Channel Therapeutics (CHRO) S-1IPO registration

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2024.

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 
FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

under 

The Securities Act of 1933

CHROMOCELL THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

4400 Route 9 South, Suite 1000
Freehold, NJ 07728
(877)-265-8266

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

Francis Knuettel II 

Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer, President, Treasurer and Secretary 

4400 Route 9 South, Suite 1000
Freehold, NJ 07728 

Tel. No.: 732-514-2636

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

Copies to:

 David E. Danovitch, Esq.

Charles E. Chambers, Jr., Esq.

Sullivan & Worcester LLP

1251 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

(212) 660-3060

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective, as determined by the Selling Stockholder.

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

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

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

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

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

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 Exchange 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 the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this preliminary 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 preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Prospectus

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 29, 2024

CHROMOCELL THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION

2,000,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

This prospectus relates to the offer and resale of up to 2,000,000 shares (the “Purchase Shares”) of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), of Chromocell Therapeutics Corporation (“Chromocell”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) by Tikkun Capital LLC (“Tikkun”, “Tikkun Capital” or the “Selling Stockholder”) issued pursuant to a common stock purchase agreement, dated July 26, 2024 that we entered into with Tikkun (the “CEF Purchase Agreement”).

The shares of Common Stock being offered by Tikkun may be issued pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement. We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of our Common Stock by Tikkun. However, we may receive up to $30.0 million in aggregate gross proceeds from sales of our Common Stock to Tikkun that we may make under the CEF Purchase Agreement, from time to time after the date of this prospectus. See the sections entitled “The Tikkun Committed Equity Financing” beginning on page 21 for a description of the transaction contemplated by the CEF Purchase Agreement and “Selling Stockholder” for additional information regarding Tikkun.

Tikkun may sell the shares of our Common Stock included in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how Tikkun may sell the shares in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” Tikkun is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

Tikkun will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses in connection with the offer and resale of the shares by Tikkun pursuant to this prospectus. We will pay the expenses (except brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses) incurred in registering under the Securities Act the offer and resale of the shares included in this prospectus by Tikkun, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 36.

Pickwick Capital Partners, LLC is acting as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement. The Placement Agent will receive a cash fee of $10,000. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 36. 

Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American LLC (“NSYE American”) under the symbol “CHRO.” On July 26, 2024, the closing price of our Common Stock was $1.46.

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company” beginning on page 6.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Investing in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10. You should carefully consider these risk factors and the documents which are incorporated by reference, as well as the other information contained in this prospectus, before you invest.

The date of this prospectus is           , 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

Neither we nor the Selling Stockholder have authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, in any free writing prospectuses or in the documents incorporated by reference prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We and the Selling Stockholder do not take responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, and only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus only, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

For investors outside the United States: we and the Selling Stockholder have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about and observe any restrictions relating to this offering of the shares of Common Stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.

Solely for convenience, our trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to these trademarks and tradenames.

Information contained in, and that can be accessed through our website, www.chromocell.com, does not constitute part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.

INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

We obtained the industry, statistical and market data in this prospectus from our own internal estimates and research, as well as from industry and general publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. In presenting this information, we have made assumptions based on such data and other similar sources, and on our knowledge of, and our experience to date in, the potential markets for our compounds. Although we believe the data from these third-party sources is reliable, the industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 and elsewhere in this prospectus and in any documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by third parties and by us.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

We were incorporated in Delaware on March 19, 2021. On August 10, 2022, we entered into that certain Contribution Agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with Chromocell Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Chromocell Holdings”). Pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, effective July 12, 2022 (the “Contribution Date”), Chromocell Holdings contributed all assets, liabilities and results of operations related to Chromocell Holdings’ therapeutic business, including all patents, pre-clinical and Phase 1 study results and data, and trade secrets related to the CC8464 compound, in exchange for the issuance by us of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock and (ii) 600,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). Prior to the Contribution Date, we had only nominal assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the financial statements presented in this prospectus for periods prior to the Contribution Date have been prepared on a “carve-out” basis from the financial statements of Chromocell Holdings to represent our financial position and performance as if it had existed on a stand-alone basis. The financial statements presented in this prospectus for periods from and after the Contribution Date reflect our financial position and performance as a stand-alone entity.

All of the assets, liabilities and results of operations of the Company as of and for the periods prior to the Contribution Date were identified based on the assets contributed to the Company from Chromocell Holdings. Management believes the assumptions underlying the Company’s carve-out financial statements are reasonable. Nevertheless, the financial statements may not include all of the actual expenses that would have been incurred had the Company operated as a standalone company during the periods presented, and may not reflect the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows had the Company operated as a standalone company during the periods presented. Actual costs that would have been incurred if the Company had operated as a standalone company would depend on multiple factors, including organizational structure and strategic decisions made in various areas, including information technology and infrastructure.

On August 2, 2023, we entered into a Side Letter to the Contribution Agreement with Chromocell Holdings (the “Holdings Side Letter”). Pursuant to the Holdings Side Letter, and upon closing of the initial public offering by the Company on February 21, 2024 (the “IPO”): (a) Chromocell Holdings re-assumed all $1.6 million in direct liabilities previously assumed by the Company in accordance with the Contribution Agreement, (b) Chromocell Holdings waived the Company’s obligations to make a cash payment in the amount of $0.6 million to Chromocell Holdings, and (c) in consideration thereof, the Company issued to Chromocell Holdings 2,600 shares of Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock of the Company, par value of $0.0001 per share (the “Series C Preferred Stock”).

In connection with the completion of the IPO: (A) we effected a 1-for-9 reverse stock split with respect to our Common Stock effective February 15, 2024 (the “Reverse Stock Split”), (B) all 600,000 issued and outstanding shares of our Series A Preferred Stock automatically converted into 499,429 shares of Common Stock, (C) $389,757 and accrued interest of approximately $28,336 as of February 21, 2024 outstanding under our senior secured convertible notes issued in the April Bridge Financing (as defined below) after giving effect to the Representative Affiliate Transactions (as defined below), automatically converted into approximately 87,109 shares of Common Stock, (D) $197,421 and accrued interest of $8,169 as of February 21, 2024 outstanding under our senior secured convertible notes issued in the September Bridge Financing (as defined below) after giving effect to the Representative Affiliate Transactions, automatically converted into approximately 43,385 shares of Common Stock, which includes an additional 549 shares of Common Stock issuable as consideration for the September Bridge Financing (the “Bonus Shares”), (E) we issued 37,500 shares of Common Stock to an investor as consideration for its previous agreement to provide funding that is no longer necessary in connection with the IPO, (F) we effected the Representative Affiliate Transactions, and (G) we effected the transactions contemplated by the Holdings Side Letter, and issue an aggregate of 2,600 shares of Series C Preferred Stock to Chromocell Holdings pursuant thereto. We refer to these actions as the “IPO Transactions.” In this prospectus, we include certain metrics on an “as adjusted” basis to give effect to the IPO Transactions.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and all other information contained in this prospectus and in the documents that we incorporate by reference herein, including our financial statements and the related notes, before investing in our securities. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, also may become important factors that affect us. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In these circumstances, the market price of our Common Stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

The report of the independent registered public accounting firm on our 2023 and 2022 financial statements contains a going concern qualification.

