Vaxxinity Announces Intention to Voluntarily Delist and Deregister its Class A Common Stock
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Insights
The decision by Vaxxinity to delist and deregister its Class A common stock is a significant financial maneuver with direct implications on shareholder value and market perception. The move often suggests an underlying pessimism about the stock's future performance or an admission that the costs and regulatory requirements of being a listed company outweigh the benefits. This is especially pertinent given the company's failure to comply with the Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement, which is a red flag for investors as it indicates a lack of market confidence and often precedes further decline in investor interest.
For existing shareholders, the delisting could both limit liquidity, making it difficult to buy or sell shares and potentially erode the value of their investment. While the company highlights a shift in focus towards R&D endeavors, the immediate concern for investors would be the diminished transparency and reduced regulatory oversight that comes with delisting. Vaxxinity's plan to re-invest resources in research and development must be weighed against the potential loss of visibility and access to capital that comes with being a publicly traded entity.
From the lens of market dynamics, Vaxxinity's announcement can influence investor sentiment towards the biotech sector, especially concerning liquidity and capital access for smaller cap companies. Delisting may raise questions about the viability of public markets for funding emerging biotech ventures, particularly those unable to meet exchange listing requirements. This could steer such companies towards alternative financing routes like private investments or strategic partnerships.
Moreover, by withdrawing from the Nasdaq, Vaxxinity is sidestepping the public scrutiny that comes with regular SEC filings. While this may reduce administrative burdens, it also removes a layer of investor reassurance provided by mandatory disclosures. For potential investors, this could signal increased risk, as access to consistent information is a key factor in investment decisions. The ripple effect of the decision could influence how emerging biotech firms are perceived in terms of financial stability and operational transparency.
Within the healthcare industry, the delisting of a company like Vaxxinity could be indicative of broader trends. The biotech industry is known for its high burn rates and long development cycles, which necessitate sustained capital infusions. A delisting could reflect an industry-wide shift as companies balance the need for capital against the burdens of public market compliance.
However, this move to delist should be considered within the context of Vaxxinity's specific pipeline and strategic objectives. If the company has a robust set of assets in development that could bring substantial value in the long term, then reallocating resources away from the administrative overhead of a public listing could be a strategic recalibration. The potential benefit lies in accelerating the development of their therapies, which could, in turn, lead to significant market disruption if successful. Stakeholders should closely monitor the company's performance metrics and development milestones in the absence of public reporting requirements.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., April 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxxinity, Inc. (“Vaxxinity”, “we”, “us” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: VAXX), a U.S. company pioneering the development of a new class of medicines, today announced its intention to voluntarily delist from the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) and to deregister its Class A common stock under Section 12(b) and Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and suspend its reporting obligations under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
On February 9, 2024, the Company received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that the Company was no longer in compliance with Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) with respect to its Class A common stock, which requires the Company to maintain a minimum bid price of
On April 19, 2024, the Company notified Nasdaq of its intent to voluntarily delist its Class A common stock from Nasdaq. The Company currently anticipates that it will file with the SEC a Form 25 relating to the delisting and deregistration of its Class A common stock on or about April 29, 2024, and anticipates that the delisting and deregistration under Section 12(b) of its Class A common stock will then become effective on or about May 9, 2024. Following the delisting, any trading in the Company’s Class A common stock would only occur in privately negotiated sales and potentially on an over-the-counter market. The Company expects that its Class A common stock will initially be quoted on a market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (the “OTC”) so that a trading market may continue to exist for its Class A common stock for some period of time. There is no guarantee, however, that a broker will continue to make a market in the Class A common stock and that trading of the Class A common stock will continue on an OTC market or otherwise.
Following the delisting of its Class A common stock from Nasdaq, the Company plans to file with the SEC a Form 15 to deregister its Class A common stock under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and suspend its reporting obligations under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
About Vaxxinity, Inc.
Vaxxinity, Inc. is a purpose-driven biotechnology company committed to democratizing healthcare across the globe. The company is pioneering a new class of synthetic, peptide-based active immunotherapy medicines aimed at disrupting the existing treatment paradigm for chronic disease, increasingly dominated by monoclonal antibodies, which suffer from prohibitive costs and cumbersome administration. The company’s proprietary technology platform has enabled the innovation of novel pipeline candidates designed to bring the efficiency of vaccines to the treatment of chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, migraine, and hypercholesterolemia. The technology is also implemented as part of a COVID-19 vaccine program. Vaxxinity has optimized its pipeline to achieve a potentially historic, global impact on human health. For more information about Vaxxinity, Inc., visit http://www.vaxxinity.com and follow us on social media @vaxxinity.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements regarding Vaxxinity in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of certain words, including “believe,” “may,” “continue,” “intend,” “will,” “anticipate,” and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements, other than statements of historical fact, regarding, among other things, statements regarding the Company’s plans and its ability to successfully delist from Nasdaq and to deregister its Class A common stock as well as the anticipated benefits thereof, and the potential for a trading market in the Company’s Class A common stock following the delisting. These forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the timing an effectiveness of the Company’s delisting and ability and timing of deregistration of the Class A common stock, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and those other factors described in the “Risk Factors” section of Vaxxinity’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2024. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and Vaxxinity does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Investor Contact
Mark Joinnides
ir@vaxxinity.com
Press Contact
Ali Nagy / McKenna Miller
anagy@kcsa.com / mmiller@kcsa.com
FAQ
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