended and our second amended and restated bylaws, certain provisions of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants offered by this prospectus could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The common warrants and pre-funded warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the common warrants or pre-funded warrants, as applicable. These and other provisions of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.
We may not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the common warrants or pre-funded warrants.
Each common warrant and each pre-funded warrant may be exercised by way of a cashless exercise under certain circumstances, 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 Common Stock determined according to the formula set forth in the common warrant or pre-funded warrant, respectively. Accordingly, we may not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the common warrants or pre-funded warrants.
If we sell Common Stock or preferred stock in the future, stockholders may experience immediate dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline.
We may from time-to-time issue additional shares of Common Stock or preferred stock at a discount from the current trading price of our Common Stock. As a result, our stockholders could experience immediate dilution upon the purchase of any shares sold at such discount. In addition, as opportunities present themselves, we may enter into financing or similar arrangements in the future, including the issuance of debt securities, Common Stock or preferred stock. If we issue Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock, the holders of our Common Stock could experience additional dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline.
In addition, to the extent that any outstanding warrants or options are exercised, new options or restricted stock units are issued under our equity incentive plans, or we otherwise issue additional shares of Common Stock in the future, at a price less than the public offering price, our stockholders could experience dilution.
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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 including, but not limited to: (i) timely delivery of securities; (ii) agreement to not enter into any financings for 60 days from closing; and (iii) indemnification for breach of contract.
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We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $5.8 million (assuming the sale of the maximum number of securities offered hereby), based upon an assumed public offering price of $3.91 per share and accompanying common warrant (which is the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 29, 2023), after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no issuance of any pre-funded warrants and no exercise of the common warrants. However, because this is a reasonable best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, the actual offering amount, placement agent fees, and net proceeds to us are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amounts set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and we may not sell all or any of the securities we are offering. As a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. Based on the assumed offering price set forth above, we estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of 75%, 50%, and 25% of the securities offered in this offering would be approximately $4.3 million, $2.8 million, and $1.2 million, respectively, after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and assuming no issuance of any pre-funded warrants and assuming no exercise of the common warrants. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the common warrants we are selling in this offering if the common warrants are exercised for cash. We cannot predict when or if these common warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these common warrants may expire and may never be exercised.
Each $0.25 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $3.91 per share and accompanying common warrants (which is the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 29, 2023) would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $157,000, assuming the number of securities offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no exercise of the common warrants or pre-funded warrants. Each 100,000 share increase (decrease) in the number of securities offered by us in this offering would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $342,000, assuming that the price per unit for the offering remains at $3.91 (which is the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 29, 2023), and after deducting the estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no exercise of the common warrants or pre-funded warrants included in the securities in the offering.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and general corporate purposes, including for research and development and other trial preparation expenses and retention and severance payments to certain of our employees or former employees. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to invest in or acquire other products, businesses or technologies, although we have no commitments or agreements with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus supplement.
These estimates exclude the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of common warrants offered hereby. If all of the common warrants offered hereby were to be exercised in cash at the exercise price of $3.91 per share, we would receive additional proceeds of approximately $14.0 million. We cannot predict when or if these common warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these common warrants may expire and may never be exercised. Additionally, these common warrants contain a cashless exercise provision that permit exercise of such warrants on a cashless basis at any time when there is no effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the underlying shares.
The amounts and timing of any expenditures will vary depending on the amount of cash generated by our operations, and the rate of growth, if any, of our business, and our plans and business conditions. The foregoing represents our intentions as of the date of this prospectus supplement based upon our current plans and business conditions to use and allocate the net proceeds of the offering. However, our management will have significant flexibility and discretion in the timing and application of the net proceeds of the offering. Unforeseen events or changed business conditions may result in application of the proceeds of the offering in a manner other than as described in this prospectus supplement.
To the extent that the net proceeds we receive from the offering are not immediately applied for the above purposes, we plan to invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.
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We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. We expect to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends, if any, on our Common Stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, the terms of any outstanding preferred stock, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements and contractual restrictions.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of our capital stock and the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws. We have filed copies of these documents with the SEC as exhibits to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 275,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share.
As of November 30, 2023, 1,405,036 shares of our Common Stock are issued and outstanding, and no shares of our preferred stock are issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
Authorized Shares of Common Stock. We currently have authorized 275,000,000 shares of Common Stock.
Voting. The holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders, except on matters relating solely to terms of preferred stock.
Dividends. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Liquidation. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.
Other Rights and Preferences. The holders of our Common Stock have no preemptive, subscription, cumulative voting or conversion rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our Common Stock.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.
The issuance of preferred stock, while providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from acquiring, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. The rights of holders of our Common Stock described above, will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of any preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
NYSE American Listing
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “IBIO.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company is located at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004. Their telephone number is (212) 509-4000.