The report of the independent registered public accounting firm covering our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 stated that certain factors, including that we have suffered recurring losses from operations and have an accumulated deficit at December 31, 2023, raised substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern. Because we are not yet producing sufficient revenue to sustain our operating costs, we are dependent upon raising capital to continue our business. If we are unable to raise capital, we may be unable to continue as a going concern.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

Prior to our IPO, we were a private company and had limited accounting and financial reporting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal controls and related procedures. In connection with the audit and review, as applicable, of our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses in our case arose from inadequate segregation of duties, ineffective information technology controls and lack of certain financial reporting and transaction processing controls. If we are unable to remedy our material weaknesses, or if we generally fail to establish and maintain effective internal controls appropriate for a public company, we may be unable to produce timely and accurate financial statements, and we may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, which could adversely impact our investors’ confidence and our stock price. 

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of our Common Stock

The market price and trading volume of the Company’s Common Stock may experience rapid and substantial volatility, which could cause a purchaser of our Common Stock to incur substantial losses.

Recently, the market prices and trading volume of shares of Common Stock of other small publicly traded companies with a limited number of shares available to purchasers, have experienced rapid and substantial price volatility unrelated to the financial performance of those companies.  Similarly, shares of our Common Stock may experience similar rapid and substantial price volatility unrelated to our financial performance, which could cause purchasers of our Common Stock to incur substantial losses, which may be unpredictable and not bear any relationship to our business and financial performance. Extreme fluctuations in the market price of our Common Stock may occur in response to strong and atypical retail investor interest, including on social media and online forums, the direct access by retail investors to broadly available trading platforms, the amount and status of short interest in our Common Stock and our other securities, access to margin debt, trading in options and other derivatives on our shares of Common Stock and any related hedging and other trading factors. 

If there is extreme market volatility and trading patterns in our Common Stock, it may create several risks for investors, including the following:

Further, we may incur rapid and substantial increases or decreases in our Common Stock price in the foreseeable future that may not coincide in timing with the disclosure of news or developments by or affecting us. Accordingly, the market price of our Common Stock may fluctuate dramatically, and may decline rapidly, regardless of any developments in our business. Overall, there are various factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could negatively affect the market price of our Common Stock or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our Common Stock, including:

Our Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE American. NYSE American may delist our Common Stock from trading, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

Should we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements for remaining listed on NYSE American, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, NYSE American may take steps to delist our Common Stock. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would take actions to restore our compliance with NYSE American’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our Common Stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock, prevent our Common Stock from dropping below NYSE American’s minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with such listing requirements.

If we cannot maintain the listing of our Common Stock for trading on NYSE American, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our corporate charter and our bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions also could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Common Stock, thereby depressing the market price of our Common Stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the 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 certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction. 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 of the rules and regulations thereunder, and 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, and notwithstanding the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder may not be waived by our investors. The 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 other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operation.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is performing well.

Sales of substantial amounts of our shares of Common Stock in the public market following the offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our securities to decline. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

All of the shares of Common Stock in the offering are immediately tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except for any securities held by “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”).

The remaining shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding, other than the 2,969,823 shares (the “Existing Selling Stockholder Shares”) of Common Stock that we have registered on behalf of certain selling stockholders (the “Existing Selling Stockholders”) identified in a separate prospectus (the “Existing Resale Prospectus”) and which may be resold by such Existing Selling Stockholders from time to time, are restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act but will be eligible for resale subject to applicable volume, means of sale, holding period and other limitations of Rule 144 under the Securities Act or pursuant to an exception from registration under Rule 701 under the Securities Act, subject to the lock-up agreements executed in conjunction with the IPO or the offering.

In addition, we have registered the Existing Selling Stockholder Shares pursuant to the Resale Prospectus and, as a result, all of the Existing Selling Stockholder Shares are freely tradable under the Securities Act, subject to the terms of the lock up agreements.

We have filed a Registration Statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the shares of Common Stock to be issued under our equity compensation plans and, as a result, all shares of Common Stock acquired under our plans will also be freely tradable under the Securities Act, subject to the terms of the lock-up agreements, unless purchased by our affiliates. In addition, 1,500,002 shares of our Common Stock are reserved for future issuances under the equity incentive plan that our board of directors amended on June 12, 2024, which such amendment we expect to be approved by our stockholders at our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders.

In connection with the Bridge Financings (defined below), we are required to file a registration statement within 180 calendar days after the consummation of the IPO, providing for the resale of Common Stock, which includes 549 Bonus Shares, received by holders of the senior secured convertible notes upon conversion of such notes.

In the future, we may issue additional shares of Common Stock or other equity or debt securities convertible into Common Stock in connection with a financing, acquisition, litigation settlement or employee arrangement or otherwise. Any of these issuances could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the trading price of our securities to decline.

The Series C Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference over our Common Stock.

The Series C Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference that gets paid prior to any payment on our Common Stock. As a result, if we were to liquidate, dissolve or wind-up, each holder of our Series C Preferred Stock would have the right to receive payment out of our assets available for distribution, before any amount is paid to the holders of our Common Stock, in an amount in cash equal to the aggregate liquidation value of all of the shares of preferred stock held by such holder. Holders of the Series C Preferred Stock will not be entitled to dividends. The payment of the liquidation preferences on the Series C Preferred Stock could result in holders of our Common Stock not receiving any proceeds if we were to liquidate, dissolve or wind up, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

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.

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they publish negative evaluations of our stock, the price of our stock could decline.

The trading market for our Common Stock relies, in part, on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our business. If securities analysts do not commence coverage of us, the trading price of our stock could decrease. Additionally, if one or more of the analysts covering our business downgrade their evaluations of our stock, the price of our stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover our stock, we could lose visibility in the market for our stock, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.

The price of our securities may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our securities.

