As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2022
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Avinger, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | 20-8873453 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
400 Chesapeake Drive
Redwood City, California 94063
(650) 241-7900
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Jeffrey M. Soinski
Chief Executive Officer
Avinger, Inc.
400 Chesapeake Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 241-7900
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Nolan S. Taylor
David F. Marx
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
111 South Main Street, Suite 2100
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 933-7360
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time, after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
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, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, 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, 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 registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
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 ☒ | | |
Smaller reporting company ☒ | | |
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 or until this 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. We may not sell these securities 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 state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 28, 2022
PROSPECTUS
874,000 Shares of Common Stock Underlying Warrants
300,000 Shares of Common Stock Underlying Series D Preferred Stock
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale by Avinger, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Avinger”), of up to 874,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), that are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, including (a) warrants (the “Common Warrants”) to purchase 807,500 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $9.60 per share, subject to adjustment under the terms of the Common Warrants, which expire on July 14, 2027 and (b) warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants” and together with the Common Warrants the “January 2022 Warrants”) to purchase 66,500 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $10.00 per share, subject to adjustment under the terms of the Placement Agent Warrants, which expire on January 12, 2027. The Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants were originally issued by us on January 14, 2022, pursuant to a prospectus dated March 29, 2019 and a related prospectus supplement dated January 12, 2022. We will receive the proceeds from any cash exercises of the January 2022 Warrants. In certain circumstances, the January 2022 Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. If all of the January 2022 Warrants are exercised for cash, we would receive aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.4 million.
We are also registering the offer and sale by us of up to 300,000 shares of our Common Stock that are issuable upon the conversion of outstanding shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series D preferred stock”), which shares of Series D preferred stock were originally issued by us on January 14, 2022, pursuant to a prospectus dated March 29, 2019 and a related prospectus supplement dated January 12, 2022. We will not receive additional proceeds upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock.
Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “AVGR”. On March 25, 2022, the last reported sale price of our Common Stock was $3.41 per share.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN ANY APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2022
Table of Contents
| Page |
About this Prospectus | i |
Prospectus Summary | 1 |
Risk Factors | 4 |
Forward-Looking Statements | 8 |
Use of Proceeds | 9 |
Dilution | 11 |
Description of Capital Stock | 12 |
Plan of Distribution | 28 |
Legal Matters | 29 |
Experts | 29 |
Where You Can Find More Information | 29 |
Information Incorporated by Reference | 29 |
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell (i) up to 874,000 shares of our Common Stock upon the exercise of the outstanding January 2022 Warrants as described in this prospectus and (ii) up to 300,000 shares of our Common Stock upon the conversion of the outstanding Series D preferred stock.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with any information that is different. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering the securities offered hereby only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus and the offering of the securities offered hereby in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities offered hereby and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus does not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
Before you invest, you should carefully read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, all information incorporated by reference herein and therein, as well as the additional information described under “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference” on page 29 of this prospectus. These documents contain information you should consider when making your investment decision. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made hereunder shall under any circumstances imply that the information contained or incorporated by reference herein is correct as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, or any document incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of the date of the applicable documents, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of securities. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
“Avinger,” “Pantheris,” “Lumivascular,” and “Tigereye” are trademarks of our company. Our logo and our other trade names, trademarks and service marks appearing in this prospectus are our property. Other trade names, trademarks and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, our trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus appear without the ™ symbol, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary description about us and our business highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated in this prospectus by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before buying securities in this offering. You should carefully read this entire prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including each of the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference, before making an investment decision. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Avinger,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this prospectus refer to Avinger, Inc., and its subsidiaries.
Company Overview
We are a commercial-stage medical device company that designs, manufactures and sells real-time image-guided, minimally invasive catheter-based systems that are used by physicians to treat patients with peripheral artery disease, or PAD. Patients with PAD have a build-up of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to areas away from the heart, particularly the pelvis and legs. Our mission is to significantly improve the treatment of vascular disease through the introduction of products based on our Lumivascular platform, the only intravascular real-time image-guided system available in this market.
We design, manufacture, and sell a suite of products in the United States and select international markets. We are located in Redwood City, California. Our current proprietary image-guided Lumivascular platform includes the Lightbox real-time imaging console, the Ocelot family of catheters, which are image-guided catheters designed to allow physicians to penetrate a total blockage in an artery, known as a chronic total occlusion, or CTO, and the Pantheris family of catheters, our image-guided atherectomy family of catheters designed to allow physicians to precisely remove arterial plaque in PAD patients.
We received CE Marking for our original Ocelot product in September 2011 and received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, 510(k) clearance in November 2012. We received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for commercialization of Pantheris in October 2015. We received an additional 510(k) clearance for an enhanced version of Pantheris in March 2016 and commenced sales of Pantheris in the United States and select European countries promptly thereafter. In May 2018, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for our current next-generation version of Pantheris. In April 2019, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for our Pantheris SV, a version of Pantheris targeting smaller vessels, and commenced sales in July 2019. In September 2020, we received 510(k) clearance of Tigereye, a next-generation CTO crossing system utilizing Avinger’s proprietary image-guided technology platform. Tigereye is a product line extension of Avinger’s Ocelot family of image-guided CTO crossing catheters. In January 2022, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for our Lightbox 3 imaging console, a version of our Lightbox presenting significant reductions in size, weight and cost in comparison to the incumbent version.
Current treatments for PAD, including bypass surgery, can be costly and may result in complications, high levels of post-surgery pain, and lengthy hospital stays and recovery times. Minimally invasive, or endovascular, treatments for PAD include stenting, angioplasty, and atherectomy, which is the use of a catheter-based device for the removal of plaque. These treatments all have limitations in their safety or efficacy profiles and frequently result in recurrence of the disease, also known as restenosis. We believe one of the main contributing factors to high restenosis rates for PAD patients treated with endovascular technologies is the amount of vascular injury that occurs during an intervention. Specifically, these treatments often disrupt the membrane between the outermost layers of the artery, which is referred to as the external elastic lamina, or EEL.
We believe our Lumivascular platform is the only technology that offers real-time visualization of the inside of the artery during PAD treatment through the use of optical coherence tomography, or OCT, a high resolution, light-based, radiation-free imaging technology. Our Lumivascular platform provides physicians with real-time OCT images from the inside of an artery, and we believe Ocelot and Pantheris are the first and only products in the market to offer intravascular visualization during CTO crossing and atherectomy, respectively. We believe this approach will significantly improve patient outcomes by providing physicians with a clearer picture of the artery using radiation-free image guidance during treatment, enabling them to better differentiate between plaque and healthy arterial structures. Our Lumivascular platform is designed to improve patient safety by enabling physicians to direct treatment towards the plaque, while avoiding damage to healthy portions of the artery.
During the first quarter of 2015, we completed enrollment of patients in VISION, a clinical trial designed to support our August 2015 510(k) submission to the FDA for our Pantheris atherectomy device. VISION was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Pantheris to perform atherectomy using intravascular imaging and successfully achieved all primary and secondary safety and efficacy endpoints. We believe the data from VISION allows us to demonstrate that avoiding damage to healthy arterial structures, and in particular disruption of the external elastic lamina, which is the membrane between the outermost layers of the artery, reduces the likelihood of restenosis, or re-narrowing, of the diseased artery. Although the original VISION study protocol was not designed to follow patients beyond six months, we worked with 18 of the VISION sites to re-solicit consent from previous clinical trial patients in order for them to evaluate patient outcomes through 12 and 24 months following initial treatment. Data collection for the remaining patients from participating sites was completed in May 2017, and we released the final 12- and 24-month results for a total of 89 patients in July 2017.
During the fourth quarter of 2017, we began enrolling patients in INSIGHT, a clinical trial designed to support a submission to the FDA to expand the indication for our Pantheris atherectomy device to include in-stent restenosis. Patient enrollment began in October 2017 and was completed in July 2021. Patient outcomes were evaluated at thirty days, six months and one year following treatment. In November 2021, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for a new clinical indication for treating in-stent restenosis with Pantheris using the data collected and analyzed from INSIGHT. We expect this will expand our addressable market for Pantheris to include a high-incidence disease state for which there are few available indicated treatment options.
We focus our direct sales force, marketing efforts and promotional activities on interventional cardiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. We also work on developing strong relationships with physicians and hospitals that we have identified as key opinion leaders. Although our sales and marketing efforts are directed at these physicians since they are the primary users of our technology, we consider the hospitals and medical centers where the procedure is performed to be our customers, as they typically are responsible for purchasing our products. We are designing additional future products to be compatible with our Lumivascular platform, which we expect to enhance the value proposition for hospitals to invest in our technology. Pantheris qualifies for existing reimbursement codes currently utilized by other atherectomy products, further facilitating adoption of our products.
