SEC Form S-3 filed by Unicycive Therapeutics Inc.
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 81-3638692 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |
incorporation or organization) | Identification Number) |
4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 351-4495
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Shalabh Gupta, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc.
4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 351-4495
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
With copies to:
Jeffrey J. Fessler, Esq.
Greg Carney, Esq.
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Tel: (212) 653-8700
Fax: (212) 653-8701
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time, after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | ||
Non-accelerated filer ☒ | Smaller reporting company ☒ | ||
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 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
PROSPECTUS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This registration statement contains two prospectuses:
● | a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $100 million in the aggregate, subject to certain limitations, of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings; and |
● | a sales agreement prospectus covering the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50 million, subject to certain limitations, of our common stock that may be offered and sold under a Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Guggenheim Securities, LLC. |
The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus. The specific terms of the securities to be issued and sold under the Sales Agreement are specified in the sales agreement prospectus that immediately follows the base prospectus.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy these securities until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Subject to completion, dated November 13, 2024
Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
We may offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, any combination of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, or any combination of the foregoing, either individually or as units comprised of one or more of the other securities, having an aggregate initial offering price not exceeding $100 million, subject to certain limitations, as described below.
This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell a particular class or series of securities, we will provide specific terms of the securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. You should read carefully this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference herein or therein before you invest in any of our securities.
The specific terms of any securities to be offered, and the specific manner in which they may be offered, will be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of any of these securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Before investing, you should carefully read this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is presently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “UNCY.” On November 8, 2024 the last reported sale price of our common stock was $0.59 per share. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to any other listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market or any securities market or other exchange of the securities, if any, covered by the prospectus supplement. Prospective purchasers of our securities are urged to obtain current information as to the market prices of our securities, where applicable.
These securities may be sold directly by us, through dealers or agents designated from time to time, to or through underwriters, dealers, or through a combination of these methods on a continuous or delayed basis. See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. We may also describe the plan of distribution for any particular offering of our securities in a prospectus supplement. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature of our arrangements with them in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from any such sale will also be included in a prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves various risks. See “Risk Factors” contained herein for more information on these risks. Additional risks will be described in the related prospectus supplements under the heading “Risk Factors.” You should review that section of the related prospectus supplements for a discussion of matters that investors in our securities should consider.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is November , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement, we may sell from time to time in one or more offerings of common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such securities, either individually or as units comprised of a combination of one or more of the other securities in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $100 million. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell any type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of that offering.
This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For a more complete understanding of the offering of the securities, you should refer to the registration statement, including its exhibits. We may add, update or change, in a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relating to the applicable offering. You should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the additional information described under “Where You Can Find More Information,” before buying any of the securities being offered.
We have not authorized any dealer, agent or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or an accompanying prospectus supplement, or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. This prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, if any, do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, if any, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference (as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date), even though this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our securities, unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. To the extent there are inconsistencies between any prospectus supplement, this prospectus and any documents incorporated by reference, the document with the most recent date will control.
As permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, includes additional information not contained in this prospectus. You may read the registration statement and the other reports we file with the SEC at the SEC’s web site or at the SEC’s offices described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Company References
In this prospectus “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.
ii
Overview
We are a biotechnology company dedicated to developing treatments for certain medical conditions. Currently, two of our programs are focused on kidney disease, an area we believe we have the potential to offer medical benefit. As we grow the company and build our team, we intend to focus on identifying medical conditions within and outside of kidney disease. Our current development programs are focused on two novel therapies: Oxylanthanum Carbonate (“OLC”), for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, and UNI 494, for treatment of acute kidney injury (“AKI”). OLC and UNI 494 were initially developed by and licensed to us from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (“Spectrum”) and Sphaera Pharma (“Sphaera”), respectively. Spectrum conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial with OLC in 2012, prior to the grant of our license in 2018. Sphaera conceived and performed initial characterization of various potential pro-drug linkers, including the initial patent application, and performed some initial physiochemical characterization and preliminary animal pharmacokinetic studies. As discussed herein, after completing IND enabling preclinical studies, we have conducted a Phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers with UNI 494 in 2023.
Chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) is the gradual loss of kidney (renal) function that can get worse over time leading to lasting damage and possibly Stage 5 or end-stage renal disease (“ESRD”). Our initial focus is on developing drugs and getting them approved in the U.S., and then to partner with global biopharmaceutical companies in the rest of the world. According to the United States Renal Data System (“USRDS”) 2022 Annual Data Report, 30 million (14%) of adults in the United States are estimated to have CKD and, of these, approximately 13 million patients have advanced CKD (stage 3-5). Approximately 550,000 patients (ESRD) are on dialysis and of those, approximately 450,000 patients (~80%) take phosphate binders to control hyperphosphatemia (too much phosphorus in their blood). The number of patients with ESRD in the U.S. is increasing steadily and is projected to reach between 971,000 and 1,259,000 patients in 2030.
AKI is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage (within the first 90 days of injury). After 90 days, the patient is considered to have progressed into CKD. AKI affects more than 2 million U.S. patients and costs the healthcare system in excess of $9 billion per year. More than 300,000 patients per year in the U.S. die due to AKI that has many causes.
Our business model is to license technologies and drugs in order to pursue development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of those products in global markets. Many biotechnology companies utilize similar strategies of in-licensing and then developing and commercializing drugs. We believe, however, that our management team’s broad network, expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry, and successful track record gives us an advantage in identifying and bringing these assets into our company.
Pipeline
Our proprietary pipeline is comprised of our two product candidates – OLC and UNI 494 – which are described below.
Figure 1 Unicycive Product Pipeline
1
Recent Developments
New Drug Application
On September 3, 2024, we submitted a New Drug Application (“NDA”) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for OLC for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD on dialysis. On November 11, 2024, we announced that the FDA has accepted the NDA for OLC and has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June 28, 2025.
Company Information
We were incorporated as a Delaware corporation on August 18, 2016. Our principal executive offices are located at 5150 El Camino Real, Suite A-32, Los Altos, CA 94022 and our telephone number is (650) 351-4495. Our website address is http://www.unicycive.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock. We have included our website address as a factual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website.
The Securities We May Offer
We may offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and warrants to purchase any of such securities, either individually or in units, from time to time under this prospectus, together with any applicable prospectus supplement and related free writing prospectus, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering. If we issue any debt securities at a discount from their original stated principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the total dollar amount of all securities issued under this prospectus, we will treat the initial offering price of the debt securities as the total original principal amount of the debt securities. Each time we offer securities under this prospectus, we will provide offerees with a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities being offered, including, to the extent applicable:
● | designation or classification; |
● | aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price; |
● | maturity, if applicable; |
● | original issue discount, if any; |
● | rates and times of payment of interest or dividends, if any; |
● | redemption, conversion, exchange or sinking fund terms, if any; |
● | conversion or exchange prices or rates, if any, and, if applicable, any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the conversion or exchange prices or rates and in the securities or other property receivable upon conversion or exchange; |
● | ranking; |
● | restrictive covenants, if any; |
● | voting or other rights, if any; and |
● | important United States federal income tax considerations. |
A prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated by reference. However, no prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
We may sell the securities to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers. We, as well as any agents acting on our behalf, reserve the sole right to accept and to reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of securities. Each prospectus supplement will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents involved in the sale of securities described in that prospectus supplement and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them, details regarding any over-allotment option granted to them, and net proceeds to us. The following is a summary of the securities we may offer with this prospectus.
2
Common Stock
We currently have authorized 400,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of November 13, 2024, 103,796,406 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. We may offer shares of our common stock either alone or underlying other registered securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock. Holders of our common stock are entitled to such dividends as our board of directors (the “Board of Directors” or “Board”) may declare from time to time out of legally available funds, subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that are outstanding or that we may issue in the future. Currently, we do not pay any dividends on our common stock. Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote per share. In this prospectus, we provide a general description of, among other things, the rights and restrictions that apply to holders of our common stock.