The offering price for our securities may not reflect the market price of our securities following this offering. In addition, the market price of our securities is likely to be highly volatile due to many factors, including:

The stock markets have experienced extreme volatility in recent years that has been unrelated to operating performance. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our securities. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, class action litigation has often been instituted against the affected company. Any litigation of this type brought against us could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources, which would harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies, CC8464 or CT2000.

We may seek additional capital through a combination of draw-downs under public and private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could involve restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, CC8464 or CT2000 or grant licenses on terms unfavorable to us.

We are an “emerging growth company” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions and relief from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies.” In particular, while we are an “emerging growth company: (i) we will not be required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (ii) we will be exempt from any rules that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotations or a supplement to the auditor’s report on financial statements; (iii) we will be subject to reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and (iv) we will not be required to hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation or stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Investors may find our Common Stock less attractive if we rely on the exemptions and relief granted by the JOBS Act. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may decline or become more volatile.

We have taken advantage of reduced reporting burdens in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference. In particular, we have not included all of the executive compensation information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our Common Stock less attractive if we rely on certain or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a smaller reporting public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

As a smaller reporting public company, and particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and NYSE American have imposed various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming and costly. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance.

Pursuant to Section 404, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Common Stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

It is not possible to predict the actual number of Purchase Shares we will sell under the CEF Purchase Agreement, or the actual gross proceeds resulting from those sales. We may not have access to the full amount available under the CEF Purchase Agreement with Tikkun.

On July 26, 2024, we entered into the CEF Purchase Agreement with Tikkun, pursuant to which Tikkun committed to purchase up to $30.0 million in shares of our Common Stock, subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement.

The Purchase Shares that may be issued under the CEF Purchase Agreement may be sold by us to Tikkun at our discretion from time to time until July 26, 2026, commencing after the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement, including a registration statement covering the resale of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the CEF Purchase Agreement is declared effective by the SEC, a final prospectus in connection therewith is filed, and the other conditions set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement are satisfied. We generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any sales of Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement. Sales of Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to Tikkun all or a portion of the Purchase Shares that may be available pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Because the purchase price per share to be paid by Tikkun for the Purchase Shares that we may elect to sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement will fluctuate based on the market prices of our Common Stock during the applicable VWAP Purchase Valuation Period (as defined below) for each purchase, it is not possible for us to predict, as of the date of this prospectus, the number of Purchase Shares that we will sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, the purchase price per share that Tikkun will pay for shares purchased from us under the CEF Purchase Agreement, or the aggregate gross proceeds that we will receive from those purchases by Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Although the CEF Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to an aggregate of $30.0 million of Purchase Shares to Tikkun, only 2,000,000 Purchase Shares are being registered for resale by Tikkun under the registration statement that includes this prospectus, which we may elect to sell to Tikkun, in our sole discretion, from time to time from and after the Commencement Date under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

If after the Commencement Date, we elect to sell to Tikkun all of the 2,000,000 Purchase Shares being registered for resale under this prospectus that are available for sale by us to Tikkun in purchases under the CEF Purchase Agreement, depending on the market prices of our Common Stock during the applicable VWAP Purchase Valuation Period for each purchase made pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement, the actual gross proceeds from the sale of all such shares may be substantially less than the $30.0 million Total Commitment available to us under the CEF Purchase Agreement, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity.

If it becomes necessary for us to issue and sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement more than 2,000,000 Purchase Shares being registered for resale under the registration statement that includes this prospectus in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to the Total Commitment of an aggregate of $30.0 million under the CEF Purchase Agreement, we must file with the SEC one or more additional registration statements to register under the Securities Act the resale by Tikkun of any such additional Purchase Shares we wish to sell from time to time under the CEF Purchase Agreement, which the SEC must declare effective. In addition, we will need to obtain stockholder approval to issue Purchase Shares in excess of the Exchange Cap under the CEF Purchase Agreement in accordance with the NYSE American listing rules, unless the price per share paid by Tikkun for the Purchase Shares sold under the CEF Purchase Agreement equals or exceeds the greater of book or market value of the Common Stock (calculated in accordance with the applicable listing rules of the NYSE American) at the time the Company delivers the VWAP Purchase Notice for such VWAP Purchase to Tikkun, adjusted as required by the NYSE American to take into account the Company’s payment of the Commitment Fee to Tikkun and the amount paid as reimbursement for the legal fees and disbursements of Tikkun’s counsel in connection with this Committed Equity Financing, and otherwise as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the applicable rules of the NYSE American, in which case, under the NYSE American listing rules, the Exchange Cap limitation will not apply to issuances and sales of Purchase Shares under the CEF Purchase Agreement, in each case, before we may elect to sell any additional Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, as the case may be. In addition, Tikkun will not be required to purchase any Purchase Shares if such sale would result in Tikkun and its affiliates’ beneficial ownership exceeding Beneficial Ownership Limit.

Any issuance and sale by us under the CEF Purchase Agreement of a substantial amount of Purchase Shares in addition to the 2,000,000 Purchase Shares being registered for resale by Tikkun under this prospectus could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of Purchase Shares ultimately offered for resale by Tikkun is dependent upon the number of Purchase Shares we ultimately sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Our inability to access a portion or the full amount available under the CEF Purchase Agreement, in the absence of any other financing sources, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Sales of a substantial number of our Common Stock in the public market by our existing stockholders could cause the price of our shares of our Common Stock to fall.

Tikkun can resell, under this prospectus, up to 2,000,000 Purchase Shares, from time to time after the date of this prospectus and during the term of the CEF Purchase Agreement. If all of the 2,000,000 shares offered for resale by Tikkun under this prospectus were issued and outstanding as of the date hereof (without taking into account the Exchange Cap limitation), such shares would represent approximately 25.8% of the total number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock and approximately 47.5% of the total number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates of our Company, in each case as of July 26, 2024.

Sales of a substantial number of our shares of our Common Stock in the public market by Tikkun and/or by our other existing stockholders, or the perception that those sales might occur, could depress the market price of shares of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.

Investors who buy shares of our Common Stock at different times will likely pay different prices.

Pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement, we will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices, and numbers of Purchase Shares sold to Tikkun. If and when we do elect to sell Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, after Tikkun has acquired such shares, Tikkun may resell all or a portion of such shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion and at different prices. As a result, investors who purchase shares of our Common Stock from Tikkun at different times will likely pay different prices for those shares, and so may experience different levels of dilution and in some cases substantial dilution and different outcomes in their investment results. Investors may experience a decline in the value of the shares they purchase from Tikkun as a result of future sales made by us to Tikkun at prices lower than the prices such investors paid for their shares.