We have assembled a team with extensive medical device development and commercialization experience in both start-up and large, multi-national medical device companies. We assemble all of our products at our manufacturing facility but certain critical processes, such as coating and sterilization, are performed by outside vendors. We expect our current manufacturing facility in California, will be sufficient through at least 2022. We generated revenues of $9.1 million in 2019, $8.8 million in 2020 and $10.1 million in 2021. The decline revenue in 2020 was primarily due to the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our customers as hospitals deferred elective procedures.
Company Information
We were incorporated in Delaware on March 8, 2007. Our principal executive offices are located at 400 Chesapeake Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063, and our telephone number is (650) 241-7900. Our website address is www.avinger.com. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and should not be considered a part of this prospectus.
We make available, free of charge on our corporate website at www.avinger.com, copies of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements, and all amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act. We also show detail about stock trading by corporate insiders by providing access to SEC Forms 3, 4 and 5. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.
The information in or accessible through the websites referred to above are not incorporated into, and are not considered part of, this filing. Further, our references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
THE OFFERING
Common Stock offered by us | | This offering involves the offer and sale by us of (i) up to 874,000 shares of our Common Stock that are issuable upon the exercise of the outstanding Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants, and (ii) up to 300,000 shares of our Common Stock that are issuable upon the conversion of outstanding shares of Series D preferred stock. We will receive the proceeds from any cash exercises of the January 2022 Warrants. In certain circumstances, the January 2022 Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. If all of the January 2022 Warrants are exercised for cash, we would receive aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.4 million. We will not receive any additional proceeds upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock. |
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering | | 6,602,770 shares of Common Stock (assuming the issuance of all of the shares of Common Stock upon the conversion of the Series D preferred stock and Warrants). |
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Use of proceeds | | We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include research and development of our Lumivascular platform products, preclinical and clinical trials and studies, regulatory submissions, expansion of our sales and marketing organizations and efforts, intellectual property protection and enforcement and capital expenditures. We may use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire complementary products, technologies or businesses or to repay principal on our debt; however, we currently have no binding agreements or commitments to complete any such transactions or to make any such principal repayments from the proceeds of this offering, although we do look for such acquisition opportunities. See “Use of Proceeds” on page 9. |
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Risk factors | | Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 4 of this prospectus and under similar headings in any prospectus supplement and the other information included or incorporated by reference herein or therein. |
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Nasdaq Capital Market symbol | | “AVGR.” |
The number of shares of Common Stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 5,428,770 shares of our Common Stock outstanding as of March 18, 2022 and excludes (in each case as of March 18, 2022):
| • | 331 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $23,815.95 per share; |
| • | 157,915 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding preferred stock, comprised of 140,915 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding Series A preferred stock and 17,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding Series B preferred stock; |
| • | 132,284 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, comprised of 44,895 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding Series 1 Warrants, 43,548 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding Series 2 Warrants, and 43,842 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants; |
| • | 10,050 unvested restricted stock units; |
| • | 8,480 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, or our 2015 Plan, and any additional shares that become available under our 2015 Plan pursuant to provisions thereof that automatically increase the share reserve under the plan each year; |
| • | 4,609 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our Officer and Director Share Purchase Plan, or ODPP; and |
| • | the effect of the “full-ratchet” anti-dilution adjustment of the conversion price of our outstanding Series B preferred stock. |
Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this prospectus, including the number of shares outstanding after this offering, does not reflect any issuance, exercise, vesting, expiration, or forfeiture of any additional equity awards under our equity incentive plans or stock purchase plans that occurred after March 18, 2022.
Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus gives effect to a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our common stock, which became effective as of March 14, 2022.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. In addition to other information contained in this prospectus, before investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the risks described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K and in any other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as updated by our future filings. These risks are not the only ones faced by us. Additional risks not known or that are deemed immaterial could also materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, our products, business and prospects. Any of these risks might cause you to lose all or a part of your investment.
Risks Related to this Offering
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the Common Stock you purchase.
Since the effective price per share of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants, and conversion of the Preferred Stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our Common Stock outstanding prior to this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants, and the conversion of the Preferred Stock issued in this offering. See the section entitled “Dilution” in this prospectus for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase Preferred Stock and Warrants in this offering.
If we seek future capital financing transactions, investors in this offering could experience significant dilution in the future.
In order to raise additional capital, we believe that we will offer and issue additional shares of our Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Common Stock in the future. We cannot assure you that we will be able to sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by purchasers in this offering, and investors purchasing other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Common Stock in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share in this offering.
In addition, as we grow our business, we may seek to rely more heavily on capital raising transactions to fund our operations, raise capital to retire our debt and other corporate purposes. Further, we have a significant number of stock options and warrants outstanding. To the extent that outstanding stock options or warrants have been or may be exercised or other shares issued, you may experience further dilution. We may also choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
The market price of our Common Stock may be volatile, and the value of your investment could decline significantly.
The trading price for our Common Stock has been, and we expect it to continue to be, volatile. The price at which our Common Stock trades depends upon a number of factors, including our historical and anticipated operating results, our ability to meet our own financial projections or those of analysts who follow our company, our financial situation, announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors, our ability or inability to raise the additional capital we may need and the terms on which we raise it, and general market and economic conditions, some of which are beyond our control. These broad market fluctuations may lower the market price of our Common Stock and affect the volume of trading in our stock.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways with which you may not agree. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that the proceeds will be invested or otherwise used in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for our company. See the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus for a more detailed discussion of our expected use of the net proceeds from this offering.
We may not be able to secure additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, to meet our future capital needs and our failure to obtain additional financing when needed could force us to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs and commercialization efforts or cause us to become insolvent.
We believe that our cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2021, plus the proceeds from our January 2022 offering and expected revenues from operations, will be sufficient to satisfy our capital requirements and fund our operations through at least the second quarter of 2023. We will need to raise additional funds through future equity or debt financings within the next twelve months to meet our operational needs and capital requirements for product development, clinical trials and commercialization and may subsequently require additional fundraising.
To date, we have financed our operations primarily through sales of our products and net proceeds from the issuance of our preferred stock and debt financings, our “at-the-market” program, our initial public offering, or IPO, and our follow-on public offerings. We do not know when or if our operations will generate sufficient cash to fund our ongoing operations. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available as needed on acceptable terms, or at all. In the future, we may require additional capital in order to (i) continue to conduct research and development activities, (ii) conduct post-market clinical studies, as well as clinical trials to obtain regulatory clearances and approvals necessary to commercialize our Lumivascular platform products, (iii) expand our sales and marketing infrastructure and (iv) acquire complementary businesses, technologies or products; or (v) respond to business opportunities, challenges, a decline in sales, increased regulatory obligations or unforeseen circumstances. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
| ● | the degree of success we experience in commercializing our Lumivascular platform products, particularly Pantheris, and any future versions of such products; |
| ● | the costs, timing and outcomes of clinical trials and regulatory reviews associated with our future products; |
| ● | the costs and expenses of maintaining or expanding our sales and marketing infrastructure and our manufacturing operations; |
| ● | the costs and timing of developing variations of our Lumivascular platform products, especially Pantheris and, if necessary, obtaining FDA clearance of such variations; |
| ● | the extent to which our Lumivascular platform is adopted by hospitals for use by interventional cardiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists in the treatment of PAD; |
| ● | the number and types of future products we develop and commercialize; |
| ● | the costs of defending ourselves against future litigation; |
| ● | the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications and maintaining, enforcing and defending intellectual property-related claims; and |
| ● | the extent and scope of our general and administrative expenses. |
We may raise additional funds in equity or debt financings or enter into credit facilities in order to access funds for our capital needs. Any debt financing obtained by us in the future would cause us to incur additional debt service expenses and could include restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and pursue business opportunities. In addition, due to our current level of debt, future equity investors may require that we convert all or a portion of our debt to equity, and our debtholders may not agree to such terms. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, and/or if we convert all or a portion of our existing debt to equity, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution in their percentage ownership of our company, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our Common Stock. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, we may terminate or delay the development of one or more of our products, delay clinical trials necessary to market our products, delay establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities necessary to commercialize our products, and significantly scale back our operations, or we may become insolvent. If this were to occur, our ability to continue to grow and support our business and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited.
We have outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock, some of which contain full-ratchet anti-dilution protection, which may cause significant dilution to our stockholders.
As of March 18, 2022, we had outstanding 5,428,770 shares of Common Stock. As of that date we had outstanding 85 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock convertible into an aggregate of 17,000 shares of Common Stock, 56,366 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock convertible, subject to certain conditions, into an aggregate of 140,915 shares of Common Stock, and 2,400 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock convertible into an aggregate of 300,000 shares of Common Stock. The issuance of shares of Common Stock upon the conversion of such shares of preferred stock would dilute the percentage ownership interest of all stockholders, might dilute the book value per share of our Common Stock and would increase the number of our publicly traded shares, which could depress the market price of our Common Stock.