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Potential Anti-Takeover Effects
Certain provisions set forth in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws and in Delaware law, which are summarized below, may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interests, including attempts that might result in a premium being paid over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.
Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors may issue additional shares of Common Stock or preferred stock. Any additional issuance of Common Stock could have the effect of impeding or discouraging the acquisition of control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, including a transaction in which our stockholders would receive a premium over the then-current market price for their shares, and thereby protect the continuity of our management. Specifically, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, the board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal was not in our best interest, shares could be issued by our board of directors without stockholder approval in one or more transactions that might prevent or render more difficult or costly the completion of the takeover by:
| · | diluting the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder group; |
| · | putting a substantial voting block in institutional or other hands that might undertake to support the incumbent board of directors; or |
| · | effecting an acquisition that might complicate or preclude the takeover. |
Our certificate of incorporation also allows our board of directors to fix the number of directors in our bylaws. Cumulative voting in the election of directors is not permitted by our certificate of incorporation. Not providing for cumulative voting may delay or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder may determine to be in his, her or its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by the stockholders.
In addition to the foregoing, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain the following provisions:
Staggered Board. Our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors, Class I, II and III, with each class serving a term ending at the third annual meeting following its election.
Nominations of Directors and Proposals of Business. Our bylaws generally regulate nominations for election of directors by stockholders and proposals of business at annual meetings. In general, Sections 1.10 and 1.11 of our bylaws requires stockholders intending to submit nominations or proposals at an annual meeting of stockholders to provide the Company with advance notice thereof, including information regarding the stockholder proposing the business as well as information regarding the nominee or the proposed business. Sections 1.10 and 1.11 of our bylaws provides a time period during which nominations or business must be provided to the Company that creates a predictable window for the submission of such notices, eliminating the risk that the Company finds a meeting will be contested after printing its proxy materials for an uncontested election and providing the Company with a reasonable opportunity to respond to nominations and proposals by stockholders.
Board Vacancies. Our bylaws generally provide that only the board of directors (and not the stockholders) may fill vacancies and newly created directorships.
Special Meeting of Stockholders. Our bylaws generally provide that special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes for which meetings may be lawfully called, may be called at any time by our board of directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or by one or more stockholders holding shares in the aggregate entitled to cast not less than fifty percent (50%) of the votes at that meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.
While the foregoing provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law may have an anti-takeover effect, these provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the board of directors and in the policies formulated by the board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of control. In that regard, these provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our Common Stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management.
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Delaware Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors or unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the “interested stockholder” and the sale of more than 10% of our assets. In general, an “interested stockholder” is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED
We are offering up to 1,790,281 shares of our Common Stock or pre-funded warrants in lieu of shares of Common Stock, together with Series C common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of Common Stock and Series D common warrants to purchase up to 1,790,281 shares of Common Stock. For each pre-funded warrant we sell, the number of shares of Common Stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. Each share of Common Stock or pre-funded warrant is being sold together with a Series C common warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock and a Series D common warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock or pre-funded warrants and accompanying common warrants will be issued separately. We are also registering the shares of Common Stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants offered hereby.
Common Stock. See the description above under “Description of our Capital Stock- Common Stock”
Series C Common Warrants and Series D Common Warrants to be Issued in this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Series C common warrants and Series D common warrants included with the Common Stock and the pre-funded warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the common warrants, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each common warrant offered hereby will be a warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock and will have an initial exercise price equal to $[●] per share (100% of the public offering price per share, which was the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 29, 2023). The Series C common warrants will be exercisable immediately upon issuance and will expire two years from the date of issuance. The Series D common warrants will be exercisable immediately upon issuance and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The exercise price and number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our Common Stock and the exercise price. Subject to the rules and regulations of the applicable trading market, we may at any time during the term of the common warrant, subject to the prior written consent of the holders, reduce the then current exercise price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by our board of directors. The common warrants will be issued separately from the shares of Common Stock, or the pre-funded warrants, as the case may be.
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 accompanied by 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 (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the common warrants to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of our common warrants immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of beneficial ownership of outstanding shares after exercising the holder’s common warrants up to 9.99% of the number of our shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the common warrants. Purchasers of common warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the common warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares.
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 and subject to the nominal value of the shares being paid up as described below, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares determined according to a formula set forth in the common warrants.
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Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of Common Stock or scrip representing fractional shares will be issued upon the exercise of the common warrants. Rather, the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the next whole share or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
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, and we do not expect a trading market to develop. We do not intend to list the common warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the common warrants will be extremely limited. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants are currently traded on the NYSE American.