We may require additional financing to sustain our operations and, without it, we will not be able to continue operations. 

The extent to which we rely on Tikkun as a source of funding will depend on a number of factors, including the prevailing market price of our Common Stock and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other sources. If obtaining sufficient funding from Tikkun were to prove unavailable or prohibitively dilutive, we may need to secure another source of funding in order to satisfy our working capital needs. Even if we were to sell to Tikkun all of the shares of our Common Stock available for sale to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, we will still need additional capital to fully implement our business plan. Should the financing we require to sustain our working capital needs be unavailable or prohibitively expensive when we require it, the consequences would be a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.

If we were to default on the Note and such default is not waived, the Note shall bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, and the Holder may require us to redeem all or any portion of the Note. The Note also imposes certain restrictions on us and our subsidiaries. These restrictions limit us and our subsidiaries’ ability, among other things, to incur or guarantee certain additional indebtedness, engage in transactions with affiliates, sell certain assets, and create liens, and they place restrictions on the ability of us to make dividends and our subsidiaries to pay dividends. If we fail to maintain compliance with the restrictions and covenants under the Securities Purchase Agreement and the Note, we would be subject to events of default which in turn would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and our liquidity.

The terms of the CEF Purchase Agreement limit the amount of shares of Common Stock we may issue to Tikkun, which may have an adverse effect on our liquidity.

The CEF Purchase Agreement includes restrictions on our ability to sell shares of our Common Stock to Tikkun, including, subject to specified limitations, if a sale would cause Tikkun and its affiliates to beneficially own more than the Beneficial Ownership Limit. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to sell all $30.0 million of shares of Common Stock in this offering. If we cannot sell the full amount of the shares that Tikkun has committed to purchase because of these limitations, we may be required to utilize more costly and time-consuming means of accessing the capital markets, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and cash position. 

Future sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock, or the possibility that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Common Stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing shareholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our Common Stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering.

Management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds from our sale of Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, and such uses may not improve our financial condition or market value.

Because we have not designated the amount of net proceeds from our sale to Tikkun of Purchase Shares to be used for any particular purpose, our management will have broad discretion as to the application of such net proceeds and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated hereby. Our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not improve our financial condition or advance our business objectives.

We currently intend to use the proceeds of this offering, if any, to continue our clinical and pre-clinical work on CC8464 and CT2000. We intend to use the remaining proceeds, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes. This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. Because the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not necessarily improve our operating results or enhance the value of our Common Stock. See “Use of Proceeds” beginning on page 29.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any amendment and the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10, contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1955, Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business.” Forward-looking statements include information concerning our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected expenses, prospects and plans and objectives of management. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict, “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms.

Forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements about the following:

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

For discussion of factors that we believe could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by us.

 THE TIKKUN COMMITTED EQUITY FINANCING

On July 26, 2024, we entered into the CEF Purchase Agreement with Tikkun, pursuant to which Tikkun has committed to purchase up to $30.0 million of our Common Stock, at our direction in one or more purchases from time to time beginning on the Commencement Date and ending on the first day of the month next following the 24-month anniversary of the Closing Date, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations in the CEF Purchase Agreement. We also entered into the Registration Rights Agreement with Tikkun, pursuant to which we have filed with the SEC the registration statement that includes this prospectus registering for resale under the Securities Act, the Purchase Shares that may be issued to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the CEF Purchase Agreement, we have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Tikkun, and Tikkun is obligated to purchase up to $30.0 million of our Common Stock. Sales of common stock by the Company to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, if any, may occur, from time to time at our sole discretion, over the period commencing upon the Commencement, or the initial satisfaction of all conditions to Tikkun’s purchase obligations set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement, including that the initial registration statement we are required to file with the SEC pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, which is the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, is declared effective by the SEC, and ending on the first day of the month next following the 24-month anniversary of the Closing Date, unless the Purchase Agreement is terminated earlier under its terms. 

We will control the timing and amount of any sales of our Common Stock to Tikkun. Tikkun has no right to require us to sell any Purchase Shares to Tikkun, but Tikkun is obligated to make purchases at our direction subject to certain conditions. There is no upper limit on the price per share that Tikkun could be obligated to pay for the Common Stock under the CEF Purchase Agreement. Actual sales of Purchase Shares to Tikkun will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by us from time to time, including, among others, market conditions, the trading price of our Common Stock and determinations by us as to the appropriate sources of funding for us and our operations. The gross proceeds to us from sales that we elect to make to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, if any, will depend on the frequency and prices at which we sell shares of our Common Stock to Tikkun.

We do not know what the purchase price for our Common Stock will be and therefore cannot be certain as to the number of Purchase Shares we might issue to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement after the Commencement Date. Although the CEF Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to $30.0 million of our Common Stock to Tikkun, only 2,000,000 Purchase Shares are being registered under the Securities Act for resale by Tikkun under this prospectus, which may be issued to Tikkun from and after the Commencement Date, if and when we elect to sell shares to Tikkun in the future under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Under the applicable NYSE American listing rules, in no event may we issue to Tikkun and its affiliates under the CEF Purchase Agreement, or otherwise, more than more than 1,152,764 Purchase Shares, representing 19.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Closing Date, unless the Company obtains the Stockholder Approval; provided that the Exchange Cap will not apply to the extent that the price per Purchase Share is equal to or greater than the greater of book or market value of the Common Stock (calculated in accordance with applicable NYSE American listing rules) at the time the Company delivers the VWAP Purchase Notice for such VWAP Purchase to Tikkun, after taking into account the Company’s payment of the Commitment Fee, amount paid as reimbursement for the legal fees and disbursements of Tikkun’s counsel in connection with this Committed Equity Financing, and otherwise as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the applicable rules of the NYSE American. In addition, Tikkun is limited to purchasing such number of Purchase Shares that, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock then beneficially owned by Tikkun and its affiliates (as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 promulgated thereunder), would not result in Tikkun beneficially owning more than the Beneficial Ownership Limit.

The net proceeds under the CEF Purchase Agreement to us will depend on the frequency and prices at which we sell shares of our stock to Tikkun. We expect that any proceeds received by us from the sales to Tikkun will be used to continue our clinical and pre-clinical work on CC8464 and CT2000. We intend to use the remaining proceeds, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes.

As consideration for Tikun’s commitment to purchase shares of Common Stock upon the terms of and subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, the Company paid a cash fee of $750,000 to Tikkun as the Commitment Fee on the first trading pay immediately following the Closing Date. In addition, as required under the Purchase Agreement, the Company has reimbursed Tikkun for the reasonable legal fees and disbursements of Tikkun’s legal counsel in the amount of $75,000.

The terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement are further described below.

Purchase of Purchase Shares Under the CEF Purchase Agreement

Upon the Commencement and subject to the conditions set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement, we have the right, but not the obligation, from time to time at our sole discretion over a period ending on the 24-month anniversary of the Closing Date, to direct Tikkun to purchase a specified number of shares of our common stock up to a certain maximum amount (described below) in a “VWAP Purchase,” by our timely delivery of a written purchase notice, or a VWAP Purchase Notice, to Tikkun, between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 6:30 p.m., New York time, on any trading day selected by us as the “VWAP Purchase Exercise Date” for such VWAP Purchase, so long as:

The maximum number of shares that may be purchased pursuant to a Purchase is equal to a number of shares of our Common Stock equal to the lowest of (the “VWAP Purchase Maximum Amount”):

The purchase price of Purchase Shares that we may direct Tikkun to purchase pursuant to a VWAP Purchase under the CEF Purchase Agreement will be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the daily VWAP during the applicable VWAP Purchase Valuation Period for such VWAP Purchase by (ii) 0.90 (in each case to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction during the applicable period). “VWAP Purchase Valuation Period” means, with respect to a VWAP Purchase, the trading period on the trading day immediately following the applicable VWAP Purchase Exercise Date for such VWAP Purchase, beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, or such other time publicly announced by the NYSE American as the official open (or commencement) of trading on such trading day, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, or such other time publicly announced by the NYSE American as the official close of trading on the NYSE American on such trading day.

The payment for, against simultaneous delivery of, shares in respect of each VWAP Purchase under the CEF Purchase Agreement will be settled on the applicable Purchase Settlement Date (as defined in the CEF Purchase Agreement) immediately following the applicable VWAP Purchase Valuation Period for such VWAP Purchase, as set forth in the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Conditions to Commencement and Delivery of Purchase Notices

Our ability to deliver purchase notices to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement arises upon the occurrence of Commencement, which is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, all of which are entirely outside of Tikkun’s control, including, among other things, the following:

Our ability to deliver VWAP Purchase Notices to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions at time of each delivery of a Purchase notice, all of which are entirely outside of Tikkun’s control, including, among other things, the following:

No Short-Selling or Hedging by Tikkun

Tikkun has agreed that neither it nor any of its affiliates or any entity managed or controlled by Tikkun shall, directly or indirectly, (i) engage in or effect any “short sales” (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of our Common Stock or (ii) execute any stock pledge, forward sales contract, option, put, call, swap or similar hedging arrangement (including on a total return basis), which establishes a net short position with respect to our Common Stock, during the term of the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Prohibition on Variable Rate Transactions

Subject to specified exceptions included in the CEF Purchase Agreement, we are limited in our ability to enter into specified “Variable Rate Transactions” (as such term is defined in the CEF Purchase Agreement) during the term of the CEF Purchase Agreement and until the until the first day of the month next following the 24-month anniversary of the Closing Date. Such transactions include, among others, the issuance of convertible securities with a conversion or exercise price that is based upon or varies with the trading price of our Common Stock after the date of issuance, or our effecting or entering into an agreement to effect an “equity line of credit” or other substantially similar continuous offering with a third party, in which we may offer, issue or sell common stock or any securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into common stock at a future determined price.

Termination of the CEF Purchase Agreement

Unless earlier terminated as provided in the CEF Purchase Agreement, the CEF Purchase Agreement will terminate automatically on the earliest to occur of:

We have the right to terminate the CEF Purchase Agreement at any time after the Commencement Date, at no cost or penalty, upon five trading days’ prior written notice to Tikkun. We and Tikkun may also terminate the CEF Purchase Agreement at any time by mutual written consent.

Tikkun also has the right to terminate the CEF Purchase Agreement upon five (5) trading days’ prior written notice to us, but only upon the occurrence of certain events, including:

No termination of the CEF Purchase Agreement by us or by Tikkun will become effective prior to the fifth trading day immediately following the applicable settlement date related to any pending VWAP Purchase that has not been fully settled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the CEF Purchase Agreement, and will not affect any of our respective rights and obligations under the CEF Purchase Agreement with respect to any pending VWAP Purchase, and both we and Tikkun have agreed to fully perform our respective obligations with respect to any such pending WVAP Purchase under the CEF Purchase Agreement. Furthermore, no termination of the CEF Purchase Agreement will affect the Registration Rights Agreement, which will survive any termination of the CEF Purchase Agreement.

Effect of Performance of the CEF Purchase Agreement on our Stockholders

The Purchase Shares may be issued and sold by us to Tikkun from time to time at our discretion over the period beginning on the Commencement Date and ending on the first day of the month next following the 24-month anniversary of the Closing Date, unless the Purchase Agreement is terminated earlier under its terms. All Purchase Shares that have been or may be issued or sold by us to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement that are being registered under the Securities Act for resale by Tikkun in this offering are expected to be freely tradable. The resale by Tikkun of a significant amount of Purchase Shares registered for resale in this offering at any given time, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline and to be highly volatile.

We do not know what the purchase price will be for Purchase Shares that we may issue and sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, if any, and therefore cannot be certain as to the number of shares of our Common Stock we might issue to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement after the Commencement Date. As of July 26, 2024, there were 5,766,704 shares of our Common Stock outstanding, of which 2,206,205 shares are estimated to be held by non-affiliates. Although the CEF Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to $30.0 million of Common Stock to Tikkun, only 2,000,000 shares of our Common Stock are being registered for resale by the Tikkun by means of this prospectus, which may be issued and sold by us to Tikkun as Purchase Shares under the CEF Purchase Agreement from and after the Commencement Date, if and when we elect to sell Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the Purchase Agreement. Depending on the market prices of our Common Stock at the time we elect to issue and sell Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, we may need to register for resale under the Securities Act additional shares of our Common Stock in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to the aggregate $30.0 million available to us under the Purchase Agreement. If all of the 2,000,000 Purchase Shares that may be offered and resold by Tikkun by means of this prospectus were issued and outstanding as of the date hereof without taking into account the Exchange Cap limitation), such Purchase Shares would represent approximately 25.8% of the total number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding and approximately 47.5% of the total number of outstanding shares held by non-affiliates, in each case as of July 26, 2024.

If we elect to issue and sell more than the 2,000,000 Purchase Shares offered by means of this prospectus to Tikkun, which we have the right, but not the obligation, to do, we must first (i) the Stockholder Approval and (ii) register for resale under the Securities Act any such additional shares, which could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The total number of shares of Common Stock ultimately offered for resale by Tikkun by means of this prospectus is dependent upon the number of Purchase Shares that we may ultimately elect to sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement from and after the Commencement Date.