The shares of Series B preferred stock contain full-ratchet anti-dilution provisions which, subject to limited exceptions, would reduce the conversion price of the Series B preferred stock (and increase the number of shares issuable) in the event that we in the future issue Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable to purchase Common Stock, at price per share lower than the conversion price then in effect. Our outstanding 85 shares of Series B preferred stock are convertible into 17,000 shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $5.00 per share. This full ratchet anti-dilution provision would be triggered by the future issuance by us of shares of our Common Stock or Common Stock equivalents at a price per share below the then-conversion price of the Series B preferred stock, subject to limited exceptions.
The certificate of designation for our Series A preferred stock currently provides that shares of such Series A preferred stock will not be convertible into shares of our Common Stock until our stockholders have approved an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 100,000,000 to 125,000,000. Our Board of Directors may determine to remove this requirement. If our stockholders approve such amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or if our Board of Directors otherwise determines to amend the certificate of designation for our Series A preferred to remove such requirement, shares of Series A preferred stock may be converted into shares of our Common Stock, which will result in dilution to our stockholders.
The Series A preferred stock and Series D preferred stock have a liquidation preference senior to our other outstanding securities.
Our Series A preferred stock has a liquidation preference that is required to be paid prior to any payment on our Common Stock (including shares issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants), Series B preferred stock, and Series D preferred stock. As a result, if we were to dissolve, liquidate, merge with another company or sell our assets, the holders of our Series A preferred stock would have the right to receive up to approximately $56.4 million, plus any unpaid dividends from any such transaction before any amount is paid to the holders of our Series B preferred stock, Series D preferred stock, Common Stock, or warrants. In addition, our Series D preferred stock has a liquidation preference equal to $0.01 per share of Series D preferred stock, which, if assets are available after payment of the liquidation preference payable with respect to the Series A preferred stock, would be payable before any amount is paid to the holders of our Series B preferred stock, Common Stock, or warrants.
The payment of the liquidation preferences could result in common stockholders, Series B preferred stockholders, Series D preferred stockholders, and warrant holders not receiving any consideration if we were to liquidate, dissolve or wind up, either voluntarily or involuntarily. In December 2020 we paid Series A preferred stock dividends of $3.9 million through the issuance of 3,866 shares of Series A preferred stock, and in December 2021, we paid Series A preferred stock dividends of $4.2 million through the issuance of 4,175 shares of Series A preferred stock.
The existence of the liquidation preferences may reduce the value of our Common Stock, make it harder for us to sell shares of Common Stock in offerings in the future, or prevent or delay a change of control.
Future sales of our Common Stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. As of March 18, 2022, we had 5,428,770 shares of Common Stock outstanding, all of which shares were, and continue to be, eligible for sale in the public market, subject in some cases to compliance with the requirements of Rule 144, including the volume limitations and manner of sale requirements. In addition, all of the shares offered under this prospectus will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration upon issuance.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
Nasdaq may delist our securities from its exchange, which could harm our business and limit our stockholders’ liquidity.
Our Common Stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which has qualitative and quantitative listing criteria. However, we cannot assure you that our Common Stock will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future. In order to continue listing our Common Stock on Nasdaq, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity and a minimum number of holders of our Common Stock.
On September 22, 2021, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq notifying us that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), as the minimum bid price for our listed securities was less than $1.00 for the previous 30 consecutive business days. We have a period of 180 calendar days, or until March 21, 2022, to regain compliance with the rule referred to in this paragraph. To regain compliance, during the 180 day period, the bid price of our Common Stock must close at $1.00 or more for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. The notice has no present impact on the listing of our securities on Nasdaq.
If we do not regain compliance during such 180-day period, we may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar days, provided that we meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for Nasdaq except for Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), and provides a written notice of our intention to cure this deficiency during the second compliance period. If it appears to Nasdaq that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we are otherwise not eligible, we will receive written notification that our securities are subject to delisting. At that time, we may appeal the delisting determination to a hearings panel pursuant to the procedures set forth in the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules.
In the event that Nasdaq does, in the future, delist our Common Stock and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| ● | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| ● | reduced liquidity for our securities; |
| ● | a determination that our Common Stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Common Stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; |
| ● | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
| ● | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” If our Common Stock continues to be listed on Nasdaq, our Common Stock will be a covered security. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (v) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers or employees. If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus contain 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 Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, research and development costs, the anticipated timing, costs and conduct of our planned clinical trials, the timing and likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, the potential benefits of our products, timing and likelihood of success, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of anticipated products are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as applicable, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described under the sections in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond our control, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. You should, however, review the factors and risks we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the SEC after the date of this prospectus. See the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, such information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We are registering shares of our common stock that may be issued upon exercise of the January 2022 Warrants and conversion of the Series D preferred stock. The exercise price of the Common Warrants is $9.60 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment under the terms of the Common Warrants. The exercise price of the Placement Agent Warrants is $10.00 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment under the terms of the Placement Agent Warrants. The January 2022 Warrants will be exercisable at any time beginning on July 14, 2022. In certain circumstances, the January 2022 Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. If all of the January 2022 Warrants are exercised for cash, we would receive aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.4 million. We will not receive any proceeds upon the conversion of the Series D preferred stock.
We intend to use net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include research and development of our Lumivascular platform products, preclinical and clinical trials and studies, regulatory submissions, expansion of our sales and marketing organizations and efforts, intellectual property protection and enforcement and capital expenditures. We have not yet determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for any particular purpose or the timing of these expenditures. We may use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire complementary products, technologies or businesses or to repay principal on our debt; however, we currently have no binding agreements or commitments to complete any such transactions or to make any such principal repayments from the proceeds of this offering, although we do look for such acquisition opportunities. Accordingly, our management will have significant discretion and flexibility in applying the net proceeds from the sale of these securities.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our Common Stock. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, for use in our business and therefore do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including our financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs and plans for expansion.
DILUTION
Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021 was $9.7 million, or $2.03 per share of common stock based upon 4,778,263 shares outstanding. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
On January 14, 2022, we issued, in a registered offering (the “January 2022 Offering”), (i) 7,600 shares of Series D preferred stock, convertible into an aggregate of 950,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) Common Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 807,500 shares of Common Stock, and (iii) Placement Agent Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 66,500 shares of Common Stock. We received net proceeds of approximately $6.7 million in the January 2022 Offering. Subsequent to the January 2022 Offering, 650,000 shares of common stock were issued upon the conversion of 5,200 shares of Series D preferred stock.
After giving effect to (i) the exercise of all of the January 2022 Warrants for an aggregate of 874,000 shares of Common Stock and gross proceeds of approximately $8.4 million, (ii) and the conversion of all shares of Series D preferred stock into 950,000 shares of our common stock, and (iii) the January 2022 Offering, and after deducting estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021 would have been $24.8 million, or $3.76 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $1.73 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $4.24 per share of Common Stock to investors participating in this offering.
The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:
Conversion price of Preferred Stock | | | | | | $ | 8.00 | |
Net tangible book value per share of common stock as of December 31, 2021, including the effects of the January 2022 Offering | | $ | 2.03 | | | | | |
Increase in net tangible book value per share of common stock attributable to new investors in this offering | | | 1.73 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net tangible book value per share of common stock as of December 31, 2021 after giving effect to this offering and the January 2022 Offering | | | | | | $ | 3.76 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Dilution in net tangible book value per share of common stock to new investors in this offering | | | | | | $ | 4.24 | |
The number of shares of Common Stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 4,778,263 shares of our Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021 (after giving effect to the January 2022 Offering) and excludes (in each case as of December 31, 2021):
| • | 331 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $23,815.95 per share; |
| • | 157,915 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding preferred stock, comprised of 140,915 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding Series A preferred stock and 17,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding Series B preferred stock; |
| • | 132,284 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, comprised of 44,895 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding Series 1 Warrants, 43,548 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding Series 2 Warrants, and 43,842 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants; |
| • | 10,050 unvested restricted stock units; |
| • | 8,480 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, or our 2015 Plan, and any additional shares that become available under our 2015 Plan pursuant to provisions thereof that automatically increase the share reserve under the plan each year; |
| • | 4,609 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our Officer and Director Share Purchase Plan, or ODPP; and |
| • | the effect of the “full-ratchet” anti-dilution adjustment of the conversion price of our outstanding Series B preferred stock. |
Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this prospectus, including the number of shares outstanding after this offering, does not reflect the issuance of shares of Common Stock underlying the Common Warrants or Placement Agent Warrants, or any of the following transactions or events that occurred after December 31, 2021:
| • | the issuance, exercise, vesting, expiration or forfeiture of any additional equity awards under our equity incentive plans or stock purchase plans. |
The foregoing gives effect to a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our common stock, which became effective as of March 14, 2022.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description summarizes the most important terms of our capital stock and does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (“Charter”) and amended and restated bylaws (“Bylaws”), which documents are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”).