Right as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the common warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of Common Stock, the holders of the common warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of shares of Common Stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their common warrants. The common warrants will provide that holders have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on Common Stock.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the common warrants and generally including (i) our merger or consolidation with or into another person, (ii) the sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, (iii) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer pursuant to which holders of our 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 50% or more of our outstanding common stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, (iv) any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our shares of common stock or any compulsory share exchange or (v) any stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or group of persons whereby such other person or group acquires 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, the holders will be entitled to receive the number of shares of our common stock for which the common warrants are exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of such fundamental transaction on a net exercise basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a fundamental transaction, the holders of the common warrants have the right to require us or a successor entity to redeem the common warrants for cash in the amount of the Black Scholes Value (as defined in each warrant) of the unexercised portion of the common warrants concurrently with or within 30 days following the consummation of a fundamental transaction.
However, in the event of a fundamental transaction which is not in our control, including a fundamental transaction not approved by our board of directors, the holders of the common warrants will only be entitled to receive from us or our successor entity, as of the date of consummation of such fundamental transaction the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of the common warrant that is being offered and paid to the holders of our Common Stock in connection with the fundamental transaction, whether that consideration is in the form of cash, stock or any combination of cash and stock, or whether the holders of our Common Stock are given the choice to receive alternative forms of consideration in connection with the fundamental transaction.
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Pre-Funded Warrants to be Issued in this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the pre-funded warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the pre-funded warrant, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of pre-funded warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the pre-funded warrants.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each pre-funded warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to $0.0001. The pre-funded warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire when exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our shares of Common Stock and the exercise price. Subject to the rules and regulations of the applicable trading market, we may at any time during the term of the pre-funded warrant, subject to the prior written consent of the holders, reduce the then current exercise price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by our board of directors. The pre-funded warrants will be issued separately from the common warrants.
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 accompanied by 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 (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the pre-funded warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of beneficial ownership of outstanding shares after exercising the holder’s pre-funded warrants up to 9.99% of the number of our shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the pre-funded warrants. Purchasers of pre-funded warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the pre-funded warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.
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 elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of Common Stock determined according to a formula set forth in the pre-funded warrants.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of Common Stock or scrip representing fractional shares will be issued upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants. Rather, the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the next whole share or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
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.
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Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, and we do not expect a trading market to develop. We do not intend to list the pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of pre-funded warrants will be extremely limited. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants are currently traded on the NYSE American.
Right as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the pre-funded warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership 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. The pre-funded warrants will provide that holders have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on Common Stock.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the pre-funded warrants and generally including (i) our merger or consolidation with or into another person, (ii) the sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, (iii) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer pursuant to which holders of our 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 50% or more of our outstanding common stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, (iv) any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our shares of common stock or any compulsory share exchange or (v) any stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or group of persons whereby such other person or group acquires 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, 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 on a net exercise basis.
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MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants acquired in this offering. This discussion is based on the current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, referred to as the Code, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative rulings and court decisions in effect as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect. No ruling has been or will be sought from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the matters discussed below, and there can be no assurance the IRS will not take a contrary position regarding the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants, or that any such contrary position would not be sustained by a court.
We assume in this discussion that the shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants will be held as capital assets (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxes, does not discuss the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax or the alternative minimum tax and does not address state or local taxes or U.S. federal gift and estate tax laws, except as specifically provided below with respect to non-U.S. holders, or any non-U.S. tax consequences that may be relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances. This discussion also does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular holders, such as:
| · | persons who acquired our Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants as compensation for services; |
| · | traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; |
| · | persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% of our Common Stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below); |
| · | persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to conform the timing of income accruals to their financial statements under Section 451(b) of the Code (except to the extent specifically set forth below); |
| · | persons for whom our Common Stock constitutes “qualified small business stock” within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code or “Section 1244 stock” for purposes of Section 1244 of the Code; |
| · | persons deemed to sell our Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; |
| · | banks or other financial institutions; |
| · | brokers or dealers in securities or currencies; |
| · | tax-exempt organizations or tax-qualified retirement plans; |
| · | pension plans; |
| · | regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts; |
| · | persons that hold the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security or other integrated investment; |
| · | insurance companies; |
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| · | controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies, or corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; and |
| · | certain U.S. expatriates, former citizens, or long-term residents of the United States. |
In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships (including any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or other pass-through entities or persons who hold shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants through such partnerships or other entities which are pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If such a partnership or other pass-through entity holds shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants, the treatment of a partner in such partnership or investor in such other pass-through entity generally will depend on the status of the partner or investor and upon the activities of the partnership or other pass-through entity. A partner in such a partnership and an investor in such other pass-through entity that will hold shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants through such partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.
This discussion of U.S. federal income tax considerations is for general information purposes only and is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of acquiring, holding and disposing of our Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants.