Sales of Purchase Shares, if any, to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to Tikkun all, some or none of the Purchase Shares that may be available for us to sell to Tikkun pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement. If and when we do sell shares to Tikkun, after Tikkun has acquired the shares, Tikkun may resell all, some or none of those shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales to Tikkun by us under the CEF Purchase Agreement may result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our Common Stock. In addition, if we sell a substantial number of shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement, or if investors expect that we will do so, the actual sales of shares or the mere existence of our arrangement with Tikkun may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect such sales. However, we have the right to control the timing and amount of any additional sales of our shares to Tikkun and the CEF Purchase Agreement may be terminated by us at any time at our discretion without any cost to us.

Pursuant to the terms of the CEF Purchase Agreement, we have the right, but not the obligation, to direct Tikkun to purchase up to $30.0 million of our Common Stock, subject to certain limitations. We have registered only a portion of the shares that may be issuable under the CEF Purchase Agreement and, therefore, we may seek to issue and sell to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement more Purchase Shares than are offered under this prospectus in order to receive the aggregate gross proceeds equal to the $30.0 million Total Commitment available to us under the CEF Purchase Agreement. If we choose to do so, we must first register for resale under the Securities Act any such additional shares, which could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of shares ultimately offered for resale under this prospectus is dependent upon the number of shares we direct Tikkun to purchase under the CEF Purchase Agreement.

The following table sets forth the amount of gross proceeds we would receive from Tikkun from our sale of Purchase Shares to Tikkun under the CEF Purchase Agreement at varying purchase prices:

USE OF PROCEEDS

This prospectus relates to shares of our Common Stock that may be offered and sold from time to time by Tikkun. All of the Common Stock offered by Tikkun pursuant to this prospectus will be sold by Tikkun for its own account. We may receive up to $30.0 million aggregate gross proceeds under the CEF Purchase Agreement from any sales of Purchase Shares we make to Tikkun pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement. The net proceeds from sales, if any, under the CEF Purchase Agreement, will depend on the frequency and prices at which we sell shares of Common Stock to Tikkun after the date of this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 36 for more information.

We expect to use any proceeds received by us under the CEF Purchase Agreement to continue our clinical and pre-clinical work on CC8464 and CT2000. We intend to use the remaining proceeds, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses, and the respective amounts we may allocate to those uses, for any net proceeds we receive. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of these proceeds. Pending our use of the net proceeds as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds pursuant to the CEF Purchase Agreement in interest-bearing, investment-grade instruments.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

 SELLING STOCKHOLDER

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale by Tikkun Capital of up to 2,000,000 shares of our Common Stock that have been and may be issued by us to Tikkun Capital under the CEF Purchase Agreement. For additional information regarding the shares of our Common Stock included in this prospectus, see the section titled “The Tikkun Committed Equity Financing” above. We are registering the shares of our Common Stock included in this prospectus pursuant to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement we entered into with Tikkun Capital on July 26, 2024 in order to permit the selling stockholder to offer the shares included in this prospectus for resale from time to time. Except for the transactions contemplated by the CEF Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, Tikkun Capital has not had any material relationship with us within the past three years. As used in this prospectus, the term “selling stockholder” means Tikkun Capital LLC.

The table below presents information regarding the selling stockholder and the shares of our Common Stock that may be resold by the selling stockholder from time to time under this prospectus. This table is prepared based on information supplied to us by the selling stockholder, and reflects holdings as of July 26, 2024. The number of shares in the column “Maximum Number of Shares of Common Stock to be Offered Pursuant to this Prospectus” represents all of the shares of our Common Stock being offered for resale by the selling stockholder under this prospectus. The selling stockholder may sell some, all or none of the shares being offered for resale in this offering. We do not know how long the selling stockholder will hold the shares before selling them and, except as set forth in the section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus, we are not aware of any existing arrangements between the selling stockholder and any other stockholder, broker, dealer, underwriter or agent relating to the sale or distribution of the shares of our Common Stock being offered for resale by this prospectus.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act, and includes shares of our Common Stock with respect to which the selling stockholder has sole or shared voting and investment power. The percentage of shares of our Common Stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder prior to the offering shown in the table below is based on an aggregate of 5,766,704 shares of our Common Stock outstanding on July 26, 2024. Because the purchase price to be paid by the selling stockholder for shares of our Common Stock, if any, that we may elect to sell to the selling stockholder in one or more VWAP Purchases from time to time under the CEF Purchase Agreement will be determined at the end of the applicable VWAP Purchase Valuation Period therefor, the actual number of shares of our Common Stock that we may sell to the selling stockholder under the CEF Purchase Agreement may be fewer than the number of shares being offered for resale under this prospectus. The fourth column assumes the resale by the selling stockholder of all of the shares of our Common Stock being offered for resale pursuant to this prospectus.

DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share (5,000 of which has been designated as Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock). The following description summarizes the most important terms of our Common Stock. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as amended, which will be included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Common Stock

Authorized Shares

The Company has authorized for issuance an aggregate of 200,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

Dividend Rights

The holders of our Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our board of directors, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine. See “Dividend Policy” beginning on page 30.

Voting Rights

Holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. We have not provided for cumulative voting for the election of directors.

No Preemptive or Similar Rights

Our Common Stock is not entitled to preemptive rights, and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.

Liquidation Rights

Any distribution or payment made to holders of Common Stock in the event of a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company will be made in a pro rata fashion on the basis of the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

The provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another person from acquiring control of us. 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 subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the person became an interested stockholder unless:

Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction or series of transactions together resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We also anticipate that Section 203 of the DGCL may also discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of Common Stock held by stockholders.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws include a number of provisions that could deter hostile takeovers or delay or prevent changes in control of our company, including the following:

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Nevada Agency and Transfer Company. The transfer agent’s address 50 W. Liberty Street, Suite 880, Reno, NV 89501, and its telephone number is (775) 322-0626. Our shares of Common Stock will be issued in uncertificated form only, subject to limited circumstances.

Market Listing

Our Common Stock is listed on NYSE American under the symbol “CHRO”.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The shares of our Common Stock offered by this prospectus are being offered by the Selling Stockholder, Tikkun Capital LLC.  The shares may be sold or distributed from time to time by the Selling Stockholder directly to one or more purchasers or through brokers, dealers, or underwriters who may act solely as agents at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices, at negotiated prices, or at fixed prices, which may be changed. The sale of the shares of our Common Stock offered by this prospectus could be effected in one or more of the following methods:

In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the shares may be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states, the shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the state or an exemption from the state’s registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.