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of one hundred million (100,000,000) shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and five million (5,000,000) shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share.
Common Stock
Outstanding Shares
As of March 18, 2022, there were 5,428,770 shares of common stock outstanding, held of record by 123 stockholders. Our board of directors is authorized, without stockholder approval, to issue additional shares of our common stock.
As of March 18, 2022, there were 1,006,285 shares of common stock subject to the exercise of outstanding warrants and 457,915 shares of common stock subject to the conversion of outstanding preferred stock, and 9,965 shares of common stock subject to outstanding equity awards.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. We have never declared or paid cash dividends on any of our capital stock and currently do not anticipate paying any cash dividends after this offering or in the foreseeable future.
Voting Rights
There are 100,000,000 shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of our common stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, corporate actions can generally be taken by a majority of our board and/or stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding shares, except as otherwise indicated in the section entitled “Anti-takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws,” where certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws require the vote of at least 662/3% of our then outstanding voting securities. Additionally, our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders will be able to elect all of the directors then standing for election.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Rights and Preferences
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Fully Paid and Nonassessable
All of our outstanding shares of common stock are, and the shares of common stock to be issued pursuant to this offering, when paid for, will be, fully paid and nonassessable.
Preferred Stock
Under our Charter, we have authority, subject to any limitations prescribed by law and without further stockholder approval, to issue from time to time up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, in one or more series. As of January 31, 2022, 60,000 shares of preferred stock were designated Series A preferred stock, 18,000 shares of preferred stock were designated Series B preferred stock, 8,586 shares of preferred stock were designated Series C preferred stock, and 7,600 shares of preferred stock were designated Series D preferred stock. As of January 31, 2022, 56,366 shares of Series A preferred stock were issued and outstanding, 85 shares of Series B preferred stock were issued and outstanding, no shares of Series C preferred stock were issued and outstanding, and 7,600 shares of Series D preferred stock were issued and outstanding.
Pursuant to our Charter, we are authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock, which may be issued from time to time in one or more series upon authorization by our board of directors. Our board of directors, without further approval of the stockholders, is authorized to fix the designation, powers, preferences, relative, participating optional or other special rights, and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions applicable to each series of the preferred stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes could, among other things, adversely affect the voting power or rights of the holders of our common stock and, under certain circumstances, make it more difficult for a third party to gain control of us, discourage bids for our common stock at a premium or otherwise adversely affect the market price of the common stock.
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
The preferences and rights of the Series A preferred stock are as set forth in a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or the Series A Certificate of Designation, filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2018, as well as the Certificate of Amendment to the Series A Certificate of Designation, filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on November 6, 2018. The following is a summary of the material terms of our Series A preferred stock and is qualified in its entirety by the Series A Certificate of Designation. Please refer to the Series A Certificate of Designation for more information on the preferences, rights and limitations of Series A preferred stock.
Liquidation. Upon any dissolution, liquidation or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Series A preferred stock will be entitled to receive distributions out of our assets, whether capital or surplus, of the greater of (i) an amount equal to $1,000 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends thereon or (ii) such amount as would be payable if the Series A preferred stock had been converted to common stock. Amounts payable to the Series A preferred stock upon any dissolution, liquidation or winding up are payable prior and in preference to the payment of any amounts to the holders of Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock, Series D preferred stock, or common stock.
Dividends. Holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to receive accruing dividends of 8% per annum, which dividends are cumulative and annually compounded. The holders of Series A preferred stock will be entitled to receive an amount equal (on an “as converted to common stock” basis) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of our common stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of our common stock. We have an option to pay the Series A preferred stock’s accruing dividend in additional shares of Series A preferred stock and have utilized this option in the past.
Conversion. Each share of Series A preferred stock is convertible, at any time and from time to time at the option of the holder thereof, into that number of shares of common stock determined by dividing $1,000 by the conversion price of $400.00 (subject to adjustment as described below). This right to convert is limited by the beneficial ownership limitation described below.
CRG Partner III L.P. and certain of its affiliated funds, collectively referred to as CRG, are the majority holder of the Series A preferred stock and has agreed to suspend the conversion of its Series A preferred stock into common stock until such time as our stockholders have approved an amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizing at least 125 million shares of common stock.
Forced Conversion. If the Company’s average market capitalization is at least $100,000,000 both (i) on a given date, based on the closing price and number of shares outstanding and (ii) for the prior quarter, based on the volume-weighted average closing price during such quarter and number of shares outstanding on the last day of such quarter, the Series A preferred stock is subject to mandatory conversion (subject to the beneficial ownership limitation below).
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. A holder shall have no right to convert any portion of Series A preferred stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to such conversion, such holder, together with such holder’s affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any such affiliate, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, upon election by a holder any higher or lower percentage) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon such conversion. A holder of Series A preferred stock may adjust the percentage of the beneficial ownership upon not less than 61 days prior notice. Beneficial ownership of the holder and its affiliates will be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Holders of Series A preferred stock who are subject to such beneficial ownership limitation are and will remain responsible for ensuring their own compliance with Regulation 13D-G promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, consistent with their individual facts and circumstances. In addition, pursuant to Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any person who acquires Series A preferred stock with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of our company, or in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect, immediately upon such acquisition will be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the underlying common stock.
Optional Redemption. Subject to the terms of the certificate of designation, the Company holds an option to redeem some or all the Series A preferred stock for the amount per share otherwise payable upon a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, upon 30 days prior written notice to the holder of the Series A preferred stock.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If we pay a stock dividend or otherwise make a distribution payable in shares of common stock on shares of common stock or any other common stock equivalents, subdivide or combine outstanding common stock, or reclassify common stock, the conversion price will be adjusted by multiplying the then effective conversion price by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of common stock (including shares issuable upon conversion of the Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock, and Series D preferred stock) outstanding immediately before such event, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares outstanding immediately after such event (assuming conversion of the Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock, and Series D preferred stock).
Fundamental Transaction. In the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common stock is converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the Series A preferred stock will be entitled to receive upon conversion of the Series A preferred stock the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they converted the Series A preferred stock immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.
Voting Rights, etc. Except as otherwise provided in the Series A Certificate of Designation or required by law, the Series A preferred stock has no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A preferred stock are outstanding, we may not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A preferred stock, (i) liquidate, dissolve, or wind up the Company; (ii) alter or amend the certificate of incorporation, Series A Certificate of Designation or bylaws of the Company in a manner adverse to the Series A preferred stock; (iii) create, or amend the terms of any securities so as to create, securities pari passu or senior to the Series A preferred stock; (iv) purchase, redeem or make any dividend upon shares of capital stock other than certain limited exceptions; or (v) issue any additional Series A preferred stock.
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon conversion of Series A preferred stock. Rather, we shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of common stock.
The Series A preferred stock was issued in book-entry form under a preferred stock agent agreement between American Stock Transfer & Trust as preferred stock agent, and us, and was initially represented by one or more book-entry certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC. There is no established public trading market for the Series A preferred stock and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not plan on applying to list the Series A preferred stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system.
The transfer agent for our Series A preferred stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock
The preferences and rights of the Series B preferred stock are as set forth in a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, or the Series B Certificate of Designation, filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2018. The following is a summary of the material terms of our Series B preferred stock and is qualified in its entirety by the Series B Certificate of Designation. Please refer to the Series B Certificate of Designation for more information on the preferences, rights and limitations of Series B preferred stock.
Liquidation. Upon any dissolution, liquidation or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Series B preferred stock will be entitled to receive distributions out of our assets, whether capital or surplus, of an amount equal to $0.001 per share of Series B preferred stock before any distributions shall be made on the common stock or any series of preferred stock ranked junior to the Series B preferred stock, but after distributions shall be made on any outstanding Series A preferred stock and any of our existing or future indebtedness.
Dividends. Holders of the Series B preferred stock will be entitled to receive dividends equal (on an “as converted to common stock” basis) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of our common stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of our common stock. No other dividends will be paid on shares of Series B preferred stock.
Conversion. Each share of Series B preferred stock is convertible, at any time and from time to time at the option of the holder thereof, into that number of shares of common stock determined by dividing $1,000 by the conversion price of $5.00 (subject to adjustment as described below). This right to convert is limited by the beneficial ownership limitation described below.
Forced Conversion. Subject to certain ownership limitations as described below and certain equity conditions being met, until such time that during any 30 consecutive trading days, the volume weighted average price of our common stock exceeds 300% of the conversion price and the daily dollar trading volume during such period exceeds $500,000 per trading day, we shall have the right to force the conversion of the Series B preferred stock into common stock.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. A holder shall have no right to convert any portion of Series B preferred stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to such conversion, such holder, together with such holder’s affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any such affiliate, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, upon election by a holder prior to the issuance of any shares of Series B preferred stock, 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon such conversion (subject to the right of the holder to increase such beneficial ownership limitation upon not less than 61 days prior notice provided that such limitation can never exceed 9.99% and such 61 day period cannot be waived). Beneficial ownership of the holder and its affiliates will be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Holders of Series B preferred stock who are subject to such beneficial ownership limitation are and will remain responsible for ensuring their own compliance with Regulation 13D-G promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, consistent with their individual facts and circumstances. In addition, pursuant to Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any person who acquires Series B preferred stock with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of our company, or in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect, immediately upon such acquisition will be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the underlying common stock.
