Longeveron Announces Closing of $9.0 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-the-Market Under Nasdaq Rules

Rhea-AI Summary

Longeveron Inc. (NASDAQ: LGVN) has closed a $9.0 million registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The company issued 2,236,026 shares of Class A common stock (or equivalents) at $4.025 per share. In a concurrent private placement, LGVN issued unregistered warrants to purchase up to 2,236,026 shares at $3.90 per share, exercisable for 24 months. H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent. Longeveron plans to use the net proceeds for clinical and regulatory development of Lomecel-B™, focusing on HLHS and Alzheimer's disease treatments, regulatory approvals, capital expenditures, and working capital.

Positive

• Raised $9.0 million in gross proceeds through a registered direct offering
• Issued additional unregistered warrants in a concurrent private placement
• Funds to be used for clinical and regulatory development of Lomecel-B™ for HLHS and Alzheimer's disease

Negative

• Potential dilution of existing shareholders due to new share issuance
• Warrants issued at $3.90 per share, below the offering price of $4.025

Financial Analyst

The recent news from Longeveron Inc. about the closing of a $9.0 million registered direct offering is significant for a few reasons. First, it represents a successful capital raise that should enhance the company's liquidity and fund its ongoing clinical trials and regulatory initiatives. Such capital inflows are important for clinical-stage biotech companies, which typically have high burn rates due to extensive R&D and regulatory expenses.

From a valuation perspective, the issuance of 2,236,026 shares at $4.025 each indicates investor confidence at this price level, potentially stabilizing the stock price. However, the issuance of unregistered warrants at $3.90, which are immediately exercisable, suggests potential near-term dilution, which could put downward pressure on the share price if exercised en masse.

For retail investors, it's important to understand the impact of stock dilution and warrants. While the immediate cash infusion is positive, the increased share count can dilute existing shareholders' equity. Nonetheless, if the funds are effectively utilized in progressing key clinical trials, the long-term upside could outweigh the short-term dilution concerns.

Market Research Analyst

From a market sentiment standpoint, Longeveron's successful capital raise signals investor confidence in the company's pipeline, particularly in its lead product, Lomecel-B™. This product is being developed for high-impact indications like HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome) and Alzheimer's disease, both of which have significant market potential. The biotechnology and regenerative medicine sectors are highly competitive and companies that can secure funding for advanced trials often enjoy a positive market perception.

However, it's important to note that market dynamics in biotech are highly volatile and heavily reliant on clinical outcomes and regulatory milestones. Investors should keep a close eye on upcoming trial results and FDA communications, as these will be key drivers of stock performance. The concurrent private placement of unregistered warrants adds an element of complexity, as it indicates ongoing efforts to attract sophisticated investors willing to take on higher risk for potential high reward.

Overall, the market sentiment towards Longeveron appears cautiously optimistic, bolstered by the successful fundraising but tempered by the inherent risks associated with clinical-stage biotech ventures.

MIAMI, July 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Longeveron Inc. (NASDAQ: LGVN) (“Longeveron” or the “Company”), a clinical stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for life-threatening and chronic aging-related conditions, today announced the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules, for the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 2,236,026 shares of its Class A common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at a purchase price of $4.025 per share of Class A common stock (or per common stock equivalent in lieu thereof) in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. In a concurrent private placement, the Company issued unregistered warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,236,026 shares of Class A common stock. The unregistered warrants have an exercise price of $3.90 per share and are immediately exercisable for a period of twenty-four (24) months following the date of issuance.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering were approximately $9.0 million, prior to deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for its ongoing clinical and regulatory development of Lomecel-B™ for the treatment of several disease states and indications, including HLHS and Alzheimer’s disease, obtaining regulatory approvals, capital expenditures, working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The shares of Class A common stock (or common stock equivalents) offered in the registered direct offering (but excluding the unregistered warrants offered in the concurrent private placement and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such unregistered warrants) were offered and sold by the Company pursuant to a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-264142), including a base prospectus, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 5, 2022, and declared effective by the SEC on April 14 2022. The offering of the shares of Class A common stock (or common stock equivalents) in the registered direct offering were made only by means of a prospectus supplement that forms a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus relating to the registered direct offering were filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus may also be obtained by contacting H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC at 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone at (212) 856-5711 or e-mail at placements@hcwco.com.