For the purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (b) a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes), created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (c) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, or (d) a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) has the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a domestic trust. A “Non-U.S. Holder” is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a beneficial owner of shares of Common Stock pre-funded warrants or common warrants that is not a U.S. Holder or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Potential Acceleration of Income
Under tax legislation signed into law in December 2017 commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, U.S. Holders that use an accrual method of accounting for tax purposes and have certain financial statements generally will be required to include certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are taken into account as revenue in such financial statements.
In addition, under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022, certain large corporations (generally, corporations reporting at least $1 billion average adjusted pre-tax net income on their consolidated financial statements) are potentially subject to a 15% alternative minimum tax on the “adjusted financial statement income” of such large corporations for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies are expected to issue guidance on how the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act will be applied or otherwise administered.
The application of these rules thus may require the accrual of income earlier than would be the case under the general tax rules described below, although the precise application of these rules is unclear at this time. U.S. Holders that use an accrual method of accounting should consult with their tax advisors regarding the potential applicability of this legislation to their particular situation.
Treatment of Pre-Funded Warrants
Although it is not entirely free from doubt, a pre-funded warrant should be treated as a share of Common Stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes and a holder of pre-funded warrants should generally be taxed in the same manner as a holder of Common Stock, as described below. Accordingly, no gain or loss should be recognized upon the exercise of a pre-funded warrant and, upon exercise, the holding period of a pre-funded warrant should carry over to the share of Common Stock received. Similarly, the tax basis of the pre-funded warrant should carry over to the share of Common Stock received upon exercise, increased by the exercise price of $0.0001 per share. Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the risks associated with the acquisition of pre-funded warrants pursuant to this offering (including potential alternative characterizations). The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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Allocation of Purchase Price
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, each pre-funded warrant) and the accompanying common warrants issued pursuant to this offering will be treated as an “investment unit” each of which consisting of one share of Common Stock or one pre-funded warrant (which, as described above, should generally be treated as a share of Common Stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes), as applicable and the accompanying common warrant to acquire one share of Common Stock. The purchase price for each investment unit will be allocated between these components in proportion to their relative fair market values at the time the unit is purchased by the holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each unit will establish the holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, pre-funded warrant) and the common warrant included in each unit. The separation of the share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, pre-funded warrant) and the common warrant included in a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price between the Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants) and the common warrants.
Tax Considerations Applicable to U.S. Holders
Exercise and Expiration of Common Warrants
Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a common warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon exercise of a common warrant. The U.S. Holder will take a tax basis in the shares acquired on the exercise of a common warrant equal to the exercise price of the common warrant, increased by the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common warrant exercised (as determined pursuant to the rules discussed above). The U.S. Holder’s holding period in the shares of Common Stock acquired on the exercise of a common warrant will begin on the date of exercise or possibly the day after such exercise, and will not include any period for which the U.S. Holder held the common warrant.
The lapse or expiration of a common warrant will be treated as if the U.S. Holder sold or exchanged the common warrant and recognized a capital loss equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common warrant. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a common warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Stock received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common warrants. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock would be treated as commencing on the date of exercise of the common warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the common warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Common Stock would include the holding period of the common warrants.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered common warrants having an aggregate fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of common warrants to be exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Common Stock received in respect of the common warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such common warrants. Such gain or loss would be long-term or short-term, depending on the U.S. Holder’s holding period in the common warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the exercised common warrants (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the investment unit that is allocated to the common warrants, as described above under “Allocation of Purchase Price”) and the exercise price of such common warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock would commence on the date of exercise of the common warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the common warrant. There may also be alternative characterizations of any such taxable exchange that would result in similar tax consequences, except that a U.S. Holder’s gain or loss would be short-term.
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Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise of the common warrants.
Distributions
As discussed above, we currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in respect of shares of Common Stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions on our Common Stock to a U.S. Holder, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. tax purposes to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that is applied against and reduces, but not below zero, a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Common Stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or exchange of shares of Common Stock as described below under the section titled “—Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.”
Certain Adjustments to Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
The number of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants or common warrants and the exercise price of pre-funded warrants or common warrants are subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Adjustments (or failure to make adjustments) that have the effect of increasing a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits may, in some circumstances, result in a constructive distribution to the U.S. Holder. Adjustments to the conversion rate made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula which has the effect of preventing the dilution of the interest of the holders of pre-funded warrants or common warrants generally should not be deemed to result in a constructive distribution. If an adjustment is made that does not qualify as being made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula, a U.S. Holder of pre-funded warrants or common warrants may be deemed to have received a constructive distribution from us, even though such U.S. Holder has not received any cash or property as a result of such adjustment. The tax consequences of the receipt of a distribution from us are described above under “Distributions.”
Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition (other than a redemption treated as a distribution, which will be taxed as described above under “Distributions”) of shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants sold. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants exceeds one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.