Optional Redemption. Subject to the terms of the certificate of designation, the Company holds an option to redeem some or all the Series B preferred stock six months after its issuance date at a 200% premium to the stated value of the Series B preferred stock subject to the redemption, upon 30 days prior written notice to the holder of the Series B preferred stock. The Series B preferred stock would be redeemed by the Company for cash.
Subsequent Equity Sales. The Series B preferred stock has full-ratchet price based anti-dilution protection, subject to customary carve-outs, in the event of a down-round financing at a price per share below the conversion price of the Series B preferred stock. If during any 20 of 30 consecutive trading days the volume weighted average price of our common stock exceeds 300% of the then-effective conversion price of the Series B preferred stock and the daily dollar trading volume for each trading day during such 30 day period exceeds $500,000, the anti-dilution protection in the Series B preferred stock will expire and cease to apply.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If we pay a stock dividend or otherwise make a distribution payable in shares of common stock on shares of common stock or any other common stock equivalents, subdivide or combine outstanding common stock, or reclassify common stock, the conversion price will be adjusted by multiplying the then conversion price by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately before such event, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares outstanding immediately after such event.
Fundamental Transaction. In the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common stock is converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the Series B preferred stock will be entitled to receive upon conversion of the Series B preferred stock the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they converted the Series B preferred stock immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the Series B preferred stock.
Voting Rights, etc. Except as otherwise provided in the Series B Certificate of Designation or required by law, the Series B preferred stock has no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series B preferred stock are outstanding, we may not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series B preferred stock, materially alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series B preferred stock, materially amend the Series B Certificate of Designation, amend our certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders, increase the number of authorized shares of Series B preferred stock, or enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing. The Series B Certificate of Designation provides that if any party commences an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions thereunder, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding. This provision may, under certain circumstances, be inconsistent with federal securities laws and Delaware general corporation law.
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon conversion of Series B preferred stock. Rather, we shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the conversion price.
The Series B preferred stock was issued in book-entry form under a preferred stock agent agreement between American Stock Transfer & Trust as preferred stock agent, and us, and was initially represented by one or more book-entry certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC. There is no established public trading market for the Series B preferred stock and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not plan on applying to list the Series B preferred stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system.
The transfer agent for our Series B preferred stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock
The preferences and rights of the Series D preferred stock are as set forth in a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, or the Series D Certificate of Designation, filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 18, 2022. The following is a summary of the material terms of our Series D preferred stock and is qualified in its entirety by the Series D Certificate of Designation. Please refer to the Series D Certificate of Designation for more information on the preferences, rights and limitations of Series D preferred stock.
Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, the then holders of the Series D preferred stock shall be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Company, prior to any payment to holders of common stock but after any payment due to holders of the Series A preferred stock, a liquidation preference equal to $0.01 per share of Series D preferred stock. In addition to and after payment in full of such preference amount, and subject to any senior rights of holders of the Series A preferred stock, holders of the Series D preferred stock shall be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Company the same amount that a holder of common stock would receive if the Series D preferred stock were fully converted (disregarding for such purposes any conversion limitations in the Series D Certificate of Designation) to common stock which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of common stock.
Dividends. The holders of Series D preferred stock will be entitled to dividends, on an as-if converted basis, equal to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of common stock, when and if actually paid, subject to the dividend rights of the Series A preferred stock.
Conversion. The Series D preferred stock is convertible, at the option of the Series D preferred stock holder, into common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) at any time after the effective date of an amendment to the Charter to effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of our common stock at a ratio between 1-for-5 and 1-for-20 (the “Reverse Split Amendment”). The Reverse Stock Split amendment became effective on March 14, 2022. The conversion rate, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Series D Certificate of Designation, is determined by dividing the stated value of the Preferred Stock by $8.00. The conversion price can be adjusted as set forth in the Series D Certificate of Designation for stock dividends and stock splits or the occurrence of a fundamental transaction (as defined below). Upon conversion the shares of Series D preferred stock shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock.
Mandatory Conversion. In certain circumstances, we may require the conversion of the Series D preferred stock (the “Mandatory Conversion”). After the effective date of the Reverse Split Amendment, or, if all of the Equity Conditions (as described below) are not satisfied on such date, on the first such date, if and only if such date is within and no later than 15 trading days after the effective date of the Reverse Split Amendment, that all of the Equity Conditions are satisfied (the “Mandatory Conversion Date”), we shall deliver written notice of the Mandatory Conversion to all holders on the Mandatory Conversion Date and, on such Mandatory Conversion Date, we shall convert all of each holder’s shares of Series D preferred stock into Conversion Shares at the then effective conversion price on the Mandatory Conversion Date. The Equity Conditions that must be met are: (a) the Company shall have paid all liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the applicable holder in respect of the Series D preferred stock, (b)(i) there is an effective registration statement pursuant to which either (A) the Company may issue Conversion Shares or (B) the holders are permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the shares of common stock issuable under the Series D preferred stock and the Warrants (and the Company believes, in good faith, that such effectiveness will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future) or (ii) all of the Conversion Shares (and shares issuable in lieu of cash payments of dividends) may be resold pursuant to Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements as determined by the counsel to the Company as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent and the affected holders or (iii) all of the Conversion Shares may be issued to the holder pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and immediately resold without restriction, (c) the common stock is trading on a trading market and all of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock or upon exercise of the Warrants are listed or quoted for trading on such trading market (and the Company believes, in good faith, that trading of the common stock on a trading market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (d) there is a sufficient number of authorized, but unissued and otherwise unreserved, shares of common stock for the issuance of all of the shares then issuable pursuant to the Series D preferred stock and the Warrants, (e) shareholder approval of the Reverse Split Amendment shall have been received and effective, (f) the issuance of the shares in question to the applicable holder would not violate the limitations set forth in Section 6(d) of the Series D Certificate of Designation, (g) there has been no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction or change of control transaction that has not been consummated, (h) the applicable holder is not in possession of any information provided by the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or affiliates, that constitutes, or may constitute, material non-public information and (i) the Company shall have duly honored all conversions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more notices of conversion of the applicable holder on or prior to the dates so requested or required, if any.
Forced Conversion. At any time after 120 days following the Mandatory Conversion Date, if any holders still hold Series D preferred stock, we can deliver a written notice to all such holders (the “Forced Conversion Notice”) to cause each holder to convert all or part of such holder’s Series D preferred stock. We cannot deliver a Forced Conversion Notice more than once in any 60 day period.
Failure to Timely Deliver Shares. If we fail to deliver to the holder a certificate representing shares issuable upon conversion of Series D preferred stock or to credit the holder’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company for such number of shares of common stock to which the holder is entitled upon the holder’s conversion of Series D preferred stock, in each case, by the delivery date set forth in the Series D Certificate of Designation, and if after such date the holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of common stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the holder of the conversion shares which the holder anticipated receiving upon such conversion, or a Buy-In, then we shall (A) pay in cash to the holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of common stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of conversion shares that we were required to deliver to the holder in connection with the conversion at issue, times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions), and (B) at the option of the holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Series D preferred stock equal to the number of shares of Series D preferred stock submitted for conversion (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the holder the number of shares of common stock that would have been issued had we timely complied with our conversion and delivery obligations. In addition, if we fail to deliver to the holder any common stock pursuant to a valid conversion, we will be required to pay liquidated damages in the amount of $50 per trading day (increasing to $100 per trading day on the third trading day after the required delivery date and to $200 per trading day on the sixth trading day after the required delivery date) for each $5,000 of stated value of Series D preferred stock being converted until such time the shares of Common Stock are delivered or the holder rescinds such conversion.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The Series D preferred stock cannot be converted to common stock if the holder and its affiliates would beneficially own more than 4.99% or 9.99% at the election of the holder of the outstanding common stock. However, any holder may increase or decrease such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99% upon notice to us, provided that any increase in this limitation will not be effective until 61 days after such notice from the holder to us and such increase or decrease will apply only to the holder providing such notice.
Adjustment for Stock Splits. The conversion price and the number of shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the Series D preferred stock are subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specific events, including stock dividends, stock splits, and combinations of our common stock.