The offer and sale of the unregistered warrants in the concurrent private placement were made in a transaction not involving a public offering and have not been registered under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and/or Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder and, along with the shares of Class A common stock underlying such unregistered warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the unregistered warrants offered in the private placement and the underlying shares of Class A common stock may not be reoffered or resold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a 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.

About Longeveron Inc.

Longeveron is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing regenerative medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company’s lead investigational product is Lomecel-B™, an allogeneic medicinal signaling cell (MSC) therapy product isolated from the bone marrow of young, healthy adult donors. Lomecel-B™ has multiple potential mechanisms of action encompassing pro-vascular, pro-regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and tissue repair and healing effects with broad potential applications across a spectrum of disease areas. Longeveron is currently pursuing three pipeline indications: hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), Alzheimer’s disease, and Aging-related Frailty. Lomecel-B™ development programs have received five separate and distinct FDA designations: for the HLHS program - Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, and Rare Pediatric Disease designation; and, for the Alzheimer’s Disease program - Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation and Fast Track designation. For more information, visit www.longeveron.com or follow Longeveron on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which reflect management’s current expectations, assumptions, and estimates of future operations, performance and economic conditions, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believe,” “expects,” “may,” “looks to,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “on condition,” “target,” “see,” “potential,” “estimates,” “preliminary,” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussion of strategy or goals or other future events, circumstances, or effects and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated use of proceeds from the offering. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, market and other conditions; our limited operating history and lack of products approved for commercial sale; adverse global conditions, including macroeconomic uncertainty; inability to raise additional capital necessary to continue as a going concern; our history of losses and inability to achieve profitability going forward; the absence of FDA-approved allogenic, cell-based therapies for Aging-related Frailty, Alzheimer’s Disease, or other aging-related conditions, or for HLHS or other cardiac-related indications; ethical and other concerns surrounding the use of stem cell therapy or human tissue; our exposure to product liability claims arising from the use of our product candidates or future products in individuals, for which we may not be able to obtain adequate product liability insurance; the adequacy of our trade secret and patent position to protect our product candidates and their uses: others could compete against us more directly, which could harm our business and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations; if certain license agreements are terminated, our ability to continue clinical trials and commercially market products could be adversely affected; the inability to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information, trade secrets, and know-how; third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our product development efforts; intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantage; the inability to successfully develop and commercialize our product candidates and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals; we cannot market and sell our product candidates in the U.S. or in other countries if we fail to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals; final marketing approval of our product candidates by the FDA or other regulatory authorities for commercial use may be delayed, limited, or denied, any of which could adversely affect our ability to generate operating revenues; we may not be able to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials; ongoing healthcare legislative and regulatory reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations; if we receive regulatory approval of Lomecel-B™ or any of our other product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense; being subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our therapeutic candidates; reliance on third parties to conduct certain aspects of our preclinical studies and clinical trials; interim, “topline” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data; the volatility of our Class A common stock; we could lose our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market; provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the market price of our Class A common stock; we have never commercialized a product candidate before and may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize any products on our own or together with suitable collaborators; and in order to successfully implement our plans and strategies, we will need to grow our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth. Further information relating to factors that may impact the Company’s results and forward-looking statements are disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including Longeveron’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2024, as amended by the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed March 11, 2024, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, other than imposed by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Investor and Media Contact 
Derek Cole
Investor Relations Advisory Solutions
derek.cole@iradvisory.com  

FAQ

What was the size of Longeveron's (LGVN) recent registered direct offering?

Longeveron (LGVN) closed a $9.0 million registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules on July 19, 2024.

How many shares did Longeveron (LGVN) issue in the offering?

Longeveron (LGVN) issued 2,236,026 shares of Class A common stock (or common stock equivalents) at a price of $4.025 per share.

What are the terms of the warrants issued by Longeveron (LGVN) in the concurrent private placement?

Longeveron (LGVN) issued unregistered warrants to purchase up to 2,236,026 shares at an exercise price of $3.90 per share, exercisable for 24 months from the date of issuance.

How does Longeveron (LGVN) plan to use the proceeds from the offering?

Longeveron (LGVN) intends to use the net proceeds for clinical and regulatory development of Lomecel-B™, focusing on HLHS and Alzheimer's disease treatments, regulatory approvals, capital expenditures, and working capital.