bluebird bio, Inc. Announces Pricing of $125 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

Rhea-AI Summary

bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering of 83,333,333 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $1.50 per share, with expected gross proceeds of $125 million. The company plans to use the net proceeds to support commercialization and manufacturing for its approved gene therapies and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Insights

Financial Analyst

The public offering of 83,333,333 shares at $1.50 per share by bluebird bio, Inc. signifies a substantial capital influx for the company, with gross proceeds expected to reach approximately $125 million. This capital raise is critical for the company's strategic investments in the commercialization and manufacturing of its three approved gene therapies. The involvement of major financial institutions as underwriters, such as Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, indicates a level of confidence in the company's potential growth and its offerings.

Investors should note the dilutive effect of such a large offering on existing shares, which can impact share price negatively in the short term. However, the long-term implications depend on the effective utilization of the raised capital. Successful commercialization of the gene therapies could lead to revenue growth and potentially justify the dilution. Conversely, any setbacks in commercialization or manufacturing could exacerbate the negative impact of dilution on shareholder value.

The biotechnology sector is highly volatile, with significant risks and rewards associated with the development and commercialization of new therapies. The capital raised could provide bluebird with a more robust financial runway to navigate the complexities of this sector, which is a positive sign for stakeholders monitoring the company's progress.

Industry Analyst

bluebird bio's decision to price its public offering at $1.50 per share reflects the current market valuation and the company's need for capital to support its gene therapy products. The gene therapy market is rapidly evolving, with increasing competition and regulatory scrutiny. bluebird's move to secure funding underscores the high costs associated with bringing advanced therapies to market, including the need for specialized manufacturing capabilities and adherence to stringent regulatory requirements.

For stakeholders, the allocation of raised funds towards commercialization and manufacturing indicates a transition from research and development to market implementation. This transition is a critical phase for biotech companies, as it demonstrates a shift from potential to actualized products that can generate revenue. The success of bluebird in this phase could serve as a benchmark for other companies in the gene therapy space.

Additionally, the offering's impact on the stock market may be influenced by investor perception of the company's growth prospects and the broader industry trends. Investors often view capital raises as indicators of a company's future plans and its confidence in its products. The market's reaction to this offering will provide insights into investor sentiment regarding bluebird's position in the gene therapy industry.

SOMERVILLE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) (“bluebird”) today announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering of 83,333,333 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $1.50 per share, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. bluebird also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 12,499,999 shares of its common stock at the public offering price per share, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The gross proceeds from the public offering are expected be $125 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by bluebird and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of common stock. All shares in the offering are to be sold by bluebird.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as joint book running managers for the offering. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is acting as co-manager for the offering.

bluebird intends to use the net proceeds of the offering (i) to support commercialization and manufacturing for its three approved gene therapies, ZYNTEGLO, SKYSONA and LYFGENIA; and (ii) to fund working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The offering is expected to close on or about December 22, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.

The offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a prospectus, that was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 9, 2023 and was declared effective by the SEC on May 19, 2023. A preliminary prospectus supplement describing the terms of the offering has been filed with the SEC. A final prospectus supplement will be filed with the SEC and will form a part of the effective registration statement. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at (866) 471-2526 or by email at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204 or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmorganchase.com.

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 jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the consummation of the offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds from the offering. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect bluebird bio’s business, particularly those identified in the risk factors discussion in bluebird bio’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks include, but are not limited to: delays and challenges in our commercialization and manufacturing of our products; we may encounter additional delays in the development of our programs, including the imposition of new clinical holds, that may impact our ability to meet our expected timelines and increase our costs; the internal and external costs required for our ongoing and planned activities, and the resulting impact on expense and use of cash, has been, and may in the future be, higher than expected which has caused us, and may in the future cause us to use cash more quickly than we expect or change or curtail some of our plans or both; substantial doubt exists regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; our expectations as to expenses, cash usage and cash needs may prove not to be correct for other reasons such as changes in plans or actual events being different than our assumptions; the risk that the efficacy and safety results from our prior and ongoing clinical trials will not continue or be seen in additional patients treated with our product candidates; the risk of insertional oncogenic or other reportable events associated with lentiviral vector, drug product, or myeloablation, including the risk of hematologic malignancy; the risk that any one or more of our products or product candidates, will not be successfully developed or commercialized. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release and except as otherwise required by applicable law, bluebird bio undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231219687449/en/

Investors & Media

Investors:

Courtney O’Leary, 978-621-7347

coleary@bluebirdbio.com

Media:

Jess Rowlands, 857-299-6103

Jess.rowlands@bluebirdbio.com

Source: bluebird bio, Inc.

FAQ

What did bluebird bio, Inc. (BLUE) announce?

bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering of 83,333,333 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $1.50 per share.

How many shares are included in the public offering?

The public offering includes 83,333,333 shares of common stock.

What is the expected gross proceeds from the public offering?

The expected gross proceeds from the public offering are $125 million.

What does bluebird bio, Inc. intend to use the net proceeds for?

The company intends to use the net proceeds to support commercialization and manufacturing for its approved gene therapies, ZYNTEGLO, SKYSONA, and LYFGENIA, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.