Dividends or Distributions. If we declare or make any dividend or other distribution of our assets (or rights to acquire our assets) to holders of shares of our common stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) at any time after the issuance of the Series D preferred stock, then, in each such case, the holders of the Series D preferred stock shall be entitled to participate in such distribution to the same extent that the holders would have participated therein if the holders had held the number of shares of common stock acquirable upon complete conversion of the Series D preferred stock.
Purchase Rights. If we grant, issue or sell any shares of our common stock or securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into our common stock, or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of our common stock, referred to as Purchase Rights, then each holder of the Series D preferred stock will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the holder could have acquired if the holder had held the number of shares of common stock acquirable upon complete conversion of the Series D preferred stock immediately before the record date, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of common stock are to be determined, for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights.
Fundamental Transaction. If a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Series D Certificate of Designation and described below) occurs, then the successor entity will succeed to, and be substituted for us, and may exercise every right and power that we may exercise and will assume all of our obligations under the Series D Certificate of Designation with the same effect as if such successor entity had been named in the Series D Certificate of Designation itself. Additionally, upon consummation of a Fundamental Transaction pursuant to which holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive securities or other assets with respect to or in exchange for shares of our common stock, we will make appropriate provision to ensure that the holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock at any time after the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction, the number of shares of common stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of common stock for which the Series D preferred stock is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction on the conversion of the Series D preferred stock. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the conversion price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of common stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the conversion price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration.
If holders of our common stock are given a choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the holder shall be given the same choice as to the consideration it receives upon any conversion of Series D preferred stock, following such Fundamental Transaction. These provisions apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and other corporate events described in the Series D Certificate of Designation and will be applied without regard to any limitations on the conversion of the Series D preferred stock.
Voting Rights. The Series D preferred stock has no voting rights, except that, as long as any shares of Series D preferred stock are outstanding, we shall not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series D preferred stock, (a) alter or change the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series D preferred stock or alter or amend the Charter in a manner adverse to the holders, (b) amend our certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in a manner adverse to the holders, (c) increase the number of authorized shares of Series D preferred stock, or (d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Warrants
As of March 18, 2022, we had outstanding warrants to purchase common stock as follows:
| | Total Outstanding and Exercisable | | | Underlying Shares of Common Stock | | | Exercise Price per Share | | Expiration Date |
Series 1 Warrants issued in February 2018 Series B financing | | | 8,979,000 | | | | 44,895 | | | $ | 400.00 | | February 2025 |
Series 2 Warrants issued in February 2018 Series B financing | | | 8,709,500 | | | | 43,548 | | | $ | 400.00 | | February 2025 |
Warrants issued in November 2018 financing | | | 8,768,395 | | | | 43,842 | | | $ | 80.00 | | November 2023 |
Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued in January 2022 financing | | | 16,150,000 | | | | 807,500 | | | $ | 9.60 | | July 2027 |
Placement Agent Warrants issued in January 2022 financing | | | 1,330,000 | | | | 66,500 | | | $ | 10.00 | | January 2027 |
Total | | | 43,936,895 | | | | 1,006,284 | | | | | | |
Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants
The material terms and provisions of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants are summarized below. This summary of some provisions of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the form of warrant filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Pursuant to a warrant agency agreement between us and American Stock Transfer& Trust Company, LLC, as warrant agent, the warrants were issued in book-entry form and were initially represented only by one or more global warrants deposited with the warrant agent, as custodian on behalf of The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
Exercise. The Series 1 Warrants are immediately exercisable and expire on the seventh anniversary of the date of issuance. The Series 2 Warrants are immediately exercisable and expire on the earlier of (i) the seventh anniversary of the date of issuance or (ii) the 60th calendar day following the receipt and announcement of FDA clearance of our Pantheris below-the-knee device (or the same or similar product with a different name); provided, however, if at any time during such 60-day period the volume weighted average price for any trading day is less than the then effective exercise price, the termination date shall be extended to the seven-year anniversary of the initial exercise date. Each whole Series 1 or Series 2 Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of our common stock at an exercise price of $400.00 per share at any time prior to expiration. The Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants are each governed by the terms of a global warrant certificate deposited with DTC. The holder of a Series 1 or Series 2 Warrant will not be deemed a holder of our underlying common stock until such warrant is exercised, except as set forth in such warrant. The holders Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants must pay the exercise price in cash upon exercise of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants, unless such holders are utilizing the cashless exercise provision of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants, which is only available in certain circumstances such as if the underlying shares are not registered with the SEC pursuant to an effective registration statement.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of Series 1 or Series 2 Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Series 1 or Series 2 Warrants if the holder (together with such holder's affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holder's affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of common stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of our common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise; provided, however, that upon notice to the Company, the holder may increase or decrease the beneficial ownership limitation, provided that in no event shall the beneficial ownership limitation exceed 9.99% and any increase in the beneficial ownership limitation will not be effective until 61 days following notice of such increase from the holder to us.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. The exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of recapitalization events, stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock.
Fundamental Transaction. In the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they exercised the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants. Further, as more fully described in the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants, in the event of certain fundamental transactions, the holders of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants will be entitled to receive consideration in an amount equal to the Black Scholes value of the Series 1 or Series 2 Warrants on the date of consummation of such transaction.
Upon the holder's exercise of a Series 1 or Series 2 Warrant, we will issue the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Series 1 or Series 2 Warrant within the earlier of two trading days following our receipt of a notice of exercise or the standard settlement period for the market on which the common stock is then listed, provided that payment of the exercise price has been made (unless exercised via the “cashless” exercise provision). Prior to the exercise of any Series 1 or Series 2 Warrants, holders of the Series 1 or Series 2 Warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the common stock purchasable upon exercise, including the right to vote, except as set forth therein.
The Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants are not listed on any securities exchange, and we do not intend to apply for listing of the Series 1 and Series 2 Warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.
November 2018 Warrants
The material terms and provisions of the warrants issued in our November 2018 financing (the “November 2018 Warrants”) are summarized below. This summary of some provisions of the November 2018 Warrants is not complete. For the complete terms of the November 2018 Warrants, you should refer to the form of November 2018 Warrant filed as Exhibit 4.6 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Pursuant to a warrant agency agreement between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as warrant agent, the November 2018 Warrants were issued in book-entry form and were initially represented only by one or more global warrants deposited with the warrant agent, as custodian, on behalf of The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
Exercise. The November 2018 Warrants have an exercise price equal to $80.00 per share. The November 2018 Warrants are governed by the terms of a global warrant held in book-entry form. The holder of an November 2018 Warrant is not deemed a holder of our underlying common stock until the November 2018 Warrant is exercised. Subject to certain limitations as described below, the November 2018 Warrants expire on November 1, 2023. The holders must pay the exercise price in cash upon exercise of the November 2018 Warrants, unless such holders are utilizing the cashless exercise provision of the November 2018 Warrants. On the expiration date, unexercised November 2018 Warrants will automatically be exercised via the “cashless” exercise provision. Upon the holder’s exercise of an November 2018 Warrant, we will issue the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the November 2018 Warrant within two trading days following our receipt of a notice of exercise, provided that payment of the exercise price has been made (unless exercised via the “cashless” exercise provision). Prior to the exercise of any November 2018 Warrants to purchase common stock, holders of the November 2018 Warrants do not have any of the rights of holders of the common stock purchasable upon exercise, including the right to vote, except as set forth therein.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of November 2018 Warrants does not have the right to exercise any portion of its November 2018 Warrants if the holder (together with such holder’s affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holder’s affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of common stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser prior to the date of issuance, 9.99%) of the shares of our common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. The exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of the November 2018 Warrants is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of recapitalization events, stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock.
Fundamental Transaction. In the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the November 2018 Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of such November 2018 Warrants the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they exercised their November 2018 Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the November 2018 Warrants. Additionally, as more fully described in the November 2018 Warrants, in the event of certain fundamental transactions, the holders of the November 2018 Warrants will be entitled to receive consideration in an amount equal to the Black Scholes value of the November 2018 Warrants on the date of consummation of such transaction.
The November 2018 Warrants are not listed on any securities exchange, and we do not intend to apply for listing of the November 2018 Warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.
Warrants issued in January 2022
The material terms and provisions of the Common Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrants are summarized below. This summary of the provisions of the Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the form of Common Warrant and Placement Agent Warrant filed as Exhibit 4.7 and 4.8, respectively, to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The Placement Agent Warrants have the same terms as the Common Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants have an exercise price of $10.00 and will expire on January 12, 2027.
Exercise. Each Common Warrant will become exercisable on July 14, 2022 and has an initial exercise price of $9.60 per share. Each Common Warrant may be exercised, in cash or, if no effective registration statement is available registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Common Warrants, by a cashless exercise, at any time beginning on July 14, 2022 (the “Initial Exercise Date”), and from time to time thereafter through and including the fifth anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date. The Common Warrants will be exercisable in whole or in part by delivering to the company a completed instruction form for exercise and complying with the requirements for exercise set forth in the Common Warrant. Payment of the exercise price may be made in cash or, if no effective registration statement is available registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Common Warrants, pursuant to a cashless exercise, in which case the holder would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of common stock determined according to the formula set forth in the Common Warrant.
No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of the Common Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, we may, at our election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or round up to the next whole share.
Failure to Timely Deliver Shares. If we fail to deliver to the holder a certificate representing shares issuable upon exercise of a Common Warrant or to credit the holder’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company for such number of shares of common stock to which the holder is entitled upon the holder’s exercise of the Common Warrant, in each case, by the delivery date set forth in the Common Warrant, and if after such date the holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of common stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the holder of the warrant shares which the holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise, or a Buy-In, then we shall (A) pay in cash to the holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of common stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of warrant shares that we were required to deliver to the holder in connection with the exercise at issue, times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the holder, either reinstate the portion of the applicable warrant and equivalent number of warrant shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the holder the number of shares of common stock that would have been issued had we timely complied with our exercise and delivery obligations. In addition, if we fail to deliver to the holder any common stock pursuant to a validly-exercised Common Warrant, we will be required to pay liquidated damages in the amount of $10 per trading day for each $1,000 of the shares of common stock exercised but not delivered until such time the shares of common stock are delivered or the holder rescinds such exercise.
Exercise Limitation. In general, a holder will not have the right to exercise any portion of a Common Warrant if the holder (together with its Attribution Parties (as defined in the Common Warrant)) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% or 9.99%, at the election of the holder, of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the warrant. However, any holder may increase or decrease such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99% upon notice to us, provided that any increase in this limitation will not be effective until 61 days after such notice from the holder to us and such increase or decrease will apply only to the holder providing such notice.
Adjustment for Stock Splits. The exercise price and the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the Common Warrants are subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specific events, including stock dividends, stock splits, and combinations of our common stock.
Dividends or Distributions. If we declare or make any dividend or other distribution of our assets (or rights to acquire our assets) to holders of shares of our common stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) at any time after the issuance of the Common Warrants, then, in each such case, the holders of the Common Warrants shall be entitled to participate in such distribution to the same extent that the holders would have participated therein if the holders had held the number of shares of common stock acquirable upon complete exercise of the Common Warrants.
Purchase Rights. If we grant, issue or sell any shares of our common stock or securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into our common stock, or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of our common stock, referred to as Purchase Rights, then each holder of the Common Warrants will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the holder could have acquired if the holder had held the number of shares of common stock acquirable upon complete exercise of the Common Warrant immediately before the record date, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of common stock are to be determined, for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights.
Fundamental Transaction. If a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Common Warrants and described below) occurs, the holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon an exercise of the Common Warrants at any time after the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction but prior to the applicable expiration date of the Common Warrants, the number of shares of common stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of common stock for which the Common Warrants are exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction on the exercise of the Common Warrants. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of common stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. Additionally, the Company will cause any successor entity to assume all of our obligations under the Common Warrants with the same effect as if such successor entity had been named in the warrant itself.
If holders of our common stock are given a choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the holder shall be given the same choice as to the consideration it receives upon any exercise of the Common Warrants, following such Fundamental Transaction. These provisions apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and other corporate events described in the Common Warrants and will be applied without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the warrant.
In the event of a Fundamental Transaction other than one in which a successor entity that is a publicly traded corporation whose stock is quoted or listed on a trading market assumes the Common Warrant such that the Common Warrant shall be exercisable for the publicly traded common stock of such successor entity and only if such Fundamental Transaction is within the Company’s control and the consideration is in all stock in the successor entity, then, at the request of the holder, we or the successor entity shall purchase the unexercised portion of the Common Warrants from the holder by paying to the holder, on or prior to the second trading day after such request (or, if later, on the effective date of the Fundamental Transaction), an amount, in the same type or form of consideration that is being paid to holders of common stock in such Fundamental Transaction, equal to the Black-Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of the Common Warrants on the date of such Fundamental Transaction, subject to certain limitations in the event of a Fundamental Transaction not within our control.
Authorized Shares. During the period the Common Warrants are outstanding, we will seek stockholder approval of the Reverse Split Amendment in order to reserve from our authorized and unissued shares of common stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of 100% of the shares of common stock underlying the warrants upon the exercise of the warrants. Except and to the extent as necessary in connection with the Reverse Split Amendment or otherwise waived or consented to by the holder, we will not take any action, including, without limitation, amending our Charter or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of the Common Warrants, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of holders as set forth in the Common Warrant against impairment.
Transferability. Subject to applicable laws, the Common Warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned. There is currently no trading market for the Common Warrants and a trading market is not expected to develop.
Rights as a Shareholder. Except as otherwise provided in the Common Warrants or by virtue of a holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the Common Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, unless and until they exercise their warrants.
Amendments. Each Common Warrant may be amended with the written consent of the holder of such Common Warrant and us.
Listing. There is no established public trading market for the Common Warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for listing of the Common Warrants on any national securities exchange.
Definitions Relating to the Common Warrants
“Black Scholes Value” means the value of the Common Warrants based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the termination date of the Common Warrants, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the trading day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction, (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the termination date of the Common Warrants, and (E) a zero cost of borrow.
“Fundamental Transaction” means (i) we, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effect any merger or consolidation with or into another person, (ii) we or any of our subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by us or another person) is completed pursuant to which holders of common stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding common stock, (iv) we, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effect any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our common stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which our common stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) we, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummate a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another person or group of persons whereby such other person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (not including any shares of common stock held by the other person or other persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination).
Equity Awards
As of March 18, 2022, there were 9,965 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise or vesting of outstanding awards under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan.
Officers’ and Directors’ Purchase Plan
As of March 18, 2022, there were 4,609 shares of our common stock available to be issued under our Officer and Director Share Purchase Plan.
Exclusive Jurisdiction
Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for:
| ● | any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws; or |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine. |
The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any action, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action.
CRG Registration Rights
In September 2015, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with CRG, pursuant to which we sold 45 shares of our common stock to CRG for a purchase price of $111,928.00 per share. Under the Purchase Agreement, CRG is entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of such shares under the Securities Act as described below.
Within 30 business days of our becoming eligible to use Form S-3, we were required to file a registration statement covering the resale of the shares sold to CRG under the Purchase Agreement, which we did on February 3, 2016. Our failure to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement would be considered a registration default and would result in penalty payments payable by us to CRG equal to 1% of the aggregate purchase price paid by CRG under the Purchase Agreement for each 30-day period (or portion thereof) in which there is a registration default. During the time that Avinger must maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement, we must comply with other affirmative covenants.
In February 2018, we entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with CRG (the “2018 Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which we agreed to, upon request of the majority holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, effect the registration of all shares of the Series A Preferred Stock. Additionally, the 2018 Registration Rights Agreement provides that the holders of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to have their stock included on any Company initiated registration statements, subject to limitations including a reduction in the number of shares included in registration statements based on the discretion of any underwriters. The Company will bear the costs of any registration statement effected pursuant to the 2018 Registration Rights Agreement, and will provide customary indemnification and reimburse legal fees to participating Purchasers. The foregoing description does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the 2018 Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is filed to Exhibit 4.4 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
Certain provisions of Delaware law, our Charter, and our Bylaws may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another person from acquiring control of our company. These provisions, which are summarized below, may have the effect of discouraging takeover bids. They are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Delaware Law. We are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales or other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years of the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an “interested stockholder,” did own, 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. These provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in our control.
Charter and Bylaw Provisions. Our Charter and our Bylaws include a number of provisions that could deter hostile takeovers or delay or prevent changes in control of our management team, including the following:
● Board of directors vacancies. Our Charter and Bylaws authorize only our board of directors to fill vacant directorships, including newly created seats. In addition, the number of directors constituting our board of directors is permitted to be set only by a resolution adopted by our board of directors. These provisions prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and then gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. This makes it more difficult to change the composition of our board of directors but promotes continuity of management.
● Classified board. Our Charter and Bylaws provide that our board is classified into three classes of directors. A third party may be discouraged from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us as it is more difficult and time consuming for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors on a classified board of directors.
● Stockholder action; special meeting of stockholders. Our Charter provides that our stockholders may not take action by written consent, but may only take action at annual or special meetings of our stockholders. As a result, a holder controlling a majority of our capital stock may not be able to amend our Bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with our Bylaws. Our Bylaws further provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by our board of directors, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, our Chief Executive Officer or our President, thus prohibiting a stockholder from calling a special meeting. These provisions might delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for stockholders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
● Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations. Our Bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed. We expect that these provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
● No cumulative voting. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that stockholders are not entitled to the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our Charter does not provide for cumulative voting.
● Directors removed only for cause. Our Charter provides that stockholders may remove directors only for cause.
● Amendment of charter provisions. Any amendment of the above provisions in our Charter would require approval by holders of at least 66 and 2/3% of the voting power of our then outstanding voting securities.
