On August 2, 2022, Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company") reported that entered into a purchase agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") and a registration rights agreement (the "Registration Rights Agreement") with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC ("Lincoln Park"), pursuant to which Lincoln Park has committed to purchase up to $50 million of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (Filing, 8-K, Cytori Therapeutics, AUG 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234617793]).
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Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Lincoln Park, and Lincoln Park is obligated to purchase up to $50.0 million of the Company’s common stock (the "Commitment Amount"). Such sales of common stock by the Company, if any, will be subject to certain limitations, and may occur from time to time, at the Company’s sole discretion, over the 36-month period commencing on the date that a registration statement covering the resale of shares of common stock that have been and may be issued under the Purchase Agreement, which the Company agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, is declared effective by the SEC and a final prospectus in connection therewith is filed and the other conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement are satisfied.
Lincoln Park has no right to require the Company to sell any shares of common stock to Lincoln Park, but Lincoln Park is obligated to make purchases as the Company directs, subject to certain conditions. There are no upper limits on the price per share that Lincoln Park must pay for shares of common stock. Actual sales of shares of common stock to Lincoln Park will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including, among others, market conditions, the trading price of the Company’s common stock and determinations by the Company as to the appropriate sources of funding for the Company and its operations.
The net proceeds under the Purchase Agreement to the Company will depend on the frequency and prices at which the Company sells shares of its stock to Lincoln Park. The Company expects that any proceeds received by the Company from such sales to Lincoln Park will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.
On May 16, 2022, the Company held its annual meeting of its stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"). At the Annual Meeting, the Company received stockholder approval pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(a), 5635(b) and 5635(d) to permit issuances of the Company’s common stock (including the issuance of more than 19.99% of the Company’s common stock) to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock of $0.87 per share on January 24, 2022 (the Company’s lowest closing sale price since January 1, 2022 at the time we filed our proxy statement for the Annual Meeting, as reported on Nasdaq.com) the maximum number of shares the Company could issue and sell under the Purchase Agreement is approximately 57.5 million shares. Accordingly, the Company requested and received stockholder approval for the issuance of up to 57.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock under the Purchase Agreement. The Company would seek additional stockholder approval before issuing more than 57.5 million shares.
The Company has agreed with Lincoln Park that it will not enter into any "variable rate" transactions with any third party for a period defined in the Purchase Agreement. Lincoln Park has covenanted not to cause or engage in any manner whatsoever, any direct or indirect short selling or hedging of the Company’s shares.
As consideration for Lincoln Park’s irrevocable commitment to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock upon the terms of and subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to pay Lincoln Park an initial commitment fee equal to 1.5% of the Commitment Amount. The initial commitment fee was paid upon execution of the Purchase Agreement through the issuance of 492,698 shares of Common Stock and $125,000. An additional commitment fee equal to 2.5% of the remainder of the Commitment Amount will be paid if and when the Company sells over $25.0 million of the Company’s common stock under the Purchase Agreement. The additional commitment fee may be paid in cash, Common Stock, or a combination of cash and Common Stock.
The Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement contain customary representations, warranties, conditions and indemnification obligations of the parties. The Company has the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement at any time, at no cost or penalty. During any "event of default" under the Purchase Agreement, Lincoln Park does not have the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement; however, the Company may not initiate any regular or other purchase of shares by Lincoln Park, until such event of default is cured. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy proceedings by or against the Company, the Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate.
The foregoing descriptions of the Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of such agreements, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in such agreements were made only for purposes of such agreements and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreements and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.