Information Reporting and Backup Reporting
Information reporting requirements generally will apply to payments of distributions (including constructive distributions) on the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants and to the proceeds of a sale or other disposition of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants paid by us to a U.S. Holder unless such U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient, such as a corporation. Backup withholding will apply to those payments if the U.S. Holder fails to provide the holder’s taxpayer identification number, or certification of exempt status, or if the holder otherwise fails to comply with applicable requirements to establish an exemption.
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Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their qualification for exemption from information reporting and backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining such exemption.
Tax Considerations Applicable to Non-U.S. Holders
Exercise and Expiration of Common Warrants
In general, a Non-U.S. Holder will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of common warrants into shares of Common Stock, however, to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the discussion below under “Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants”.
The expiration of a common warrant will be treated as if the Non-U.S. Holder sold or exchanged common warrant and recognized a capital loss equal to the Non-U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common warrants. However, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be able to utilize a loss recognized upon expiration of a common warrant against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability unless the loss is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) or is treated as a U.S.-source loss and the Non-U.S. Holder is present 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met.
Certain Adjustments to Warrants
As described under “—U.S. Holders—Certain Adjustments to Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants,” an adjustment to the pre-funded warrants or common warrants could result in a constructive distribution to a Non-U.S. Holder, which would be treated as described under “Distributions” below. Any resulting withholding tax attributable to deemed dividends would be collected from other amounts payable or distributable to the Non-U.S. Holder. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the pre-funded warrants or common warrants.
In addition, regulations governing “dividend equivalents” under Section 871(m) of the Code may apply to the pre-funded warrants. Under those regulations, an implicit or explicit payment under pre-funded warrants that references a dividend distribution on our Common Stock would possibly be taxable to a Non-U.S. Holder as described under “Distributions” below. Such dividend equivalent amount would be taxable and subject to withholding whether or not there is actual payment of cash or other property, and the Company may satisfy any withholding obligations it has in respect of the pre-funded warrants by withholding from other amounts due to the Non-U.S. Holder. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of Section 871(m) of the Code to the pre-funded warrants.
Distributions
As discussed above, we currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in respect of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions on our Common Stock to a Non-U.S. Holder, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes as described in “—U.S. Holders—Distributions.” To the extent those distributions do not constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i.e., the amount of such distributions exceeds both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits), they will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce a Non-U.S. Holder's basis in our common stock (determined separately with respect to each share of common stock), but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain from the sale of that share common stock as described below under the section titled “—Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.”
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Any distribution (including constructive distributions) on shares of Common Stock that is treated as a dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that is not effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States will generally be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and the Non-U.S. Holder’s country of residence. To obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will be required to provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other appropriate form, certifying the Non-U.S. Holder’s entitlement to benefits under that treaty. Such form must be provided prior to the payment of dividends and must be updated periodically. If a Non-U.S. Holder holds stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the holder’s behalf, the holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to such agent. The holder’s agent may then be required to provide certification to the applicable withholding agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. If you are eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty, you should consult with your own tax advisor to determine if you are able to obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for a refund with the IRS.
We generally are not required to withhold tax on dividends paid (or constructive dividends deemed paid) to a Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that the holder maintains in the United States) if a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI, stating that the dividends are so connected, is furnished to us (or, if stock is held through a financial institution or other agent, to the applicable withholding agent). In general, such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular tax rates applicable to U.S. persons. A corporate Non-U.S. Holder receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax,” which is imposed, under certain circumstances, at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable treaty) on the corporate Non-U.S. Holder’s effectively connected earnings and profits, subject to certain adjustments.
See also the sections below titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts” for additional withholding rules that may apply to dividends paid to certain foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities.
Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
Subject to the discussions below under the sections titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to gain recognized on a sale or other disposition (other than a redemption treated as a distribution, which will be taxable as described above under “Distributions”) of shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants unless:
| · | the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States, and if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States; in these cases, the Non-U.S. Holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular tax rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. persons, and if the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, or a lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply; |
| · | the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met, in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence) on the net gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by certain U.S.-source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder, if any; or |
| · | the Common Stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest because we are, or have been at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, if shorter), a “U.S. real property holding corporation,” unless the Common Stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, and the Non-U.S. Holder held no more than 5% of our outstanding Common Stock, directly or indirectly, during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. Holder held the Common Stock. Special rules may apply to the determination of the 5% threshold in the case of a holder of pre-funded warrants or common warrants. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of holding pre-funded warrants or common warrants on the calculation of such 5% threshold. Generally, a corporation is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” (as defined in the Code and applicable regulations) equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a “U.S. real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance can be provided that the Common Stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rules described above. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations that could result if we are, or become a “U.S. real property holding corporation.” |
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See the sections titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts” for additional information regarding withholding rules that may apply to proceeds of a disposition of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants paid to foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
We must report annually to the IRS and to each Non-U.S. Holder the gross amount of the distributions (including constructive distributions) on the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. Holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate, currently 24%, with respect to dividends (or constructive dividends) on the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants. Generally, a holder will comply with such procedures if it provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a Non-U.S. Holder, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Dividends paid to Non-U.S. Holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above under the heading “Distributions,” will generally be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.