● Issuance of undesignated preferred stock. Our board of directors will have the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with rights and preferences, including voting rights, designated from time to time by our board of directors. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock would enable our board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other means.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219. Our shares of common stock are issued in uncertificated form only, subject to limited circumstances.
Market Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “AVGR.”
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Common Stock offered under this prospectus will be offered solely by us and will be issued and sold upon the exercise of the 2022 Warrants and/or conversion of the Series D preferred stock described in this prospectus.
2022 Warrants
The exercise price of the Common Warrants is $9.60 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment from time to time under the terms of the Common Warrants. The exercise price of the Placement Agent Warrants is $10.00 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment from time to time under the terms of the Placement Agent Warrants. The Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants will be exercisable at any time beginning on July 14, 2022. In certain circumstances, the 2022 Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis, in which case the holder would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of Common Stock determined according to the formula set forth in the 2022 Warrants. If all of the 2022 Warrants are exercised for cash, we would receive aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.4 million.
The 2022 Warrants are exercisable in whole or in part by delivering to the Company a completed instruction form for exercise and complying with the requirements for exercise set forth in the 2022 Warrants. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued in connection with the exercise of a 2022 Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the holder would otherwise be entitled to receive upon such exercise, we may, at our election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price, or round up to the next whole share.
For additional information with respect to the 2022 Warrants, see the description of the 2022 Warrants included under the heading “Description of Capital Stock—Warrants issued in January 2022” above.
Series D Preferred Stock
The Series D preferred stock is convertible at any time. Each share of Series D preferred stock is convertible into a number of shares of Common Stock equal to $1,000 divided by the conversion price of the Series D preferred stock, which is currently equal to $8.00. The conversion price is subject to adjustment from time to time under the terms of the Series D Certificate of Designation.
The Series D preferred stock is convertible by delivering to the Company a notice of conversion complying with the requirements for conversion set forth in the Series D Certificate of Designation. No additional consideration is required to be paid in connection with the conversion of the Series D preferred stock. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued in connection with the conversion of Series D preferred stock. As to any fraction of a share which the holder would otherwise be entitled to receive upon conversion, we may, at our election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the conversion price, or round up to the next whole share.
For additional information with respect to the Series D preferred stock, see the description of the Series D preferred stock included under the heading “Description of Capital Stock—Series D Convertible Preferred Stock” above.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Salt Lake City, UT.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 by reference from Avinger, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 have been audited by Moss Adams LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act can also be accessed free of charge through the Internet. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the offering of these securities. The registration statement, including the attached exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us and the securities. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement. You can obtain a copy of the registration statement, at prescribed rates, from the SEC at the address listed above. The registration statement and the documents referred to below under “Information Incorporated by Reference” are also available on our Internet website, www.avinger.com. We have not incorporated by reference into this prospectus the information on our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus certain information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below that we have previously filed with the SEC (excluding any portions of any Form 8-K that are not deemed “filed” pursuant to the General Instructions of Form 8-K):
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 22, 2022; |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 11, 2022 (other than Item 7.01), January 12, 2022, January 18, 2022, March 11, 2022, March 14, 2022, and March 25, 2022; and |
| ● | the description of our Common Stock, which is contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, as filed with the SEC on January 27, 2015, as updated by the description of our Common Stock contained in Exhibit 4.5 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 6, 2020. |
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than Current Reports furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (i) after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement, and (ii) after the effectiveness of the registration statement but prior to the termination of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus, excluding, in each case, information deemed furnished and not filed.
Any statement contained in this prospectus, or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document that also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, at no cost to the requester, a copy of any and all of the information that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Requests for such documents should be directed to:
Avinger, Inc.
400 Chesapeake Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063
Attention: Secretary
Telephone: (650) 363-2400
You may also access the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus through our website at www.avinger.com. Except for the specific incorporated documents listed above, no information available on or through our website shall be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
874,000 Shares of Common Stock Underlying Warrants
300,000 Shares of Common Stock Underlying Series D Preferred Stock
PROSPECTUS
, 2022
Part II
Information Not Required in Prospectus
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth the estimated costs and expenses (other than the actual registration fee), other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the Registrant in connection with the sale of the securities being registered
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee | | $ | - | |
FINRA filing fee | | | 2,122.55 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | * | |
Legal fees and expenses | | | * | |
Transfer agent fees and expenses | | | * | |
Printing and miscellaneous expenses | | | * | |
Total | | $ | * | |
*These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. An estimate of the aggregate amount of these expenses will be reflected in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, provides, in effect, that any person made a party to any action by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of ours may, and in certain cases must, be indemnified by us against, in the case of a non-derivative action, judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by him as a result of such action, and in the case of a derivative action, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), if in either type of action he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interests. This indemnification does not apply, (i) in a derivative action, to matters as to which it is adjudged that the director, officer, employee or agent is liable to us, unless upon court order it is determined that, despite such adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, he is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses, and, (ii) in a non-derivative action, to any criminal proceeding in which such person had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.
Article VIII of our Charter provides for the indemnification of directors to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law.
Article VIII of our Bylaws provides for the indemnification of officers, directors and third parties acting on our behalf if such person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in and not opposed to our best interest and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the indemnified party had no reason to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with certain of our directors, executive officers and others, in addition to indemnification provided for in our Bylaws.
We have purchased and intend to maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer against any loss arising from any claim asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, subject to certain exclusions. Such insurance also provides coverage to our directors and officers against loss arising from claims relating to, among other things, public securities matters.
See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 17 herein.
Item 16. Exhibits
Exhibit Number | | Exhibit Title |
3.1(1) | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant. |
3.2(1) | | Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant. |
3.3(2) | | Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation |
3.4(3) | | Amendment to the Amended and Restated Bylaws |
3.5(4) | | Certificate of Amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Avinger, Inc. |
3.6(5) | | Avinger, Inc. Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock |
3.7(6) | | Avinger, Inc. Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock |
3.8(7) | | Avinger, Inc. Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock |
3.9(7) | | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock |
3.10(8) | | Avinger, Inc. Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock |
4.1(9) | | Specimen Common Stock Certificate of the Registrant. |
4.2(10) | | Amended and Restated Investors' Rights Agreement dated September 2, 2014 by and among the registrant and certain stockholders |
4.3(11) | | Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 22, 2015, by and among Avinger, Inc., and CRG Partners III L.P. and certain of its affiliated funds, as purchasers |
4.4(5) | | Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2018, by and among the registrant, CRG Partners III L.P. and certain of its affiliated funds, as purchasers |
4.5(6) | | Specimen Series 1/2 Warrant |
4.6(12) | | Form of November 2018 Warrant |
4.7(13) | | Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant. |
4.8(13) | | Form of Placement Agent Warrant |
5.1 | | Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney LLP |
23.1 | | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. |
23.2 | | Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
24.1 | | Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to this registration statement on Form S-3). |
107 | | Filing Fee Table |
* If applicable, to be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, ad incorporated herein by reference.
** To be filed separately under the electronic form type 305B2, if applicable.
(1) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 6, 2015, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(2) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 2, 2018, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(3) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 29, 2021, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(4) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2019, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(5) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to Amendment No. 2 to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-222517) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 12, 2018, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(6) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to Amendment No. 3 to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-222517) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 13, 2018, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(7) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 6, 2018, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(8) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 18, 2022, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(9) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to Amendment No. 2 to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-201322) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28, 2015, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(10) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-201322) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 30, 2014, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(11) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 12, 2015, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(12) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to Amendment No. 1 to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-227689), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 19, 2018, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(13) | Previously filed as an Exhibit to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 12, 2022, and incorporated by reference herein. |
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;
(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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent 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 (a)(1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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 part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to the effective date; or
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant 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 and 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.
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Redwood City, California, on March 28, 2022.
| By: | /s/ Jeffrey M. Soinski | |
| Jeffrey M. Soinski | |
| Chief Executive Officer | |
Power of Attorney
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jeffrey M. Soinski and Mark Weinswig, and each of them singly, as such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this registration statement (or any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that any said attorney-in-fact and agent, or any substitute or substitutes of any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | | Title | | Date |
| | | | |
| | | | |
/s/ Jeffrey M. Soinski | | Chief Executive Officer and Director | | March 28, 2022 |
Jeffrey M. Soinski | | (Principal Executive Officer) | | |
| | | | |
/s/ Mark Weinswig | | Chief Financial Officer | | March 28, 2022 |
Mark Weinswig | | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | | |
| | | | |
/s/ James B. McElwee | | Director | | March 28, 2022 |
James B. McElwee | | | | |
| | | | |
/s/ James G. Cullen | | Director | | March 28, 2022 |
James G. Cullen | | | | |
| | | | |
/s/ Tamara N. Elias | | Director | | March 28, 2022 |
Tamara N. Elias | | | | |