Tikkun Capital is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act.

Tikkun Capital has informed us that it intends to use one or more registered broker-dealers to effectuate all sales, if any, of our Common Stock that it has acquired and may in the future acquire from us pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Such sales will be made at prices and at terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price. Each such registered broker-dealer will be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Tikkun Capital has informed us that each such broker-dealer will receive commissions from Tikkun Capital that will not exceed customary brokerage commissions.

Brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the shares of our Common Stock offered by this prospectus may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts, or concessions from the purchasers, for whom the broker-dealers may act as agent, of the shares sold by the selling stockholder through this prospectus. The compensation paid to any such particular broker-dealer by any such purchasers of shares of our Common Stock sold by the selling stockholder may be less than or in excess of customary commissions. Neither we nor the selling stockholder can presently estimate the amount of compensation that any agent will receive from any purchasers of shares of our Common Stock sold by the Selling Stockholder.

We know of no existing arrangements between the Selling Stockholder or any other stockholder, broker, dealer, underwriter or agent relating to the sale or distribution of the shares of our Common Stock offered by this prospectus.

We may from time to time file with the SEC one or more supplements to this prospectus or amendments to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part to amend, supplement or update information contained in this prospectus, including, if and when required under the Securities Act, to disclose certain information relating to a particular sale of shares offered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholder, including the names of any brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of such shares by the Selling Stockholder, any compensation paid by the Selling Stockholder to any such brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents, and any other required information.

We will pay the expenses incident to the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of the shares of our Common Stock covered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholder. As consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase our Common Stock under the CEF Purchase Agreement, we have paid $750,000 in cash to Tikkun as a commitment fee. We also have agreed to reimburse Tikkun Capital for the fees and disbursements of its counsel, payable upon execution of the CEF Purchase Agreement, in an amount not to exceed $75,000.

We also have agreed to indemnify Tikkun Capital and certain other persons against certain liabilities in connection with the offering of shares of our Common Stock offered hereby, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act or, if such indemnity is unavailable, to contribute amounts required to be paid in respect of such liabilities. Tikkun Capital has agreed to indemnify us against liabilities under the Securities Act that may arise from certain written information furnished to us by Tikkun Capital specifically for use in this prospectus or, if such indemnity is unavailable, to contribute amounts required to be paid in respect of such liabilities. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore, unenforceable.

We have entered into a Private Placement Agreement (“Placement Agreement”) with Pickwick Capital Partners, LLC (“Pickwick”), a registered broker-dealer and member of ‎the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), pursuant to which Pickwick agreed to act as the ‎placement agent in connection with the transactions contemplated by the CEF Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to such ‎Placement Agreement, we have agreed to pay Pickwick a cash fee of $10,000. Such fee is subjected to the rules of FINRA and FINRA’s determination not to raise any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the ‎terms of compensation to be received by Pickwick. We have also agreed ‎to provide indemnification and contribution to Pickwick with respect to its engagement by the Company pursuant to the Placement Agreement.

We estimate that the total expenses for the offering will be approximately $179,392.62.

Tikkun Capital has represented to us that at no time prior to the date of the CEF Purchase Agreement has Tikkun Capital or its agents, representatives or affiliates engaged in or effected, in any manner whatsoever, directly or indirectly, any short sale (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of our Common Stock or any hedging transaction, which establishes a net short position with respect to our Common Stock. Tikkun Capital has agreed that during the term of the CEF Purchase Agreement, neither Tikkun Capital, nor any of its agents, representatives or affiliates will enter into or effect, directly or indirectly, any of the foregoing transactions.

We have advised the Selling Stockholder that it is required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act. With certain exceptions, Regulation M precludes the Selling Stockholder, any affiliated purchasers, and any broker-dealer or other person who participates in the distribution from bidding for or purchasing, or attempting to induce any person to bid for or purchase any security which is the subject of the distribution until the entire distribution is complete. Regulation M also prohibits any bids or purchases made in order to stabilize the price of a security in connection with the distribution of that security. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the securities offered by this prospectus.

This offering will terminate on the date that all shares of our Common Stock offered by this prospectus have been sold by the Selling Stockholder.

Our Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE American LLC under the symbol “CHRO”.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the Common Stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Sullivan & Worcester LLP, New York, New York.

Interests of named experts and counsel

David Danovitch and John Riley, partner and of counsel of Sullivan & Worcester LLP, respectively, own 65,746 and 110,818 shares of our Common Stock, respectively.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of Chromocell Therapeutics Corporation as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, incorporated in this prospectus by reference have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Chromocell Therapeutics Corporation to continue as a going concern as described in Note 2 to the financial statements and an emphasis of matter paragraph related to the preparation of certain financial statements on a carve-out basis as described in Note 4), appearing elsewhere in the documents incorporated by reference, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, some of which is contained in exhibits to the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and these securities, we refer you to the registration statement, including the exhibits filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document are not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, please see the copy of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance with this law, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available for inspection and copying at the SEC’s public reference facilities and the website of the SEC referred to above. We also maintain a website at www.chromocell.com. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

We incorporate by reference the filed documents listed below (excluding those portions of any Current Report on Form 8-K that are not deemed “filed” pursuant to the General Instructions of Form 8-K), except as superseded, supplemented or modified by this prospectus or any subsequently filed document incorporated by reference herein as described below: 

We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus additional documents we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act: (i) on or 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) on or after the date of this prospectus but before the completion or termination of this offering (excluding any information not deemed “filed” with the SEC). Any statement contained in a previously filed document is deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes the statement, and any statement contained in this prospectus is deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes the statement.

We will provide, without charge, to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, including any beneficial owner, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference herein, but not delivered with such prospectus. Requests should be directed to:

Chromocell Therapeutics Corporation

4400 Route 9 South, Suite 1000

Freehold, NJ 07728

(877) 265-8266

info@chromocell.com

Copies of these filings are also available on our website at www.chormocell.com. For other ways to obtain a copy of these filings, please refer to “Where You Can Find More Information” above.

2,000,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

CHROMOCELL THERAPEUTICS
CORPORATION

PRELIMINARY

PROSPECTUS

The date of this prospectus is              , 2024

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the registrant in connection with the sale of our securities being registered. All amounts are estimates except for the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registration fee.