Information reporting and backup withholding generally will apply to the proceeds of a disposition of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants by a Non-U.S. Holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a Non-U.S. Holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a Non-U.S. Holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.
Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a Non-U.S. Holder can be refunded or credited against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is timely filed with the IRS.
Foreign Accounts
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on dividends (including constructive dividends) on the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants if paid to a non-U.S. entity unless (i) if the non-U.S. entity is a “foreign financial institution,” the non-U.S. entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the non-U.S. entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” the non-U.S. entity identifies certain of its U.S. investors, if any, or (iii) the non-U.S. entity is otherwise exempt under FATCA.
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Withholding under FATCA generally will apply to payments of dividends (including constructive dividends) on our Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants. While withholding under FATCA would have also applied to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants, under proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations withholding on payments of gross proceeds is not required. Although such regulations are not final, applicable withholding agents may rely on the proposed regulations until final regulations are issued.
An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of the tax. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants.
Federal Estate Tax
Common Stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a citizen or resident of the United States (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and, therefore, may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, unless an applicable estate tax or other treaty provides otherwise. The foregoing may also apply to common warrants and pre-funded warrants. A Non-U.S. Holder should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of shares of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants.
The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal tax considerations is for information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of the Common Stock, pre-funded warrants or common warrants, including the consequences of any proposed changes in applicable laws.
A.G.P. has agreed to act as our lead Placement Agent and Brookline has agreed to act as co-Placement Agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement dated [●], 2023. The placement agency agreement provides that the placement agent’s obligations are subject to conditions contained in the placement agency agreement. The Placement Agents are not purchasing or selling any such securities, nor are they required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of such securities, other than to use their “reasonable best efforts” to arrange for the sale of such securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell all of the shares of Common Stock, pre-funded warrants and common warrants being offered. The terms of this offering are subject to market conditions and negotiations between us, the Placement Agents and prospective investors. The securities will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. The offering will terminate on December 29, 2023, unless (i) the closing occurs prior thereto or (ii) we decide to terminate the offering prior thereto (which we may do at any time in our discretion). 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 in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering.
This is a best efforts offering and there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to the closing of this offering. The actual amount of gross proceeds, if any, in this offering could vary substantially from the gross proceeds from the sale of the maximum amount of securities being offered in this prospectus. The Placement Agents may retain sub-agents and selected dealers in connection with this offering. Investors purchasing securities offered hereby will have the option to execute a securities purchase agreement with us on the day that the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is declared effective. In addition to rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal securities and state law, the purchasers which 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 is material to larger purchasers in this offering as a means to enforce the following covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement: (i) a covenant to not enter into variable rate financings for a period of 90 days following the closing of the offering, subject to an exception; and (ii) a covenant to not enter into any equity financings for 60 days from closing of the offering, subject to certain exceptions.
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The nature of the representations, warranties and covenants in the securities purchase agreements shall include:
| · | standard issuer representations and warranties on matters such as organization, qualification, authorization, no conflict, no governmental filings required, current in SEC filings, no litigation, labor or other compliance issues, environmental, intellectual property and title matters and compliance with various laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; and | |
| · | covenants regarding matters such as registration of warrant shares, no integration with other offerings, filing of a Form 8-K to disclose entering into these securities purchase agreements, no shareholder rights plans, no material nonpublic information, use of proceeds, indemnification of purchasers, reservation and listing of Common Stock, and no subsequent equity sales for 60 days from the closing. |
We will deliver the securities being issued to the investors upon receipt of investor funds for the purchase of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus DVP/RVP on or about two trading days after we price the securities being offered hereby. When we price the securities, we will simultaneously enter into securities purchase agreements relating to the offering with those investors who so choose. Since we will deliver the securities to be issued in this offering upon our receipt of investor funds, we and the placement agent have not made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account.
Determination of Offering Price and Warrant Exercise Price
The actual offering price of the securities we are offering, and the exercise price of the common warrants and pre-funded warrants that we are offering, were negotiated between us, the placement agent and the investors in the offering based on the trading of our shares of common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering, as well as the exercise price of the common warrants that we are offering include our history and prospects, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, the general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.
Fees and Expenses
We have agreed to pay the Placement Agents an aggregate fee equal to 5.5% of the purchase price paid by all purchasers in the offering. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the placement agent for its legal fees in an amount up to $75,000 and non-accountable expenses of up to $15,000.
