Syros Closes $90.5 Million Strategic Financing

On December 8, 2020 Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SYRS), a leader in the development of medicines that control the expression of genes, reported that it has closed a previously announced private financing with a group of institutional accredited investors led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, with participation from new and existing investors, including Ally Bridge Group, Omega Funds, OrbiMed Advisors, EcoR1 Capital, and Samsara BioCapital (Press release, Syros Pharmaceuticals, DEC 8, 2020, View Source [SID1234572442]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

In this financing, Syros sold an aggregate of 10,312,500 shares of its common stock and pre-funded warrants (Pre-Funded Warrants) to purchase an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, and accompanying warrants (Warrants) to purchase an aggregate of up to 2,828,125 additional shares of common stock (or Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu thereof) at a price of $8.00 per share and accompanying Warrant (or $7.99 per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Warrant). The price per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Warrant represents the price of $8.00 per share and accompanying Warrant to be sold in the private placement, minus the $0.01 per share exercise price of each such Pre-Funded Warrant. The exercise price of the Warrants is $11.00 per share, or if exercised for a Pre-Funded Warrant in lieu thereof, $10.99 per Pre-Funded Warrant (representing the Warrant exercise price of $11.00 per share minus the $0.01 per share exercise price of each such Pre-Funded Warrant). The Warrants are exercisable at any time during the period beginning on June 8, 2021 and ending on December 8, 2025. The Pre-Funded Warrants are exercisable at any time after their original issuance and will not expire. The gross proceeds from the sales of common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants are $90.5 million, before deducting offering expenses.

Net proceeds from this financing are expected to be used to advance Syros’ clinical development pipeline, business development activities, working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The securities sold in the private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), or any state or other applicable jurisdiction’s securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state or other jurisdictions’ securities laws. The Company has agreed to file a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registering the resale of the shares of common stock issued and sold in the private placement no later than the 30th day after the closing of the offering. Any offering of the securities under the resale registration statement will only be by means of a prospectus.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Forma Therapeutics Launches Proposed Public Offering

On December 8, 2020 Forma Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare hematologic diseases and cancers, reported that it has launched a proposed public offering of 4,600,000 shares of its common stock (Press release, Forma Therapeutics, DEC 8, 2020, View Source [SID1234572441]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

All of the shares of common stock in the offering will be offered by Forma. In addition, Forma expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 690,000 additional shares of common stock. Together with its existing cash and cash equivalents, Forma intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for (i) the development of its lead program FT-4202 in sickle cell disease including completion of its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial and, subject to the results of its Phase 1 clinical trial, the initiation and conduct of its planned, global pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial through Phase 3 dose selection and hemoglobin futility and hemoglobin improvement, the initiation and conduct of a clinical trial in pediatric sickle cell disease and the initiation and conduct of a clinical trial in beta thalassemia through an initial data readout; (ii) the advancement of FT-7051 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, through its planned Phase 1 clinical trial; and (iii) research and development, working capital, and general corporate purposes, including funding pre-approval activities for FT-2102 in acute myeloid leukemia and the completion of other noncore programs. The proposed offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the proposed offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the proposed offering.

Jefferies, SVB Leerink and Credit Suisse are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

The proposed offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from: Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at [email protected]; SVB Leerink LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, by telephone at (800) 808-7525, ext. 6132, or by email at [email protected]; or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, by telephone at (800) 221-1037, or by email at [email protected].

Curis Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

On December 8, 2020 Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported its intention to offer and sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering pursuant to an existing shelf registration statement (Press release, Curis, DEC 8, 2020, View Source [SID1234572440]). Curis intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional shares in an amount of up to 15% of the shares sold in the public offering, on the same terms and conditions.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC are acting as joint lead book runners.

Curis intends to use the net proceeds from the public offering, together with its existing cash and cash equivalents, to continue development of CA-4948, in collaboration with Aurigene, and CI-8893, in collaboration with ImmuNext, and for general working capital and capital expenditures.

The securities in the public offering described above are being offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224627) that was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on May 3, 2018, and declared effective by the SEC on May 17, 2018. The offering can be made only by means of a written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may also be obtained by contacting Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 499 Park Ave., 6th Floor, New York, New York 10022 or by email at [email protected].

The securities described above have not been qualified under any state blue sky laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

PDL Announces Timeline for Voluntarily Delisting from Nasdaq

On December 8, 2020 PDL BioPharma, Inc. ("PDL" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: PDLI) reported that it has formally notified The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. of its intent to delist the Company’s common stock from the Nasdaq Global Select Market ("Nasdaq") (Press release, PDL BioPharma, DEC 8, 2020, View Source [SID1234572439]). PDL expects to file a Form 25 (Notification of Removal from Listing) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and Nasdaq relating to the voluntary delisting of its common stock on or about December 28, 2020 and to suspend trading of its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market prior to the opening of trading on December 31, 2020. PDL does not expect that a trading market will develop for its common stock following suspension of trading on Nasdaq. PDL intends to file a certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on or about January 4, 2021 and close its stock transfer books at the close of business on this date. The official delisting of PDL’s common stock will be effective on or about January 7, 2021 – 10 days after the filing of the Form 25.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

PDL also intends to file a Form 15 with the SEC as soon as practicable following the effectiveness of the delisting to indefinitely suspend its reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The suspension of PDL’s reporting obligations, including the obligation to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, will be effective upon filing the Form 15. PDL does however intend to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 in March 2021.

The voluntary delisting and deregistration are part of PDL’s previously announced voluntary Plan of Dissolution that was approved by the Board of Directors in February 2020 and at the Annual Meeting of the Company’s stockholders on August 19, 2020. The Company’s Board of Directors considered a number of factors in determining to delist and deregister PDL’s common stock, including the costs and expenses associated with being a publicly traded company, the auditing, legal and other costs associated with continuing to make SEC filings, and the burdens placed on Company management to comply with the continued listing and reporting requirements, all in light of the Company’s planned dissolution and liquidation.

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Announces Clinical Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to Evaluate CMP-001 in Combination with Nivolumab

On December 8, 2020 Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMPI) ("Checkmate Pharmaceuticals"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing its proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer, reported it has entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) to evaluate the combination of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals’ CMP-001, a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab), a PD-1 blocking antibody (Press release, Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, DEC 8, 2020, View Source [SID1234572438]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The companies will collaborate on two trials: (a) a single arm Phase 2 study of CMP-001 in combination with nivolumab in subjects with unresectable or metastatic melanoma that is refractory to PD-1 blockade as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies, and (b) a randomized Phase 2 study of first-line CMP-001 in combination with nivolumab compared to nivolumab monotherapy in subjects with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. For both trials, under the terms of the agreement, Checkmate Pharmaceuticals will be the sponsor and Bristol Myers Squibb will supply nivolumab.

"This collaboration between Checkmate Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb underscores our mutual dedication to advancing the impact of immunotherapy for the benefit of patients living with melanoma and other types of cancer," said Barry Labinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals. "We believe that CMP-001 in combination with Opdivo offers promise for patients and we are pleased to be working together with Bristol Myers Squibb on this important pursuit."

Opdivo is a registered trademark of Bristol Myers Squibb.