ORIC Pharmaceuticals Announces $125 Million Private Placement Financing

Rhea-AI Summary

ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORIC) has announced a private placement of approximately 12.5 million shares of its common stock to institutional and accredited healthcare specialist investors, at a price per share of $10.00. The financing is expected to raise approximately $125 million and is anticipated to fund the company's research and development activities into late 2026.

Positive

• Private placement to raise approximately $125 million for research and development
• Participation from new and existing institutional investors
• Funding expected to support current operating plan into late 2026

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

ORIC Pharmaceuticals' recent private placement of 12.5 million shares at a price of $10.00 per share, which is at a 10% premium to the company's 5-day trailing average price, is a strong indicator of investor confidence. The transaction is expected to generate gross proceeds of approximately $125 million, which is a significant capital infusion for the company. The participation of renowned institutional investors like Viking Global Investors and NEA underscores the potential they see in ORIC's oncology-focused pipeline.

From a financial perspective, this capital raise extends ORIC's cash runway into late 2026, providing a longer horizon for the company to advance its clinical trials without the immediate need for further financing. This could potentially reduce dilution risk for current shareholders in the short to medium term. However, investors should be aware of the potential for share price volatility around the time of the closing and when the new shares are registered for resale, as this could increase the number of shares available for trading.

Medical Research Analyst

The allocation of the net proceeds from this financing towards research and development is pivotal for ORIC, which is focused on addressing therapeutic resistance in oncology. The development of such treatments is highly complex and requires substantial investment. The fact that ORIC's operating plan is funded into late 2026 provides a clear runway for ongoing and future clinical programs. This could be particularly beneficial for advancing their product candidates through the expensive and time-consuming phases of clinical trials.

Investors should note the importance of clinical milestones in biotech valuations. Positive data from these trials could lead to significant appreciation in ORIC's market value, while any setbacks could have the opposite effect. Therefore, the extended funding period allows for a more robust development strategy, potentially mitigating the risks associated with clinical trial failures or delays.

Market Research Analyst

The oncology market is highly competitive and ORIC's focus on therapeutic resistance is a niche but growing area of interest. The influx of capital from the private placement can be seen as a strategic move to solidify ORIC's position in this market segment. By securing funding well into 2026, ORIC may have an advantage in recruiting talent, investing in innovative technologies and potentially pursuing strategic partnerships or acquisitions to enhance their pipeline.

For stakeholders, the involvement of specialist healthcare investors in the private placement could be seen as a validation of ORIC's business strategy and scientific approach. These investors often have deep insights into the healthcare sector and their due diligence can be a proxy for the quality of ORIC's research and development capabilities. As such, this financing event could have positive implications for ORIC's reputation and partnerships within the industry.

Funding from new and existing investors including Viking Global Investors, Commodore Capital, Frazier Life Sciences, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Nextech

Pro forma cash and investments expected to fund current operating plan into late 2026

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORIC), a clinical stage oncology company focused on developing treatments that address mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, today announced that it has agreed to sell approximately 12.5 million shares of its common stock to a select group of institutional and accredited healthcare specialist investors in a private placement, at a price per share of $10.00, representing a premium of approximately 10% to ORIC’s 5-day trailing average price. The financing is expected to close on January 23, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. ORIC anticipates the gross proceeds from the private placement to be approximately $125 million, before deducting any offering related expenses.

The financing includes participation from new and existing institutional investors, including Viking Global Investors, Commodore Capital, Frazier Life Sciences, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, NEA, and Nextech¹.

ORIC intends to use the net proceeds from the proposed financing to fund research and development of its clinical-stage product candidates and research programs and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The proceeds from this financing, combined with current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, is expected to be sufficient to fund the current operating plan into late 2026.

The securities described above have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Accordingly, these securities may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. ORIC has agreed to file a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registering the resale of the shares of common stock issued in this private placement. Any offering of the securities under the resale registration statement will only be made by means of a prospectus.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
________________________
¹ Nextech Invest Ltd, on behalf of one or more funds managed by it.

About ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

ORIC Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patients’ lives by Overcoming Resistance In Cancer. ORIC’s clinical stage product candidates include (1) ORIC-114, a brain penetrant inhibitor designed to selectively target EGFR and HER2 with high potency against exon 20 insertion mutations, being developed across multiple genetically defined cancers, (2) ORIC-944, an allosteric inhibitor of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) via the EED subunit, being developed for prostate cancer, and (3) ORIC-533, an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of CD73, a key node in the adenosine pathway believed to play a central role in resistance to chemotherapy- and immunotherapy-based treatment regimens, being developed for multiple myeloma. Beyond these three product candidates, ORIC is also developing multiple precision medicines targeting other hallmark cancer resistance mechanisms. ORIC has offices in South San Francisco and San Diego, California. For more information, please go to www.oricpharma.com, and follow us on X or LinkedIn.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the timing and expectation of the closing of the private placement; the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the private placement and the anticipated use of proceeds therefrom; and the period over which ORIC estimates the proceeds from the private placement, combined with its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, will be sufficient to fund its current operating plan. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “goal,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon ORIC’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: risks associated with the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics and operating as an early clinical stage company; ORIC’s ability to develop, initiate or complete preclinical studies and clinical trials for, obtain approvals for and commercialize any of its product candidates; changes in ORIC’s plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the potential for clinical trials of ORIC-533, ORIC-114, ORIC-944 or any other product candidates to differ from preclinical, initial, interim, preliminary or expected results; negative impacts of health emergencies, economic instability or international conflicts on ORIC’s operations, including clinical trials; the risk of the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of ORIC’s license and collaboration agreements; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; ORIC’s reliance on third parties, including contract manufacturers and contract research organizations; ORIC’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its product candidates; the loss of key scientific or management personnel; competition in the industry in which ORIC operates; general economic and market conditions; and other risks. Information regarding the foregoing and additional risks may be found in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in ORIC’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2023, and ORIC’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and ORIC assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contact:
Dominic Piscitelli, Chief Financial Officer
dominic.piscitelli@oricpharma.com
info@oricpharma.com

 

FAQ

How many shares of common stock is ORIC Pharmaceuticals selling in the private placement?

ORIC Pharmaceuticals is selling approximately 12.5 million shares of its common stock in the private placement.

At what price per share is ORIC Pharmaceuticals selling the common stock in the private placement?

ORIC Pharmaceuticals is selling the common stock at a price of $10.00 per share.

How much is the expected gross proceeds from the private placement?

The expected gross proceeds from the private placement are approximately $125 million.

What is the purpose of the net proceeds from the private placement?

The net proceeds from the private placement will be used to fund research and development of clinical-stage product candidates and research programs, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes.

What is the anticipated impact of the financing on ORIC Pharmaceuticals' operating plan?

The financing, combined with current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, is expected to fund the current operating plan into late 2026.