We estimate the total expenses of this offering paid or payable by us, exclusive of the placement agent fee, will be approximately $[●] million. After deducting the fees due to the Placement Agents and our estimated expenses in connection with this offering, we expect the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $[●] million (based on an assumed public offering price per share and accompanying common warrants of $[●], which was the last reported sales price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 29, 2023.
The following table shows the per share and total cash fees we will pay to the Placement Agents in connection with the sale of the Common Stock and shares of Common Stock underlying the pre-funded warrants pursuant to this prospectus.
| Per Share of Common Stock and Common Warrants | Per Pre-Funded Warrant and Common Warrants | Total | ||||||||||
| Offering price (1) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Placement agent fees (2) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Proceeds before expenses to us | $ | $ | $ |
| (1) | The combined public offering price is $[●] per share of Common Stock and accompanying common warrant and $[●] per pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrants. |
| (2) | Represents a cash fee equal to five and one-half percent (5.5%) of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agents for its accountable offering-related legal expenses in an amount up to $75,000 and pay the Placement Agents a non-accountable expense allowance of up to $15,000. |
| (3) | Does not include proceeds from the exercise of the common warrants and/or pre-funded warrants in cash, if any. |
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Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent and specified other persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and to contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make in respect thereof. We have also agreed to contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make in respect of such liabilities.
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 90 days after the completion of this offering, without first obtaining the written consent of the Placement Agents. 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, a registration statement relating to the common stock underlying currently outstanding warrants, and a registration statement on Form S-8), until 60 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 90 days after the completion of this offering.
Discretionary Accounts
The Placement Agents do not intend to confirm sales of the securities offered hereby to any accounts over which it has discretionary authority.
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Other Activities and Relationships
The Placement Agents and certain of their 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 Agents and certain of their 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.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the Placement Agents and certain of their 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 Agents or their affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The Placement Agents and their 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 Agents and certain of their 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 Agents and their respective 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.
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 Additional Information.”
Tail Financing Payments
We have also agreed to pay H.C. Wainwright & Co. a tail fee payable in cash equal to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering and payable in warrants equal to 6% of the number of shares of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants being offered hereby at an exercise price equal to 125% of the combined public offering price per share of Common Stock and Warrants, if any investor, who was contacted or introduced to H.C. Wainwright & Co. during the term of its engagement, provides us with capital in this offering.
The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York. Sullivan & Worcester, LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the Placement Agents in connection with certain legal matters related to this offering.
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The consolidated financial statements of iBio Inc. and Subsidiaries for the two years ended June 30, 2023 have been audited by CohnReznick LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2023, and incorporated by reference herein. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon such report, which includes an explanatory paragraph on our ability to continue as a going concern, given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act for the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information about us and the securities offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed thereto. Any statements made in this prospectus concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. We are subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available at the website of the SEC referred to above. We maintain a website at https://ir.ibioinc.com/sec-filings. You may access our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at our website 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 incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-35023):
● our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 10, 2023 and November 28, 2023; and
● our Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on October 26, 2023;
● the description of our Common Stock on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on December 29, 2010, as amended by Exhibit 4.10 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, filed with the SEC on September 28, 2021, including any amendments thereto or reports filed for the purposes of updating this description.
We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC under the terms of Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are made with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and until the offering of securities covered by this prospectus has been completed. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to furnish and not file in accordance with SEC rules.
We will provide, without charge, to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus or any other supplement or amendment forming a part of the registration statement is delivered, including any beneficial owner, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, including exhibits. Requests should be directed to:
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iBio, Inc.
8800 HSC Parkway
Bryan, Texas 77807-1107
(979) 446-0027
Copies of these filings are also available on our website at www.ibioinc.com. For other ways to obtain a copy of these filings, please refer to “Where You Can Find Additional Information” above.
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Up to 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Series C Common Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Series D Common Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,790,281 Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase 1,790,281 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 5,370,843 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Series C Common Warrants, Series D Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants
PROSPECTUS
Lead Placement Agent
A.G.P.
Co-Placement Agent
Brookline Capital Markets
a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC
, 2023
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth all expenses to be paid by the registrant, other than any estimated underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the offering and sale of the shares of Common Stock being registered. All amounts shown are estimates except for the SEC registration fee.
| Amount | ||||
| SEC registration fee | $ | 3,102 | ||
| Accounting fees and expenses | 30,000 | |||
| Legal fees and expenses | 150,000 | |||
| Other miscellaneous expenses | 116,898 | |||
| Total expenses | $ | 300,000 | ||
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, empowers a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers and to purchase insurance with respect to liability arising out of their capacity or status as directors and officers, provided that the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s actions were unlawful. The DGCL further provides that the indemnification permitted thereunder shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the directors and officers may be entitled under the corporation’s bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or otherwise.
Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director or officer of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except (i) for any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) a director for payments of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; (iv) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit; or (v) an officer in any action by or in the right of the corporation.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law.
In addition, as permitted by Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages resulting from breaches of certain fiduciary duties as a director, except to the extent such an exemption from liability thereof is not permitted under the DGCL.
As permitted by the DGCL, we have entered into indemnity agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, that require us to indemnify such persons against any and all costs and expenses (including attorneys’, witness or other professional fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such persons in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (including derivative actions), whether actual or threatened, to which any such person may be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer or is or was acting or serving as our officer, director, employee or agent or any of our affiliated enterprises. Under these agreements, we are not required to provide indemnification for certain matters, including:
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| ● | indemnification beyond that permitted by the DGCL; |
| ● | indemnification for any proceeding with respect to the unlawful payment of remuneration to the director or officer; |
| ● | indemnification for certain proceedings involving a final judgment that the director or officer is required to disgorge profits from the purchase or sale of our stock; |
| ● | indemnification for proceedings involving a final judgment that the director’s or officer’s conduct was in bad faith, knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or constituted willful misconduct or a breach of his or her duty of loyalty, but only to the extent of such specific determination; | |
| ● | indemnification for proceedings or claims brought by an officer or director against us or any of our directors, officers, employees or agents, except for claims to establish a right of indemnification or proceedings or claims approved by our board of directors or required by law; |
| ● | indemnification for settlements the director or officer enters into without our consent; or |
| ● | indemnification in violation of any undertaking required by the Securities Act or in any registration statement filed by us. |
The indemnification agreements also set forth certain procedures that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification thereunder.
We have an insurance policy in place that covers our officers and directors with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act or otherwise.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
During the last three years, we have issued unregistered securities to the persons described below. None of these transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions, or any public offering. We believe that each transaction was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) thereof or Rule 506(b) of Regulation D thereunder as a transaction not involving a public offering other than exchanges of securities that were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by virtue of Section 3(a)(9). The recipients both had access, through their relationship with us, to information about us.
On August 4, 2023, we entered into a purchase agreement, dated as of August 4, 2023, or the Purchase Agreement, with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, or Lincoln Park. For a period of up to 24 months, under the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, from time to time, at our discretion, we have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Lincoln Park, and Lincoln Park is obligated to purchase, up to $10 million of shares of our common stock, subject to certain limitations set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Through November 30, 2023, we have sold a total of 202,599 shares of common stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for net proceeds of $1.3 million. In addition, as consideration for Lincoln Park’s commitment to purchase shares of common stock at our direction pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, on August 4, 2023, we issued 10,573 shares of common stock to Lincoln Park as commitment shares.
On September 16, 2022, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with RubrYc Therapeutics, Inc., or RubrYc Therapeutics, pursuant to which we acquired substantially all of RubrYc Therapeutics’ assets in consideration of the issuance of 5,117 shares of our common stock valued at approximately $1,000,000 and potential additional payments of up to $5,000,000.
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On May 9, 2022, we entered into that certain Series 2022 Convertible Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement with a certain accredited investor, or the Investor, pursuant to which we issued to the Investor in a private placement transaction 1,000 shares of our Series 2022 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, for the purchase price per share equal to $0.27.
On November 1, 2021, we issued warrants to purchase 2,579 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $665.00 per share.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
The exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement, which immediately precedes the Signature Page and which Exhibit Index is hereby incorporated by reference.
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) 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:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the 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 the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of 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 SEC 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
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is a part of the registration statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, 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 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. 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 first use, 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 date of first use.
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(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: (i) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; (iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and (iv) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(6) 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 Exchange Act) 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.
(b) 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 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 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
The following is a list of exhibits filed as a part of this registration statement:
The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this registration statement.
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* *** | Filed herewith. To be filed by amendment. |
| ^ | Previously filed. |
| † | Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. |
| + | Certain portions of this exhibit have been omitted subject to a confidential treatment request. |
| ++ | Certain portions of this exhibit indicated therein by [**] have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. The Company agrees to furnish unredacted copies of these Exhibits to the SEC upon request. |
| ** | Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company agrees to furnish supplementally to the SEC a copy of any omitted schedule upon request. |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized, on this 30th day of November, 2023.
| IBIO, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Martin Brenner | |
| Name: | Martin Brenner | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Martin Brenner | Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Martin Brenner | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Felipe Duran | Chief Financial Officer | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Felipe Duran | (Principal Financial Officer and | |||
| Principal Accounting Officer) | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Linda Armstrong | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Alexandra Kropotova | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| William Clark | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Gary Sender | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| General James T. Hill (Ret.) | ||||
| * | Director | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Evert Schimmelpennink | ||||
| *By: | /s/ Martin Brenner | |
| Martin Brenner, Attorney-In-Fact |
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