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

As permitted by the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws to be in effect upon the closing of our initial public offering on February 21, 2024 (the “IPO”) provide that: (i) we are required to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL; (ii) we may, in our discretion, indemnify our employees and agents as set forth in the DGCL; (iii) we are required, upon satisfaction of certain conditions, to advance all expenses incurred by our directors and officers in connection with certain legal proceedings; (iv) the rights conferred in the bylaws are not exclusive; and (v) we are authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors, officers, employees and agents.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that require us to indemnify them against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts that any such person becomes legally obligated to pay (including with respect to a derivative action) in connection with any proceeding, whether actual or threatened, to which such person may be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of us or any of our affiliates, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests. We maintain a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy. The policy insures directors and officers against unindemnified losses arising from certain wrongful acts in their capacities as directors and officers and reimburses us for those losses for which we have lawfully indemnified the directors and officers. The policy contains various exclusions.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

On August 10, 2022, we entered into that certain Contribution Agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with Chromocell Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Chromocell Holdings”). Pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, we issued to Chromocell Holdings 1,111,111 shares of our common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) and 600,000 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock.

On January 10, 2023, pursuant to the Chromocell Therapeutics Corporation 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”), we granted: (a) options to purchase up to an aggregate of 141,667 shares of Common Stock to employees and directors and (b) 16,667 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to employees. The RSUs were cancelled on June 23, 2023 and as they had not vested, no expense was recorded on the Company’s historical financial statements.

On March 9, 2023, pursuant to the 2023 Plan, we granted to a director options to purchase up to an aggregate of 15,000 shares of Common Stock.

On June 23, 2023, pursuant to the 2023 Plan, we granted to two employees options to purchase up to an aggregate of 52,000 shares of Common Stock, which include options that have not yet been granted but the Company has agreed to grant in connection with the closing of the offering of shares registered in the IPO.

On June 23, 2023, we entered into a side letter with the holder of the promissory note (the “Holder of the Investor Note”), as amended from time to time, in the aggregate principal amount of $450,000 that the Company entered into on February 4, 2022, as amended (the “Investor Note”) (the “June Investor Note Side Letter”). On June 23, 2023, pursuant to the June Investor Note Side Letter, we issued 5,556 shares of Common Stock to the Holder of the Investor Note.

On August 17, 2023, we entered into a side letter with the Holder of the Investor Note (the “August Investor Note Side Letter”). On August 17, 2023, pursuant to the August Investor Note Side Letter, we issued 3,334 shares of Common Stock to the Holder of the Investor Note.

Effective October 10, 2023, we entered into a side letter with the Holder of the Investor Note (the “October Investor Note Side Letter”). Effective October 10, 2023, pursuant to the October Investor Note Side Letter, we issued 3,334 shares of Common Stock to the Holder of the Investor Note. 

Effective November 13, 2023, we entered into the November Investor Note Side Letter (the “November Investor Note Side Letter”). Effective November 13, 2023, pursuant to the November Investor Note Side Letter, we agreed to issue 3,334 shares of Common Stock to the Holder of the Investor Note on each of November 29, 2023, December 29, 2023 and January 29, 2024, provided the Investor Note remained outstanding as of such date. 

On April 17, 2023, the Company entered into a bridge loan for working capital purposes, with various accredited investors, all of whom are pre-existing stockholders, in the aggregate principal amount of $393,808 (the “April Bridge Financing”). On September 1, 2023, the Company entered into a bridge loan for working capital purposes, with various accredited investors, certain of which are pre-existing stockholders, in the aggregate principal amount of $198,128 (the “September Bridge Financing”). On November 22, 2023, we commenced a rights offering (the “Rights Offering”) pursuant to which we distributed non-transferable subscription rights to each holder of our Common Stock held as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 22, 2023, the record date for the Rights Offering. On February 8, 2024, we and certain affiliates of A.G.P./ Alliance Global Partners (the “Representative”) entered into amendments to the senior secured convertible notes issued to such affiliates of the Representative in the April Bridge Financing and September Bridge Financing to remove the automatic conversion features from such notes (the “Bridge Financing Note Amendments”). On February 10, 2024, we entered into a Stock Rescission Agreement with certain affiliates of the Representative (the “Stock Rescission Agreement” and, together with the Bridge Financing Note Amendments, the “Representative Affiliate Transactions”), pursuant to which we rescinded 111,129 shares of our Common Stock held by such affiliates of the Representative and agreed to refund an aggregate of $91,512.53 paid by such affiliates of the Representative in consideration therefor within 30 days of the effective date of the Stock Rescission Agreement. On December 1, 2023, we issued 2,442,469 shares of Common Stock in connection with our Rights Offering, after giving effect to the Representative Affiliate Transactions.

On December 23, 2023, we entered into an exclusive licensing agreement (the “Benuvia License Agreement”) with Benuvia Operations LLC (“Benuvia”). In addition, on December 23, 2023, we entered into a stock issuance agreement with Benuvia (the “Benuvia Stock Issuance Agreement”). On December 23, 2023, in connection with the Benuvia License Agreement, we issued 384,226 shares of Common Stock to Benuvia pursuant to the Benuvia Stock Issuance Agreement.

Effective January 30, 2024, the Company entered into another side letter with the Holder of the Investor Note (the “January Investor Note Side Letter”). Effective January 30, 2024, pursuant to the January Investor Note Side Letter, we agreed to issue 77,778 shares of Common Stock on the earlier to occur of the IPO or February 29, 2024.

On June 12, 2024, we issued up to an aggregate of 140,000 shares of Common Stock to two vendors in considerations for the services provided by each vendor to the Company.

On July 24, 2024, we issued a senior unsecured convertible note to an accredited investor in the aggregate principal amount of $750,000, with an interest rate of six percent (6.0%) per annum (which increases to 12% in the event of a default) (the “Note”). The Note is convertible into 496,689 shares of Common Stock based on the conversion price of $1.506, subject to be adjusted as set forth in the Note. The conversion of the Note is subject to beneficial ownership limitations and share issuance limitations specified therein.

The offers and sales of the above securities were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, or Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act, as transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering or pursuant to benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation as provided under Rule 701. The recipients of the above securities represented their intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof.

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) Exhibits.

We have filed the exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index of this registration statement, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

(b) Financial Statement Schedules.

All other schedules have been omitted because the information required to be presented in them is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or notes.

Item 17. Undertakings.

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

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:

EXHIBIT INDEX

* Filed herewith.

+ Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of North Brunswick, State of New Jersey, on July 29, 2024. 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose individual signature appears below hereby authorizes and appoints Francis Knuettel II with full power of substitution and resubstitution and full power to act, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act in his name, place and stead, and to execute in the name and on behalf of each person, individually and in each capacity stated below, and to file any and all amendments to this registration statement, any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, and 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 for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or any substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below: