SEC Form DEFA14A filed by Vallon Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$VLON
Medicinal Chemicals and Botanical Products
Health Care
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
| Filed by the Registrant ☒ | ||||||||||||||
| Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐ | ||||||||||||||
| Check the appropriate box: | ||||||||||||||
| ☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement | |||||||||||||
| ☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |||||||||||||
| ☐ | Definitive Proxy Statement | |||||||||||||
| ☒ | Definitive Additional Materials | |||||||||||||
| ☐ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 | |||||||||||||
| GRI BIO, INC. | ||||||||||||||
| (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) | ||||||||||||||
| N/A | ||||||||||||||
| (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) | ||||||||||||||
| Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): | |||||
| ☒ | No fee required | ||||
| ☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials | ||||
| ☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 | ||||
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 5, 2024
GRI BIO, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 001-40034 | 82-4369909 | ||||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| of incorporation) | ||||||||||||||
2223 Avenida de la Playa, #208
La Jolla, CA 92037
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(619) 400-1170
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | GRI | The Nasdaq Capital Market | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Emerging Growth Company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.
On January 5, 2024, GRI Bio, Inc. (the “Company”) received a letter (the “Letter”) from the Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”), indicating that the Company no longer meets the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”) because the closing bid price for the Company’s common stock was less than $1.00 for the previous 30 consecutive business days. The Letter is in addition to the previously disclosed letter received on November 22, 2023 from the Staff notifying the Company that it is not in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Notice”) based on the information provided in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) requires that companies listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market with a market value of listed securities of less than $35,000,000 and annual net income of less than $500,000 maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $2,500,000 (the “Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). Neither the Letter nor Notice has an immediate effect on the Company’s continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a 180-calendar day period, or until July 3, 2024 (the “Compliance Date”), to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. The Minimum Bid Price Requirement will be met if the Company’s common stock has a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during the 180-calendar day period, unless Nasdaq exercises its discretion to extend such 10‑day period. If the Company does not regain compliance by the Compliance Date, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180-calendar day period, subject to satisfying the conditions in the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules. If, before the Compliance Date, the Company’s common stock has a closing bid price of $0.10 per share or less for ten consecutive trading days, the Staff will issue a Staff Delisting Determination under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810 with respect to the Company’s common stock.
The Company was also provided 45 calendar days, or until January 6, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement (the “Compliance Plan”). If the Compliance Plan is determined to be acceptable to the Staff, the Staff would have the discretion to grant the Company an extension of 180-calendar days from the date of the Notice to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement.
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or that the Compliance Plan will be accepted or that, if it is, the Company will be able to regain compliance. If the Staff does not accept the Compliance Plan, the Staff will provide written notification to the Company that the Compliance Plan has been rejected and that the Company’s common stock is subject to delisting. At that time, the Company may appeal the Staff’s determination to a Nasdaq Hearing Panel. The Company is monitoring the closing bid price of its common stock and will consider options to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, including holding the previously disclosed special meeting of stockholders to be held on January 19, 2024 (the “Special Meeting”) to vote on the proposed reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this communication may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including statements containing the words “predicts,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “goal,” “target,” “estimate,” “potential,” “may,” “might,” “could,” “see,” “seek,” “forecast” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current plans and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which are, in many instances, beyond the Company’s control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in or contemplated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company’s ability to regain or maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, timely file it's Compliance Plan in accordance with Nasdaq rules and submit a Compliance Plan that is acceptable to the Staff, the potential delisting of the Company’s common stock from The Nasdaq Capital Market due to its failure to comply with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement or the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, the ability of the Company to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by performing a reverse stock split, and other risks, uncertainties and factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the SEC. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. The Company is providing the information in this communication as of this date and assumes no obligations to update the information included in this communication or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and its directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of the Company in connection with the Special Meeting. Investors and shareholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of the Company’s directors and officers
in the definitive proxy statement with respect to the Special Meeting filed by the Company with the SEC on January 2, 2024 (the “Definitive Proxy”), which may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated below.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company urges investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read the Definitive Proxy as well as other documents filed by the Company with the SEC, because these documents will contain important information about the Company and the Special Meeting. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Definitive Proxy and such other documents, without charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: January 5, 2024 | GRI BIO, INC. | |||||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Leanne Kelly | |||||||||||||
| Name: | Leanne Kelly | |||||||||||||
| Title | Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||||