Preferred Stock
We currently have authorized 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001, of which (i) (A) 21,400 shares of our preferred stock have been designated as Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock, (B) 25,900 have been designated as Series A-3 Preferred Stock, (C) 25,700 have been designated as Series A-4 Preferred Stock, and (D) 51,600 have been designated as Series A-5 Preferred Stock (collectively, “Series A Preferred Stock”) and (ii) (A) 50,000 shares of our preferred stock have been designated as Series B-1 Preferred Stock and (B) 50,000 have been designated as Series B-2 Preferred Stock (collectively, “Series B Preferred Stock”). Our Board may establish the rights and preferences of the preferred stock from time to time. As of November 13, 2024, there were 8,416.24 shares of Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-3 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-4 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-5 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding; no shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding and 7,444 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.
Any authorized and undesignated shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more additional series pursuant to a resolution or resolutions providing for such issue duly adopted by our Board of Directors (authority to do so being hereby expressly vested in the Board of Directors). The Board of Directors is further authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by law, to fix by resolution or resolutions the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of any wholly unissued series of preferred stock, including without limitation authority to fix by resolution or resolutions the dividend rights, dividend rate, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions), redemption price or prices, and liquidation preferences of any such series, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, or any of the foregoing.
The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any series of preferred stock that we offer and sell under this prospectus and applicable prospectus supplements will be set forth in a certificate of designation relating to the series. We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of any certificate of designation that describes the terms of the series of preferred stock we are offering before the issuance of shares of that series of preferred stock. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of preferred stock being offered, as well as the complete certificate of designation that contains the terms of the applicable series of preferred stock.
3
Debt Securities
We may offer general debt obligations, which may be secured or unsecured, senior or subordinated, and convertible into shares of our common stock or preferred stock. In this prospectus, we refer to the senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities together as the “debt securities.” We may issue debt securities under a note purchase agreement or under an indenture to be entered between us and a trustee. The indentures do not limit the amount of securities that may be issued under it and provide that debt securities may be issued in one or more series. The senior debt securities will have the same rank as all of our other indebtedness that is not subordinated. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to our senior debt on terms set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, the subordinated debt securities will be effectively subordinated to creditors and preferred stockholders of our subsidiaries. Our Board of Directors will determine the terms of each series of debt securities being offered. This prospectus contains only general terms and provisions of the debt securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of the debt securities offered thereby. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of debt securities being offered, as well as the complete note agreements and/or indentures that contain the terms of the debt securities. The forms of senior and subordinated indentures have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of debt securities being offered will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.
Warrants
We may offer warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue the warrants by themselves or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Any warrants issued under this prospectus may be evidenced by warrant certificates. Warrants may be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. Our Board of Directors will determine the terms of the warrants. This prospectus contains only general terms and provisions of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of the warrants being offered thereby. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements that contain the terms of the warrants. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.
Units
We may offer units consisting of our common stock or preferred stock, debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of these securities in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units. This prospectus contains only a summary of certain general features of the units. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular features of the units being offered thereby. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.
4
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. This prospectus contains, and the prospectus supplement applicable to each offering of our securities will contain, a discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in our securities. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information contained or incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024, and any updates described in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, and may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future and any prospectus supplement related to a particular offering. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. The occurrence of any of these known or unknown risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein contain, in addition to historical information, certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act or 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that include information relating to future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation and availability of resources. Such forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and they are subject to risks and uncertainties known and unknown that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “should”, “could” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or incorporated herein by reference.
Risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from those expressed or implied in our written or oral forward-looking statements may be found in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement under the heading “Risk Factors” and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Business,” as updated in our Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We qualify all of the information presented in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and incorporated herein by reference, and particularly our forward-looking statements, by these cautionary statements.
5
Except as described in any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus in connection with a specific offering, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes, including the development and commercialization of our products, research and development, general and administrative expenses, license or technology acquisitions, and working capital and capital expenditures. We may also use the net proceeds to repay any debts and/or invest in or acquire complementary businesses, products, or technologies, although we have no current commitments or agreements with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for the foregoing purposes. As a result, our management will have broad discretion in the allocation of the net proceeds and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the proceeds of any sale of the securities. Pending use of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.
Each time we offer securities under this prospectus, we will describe the intended use of the net proceeds from that offering in the applicable prospectus supplement. The actual amount of net proceeds we spend on a particular use will depend on many factors, including, our future capital expenditures, the amount of cash required by our operations, and our future revenue growth, if any. Therefore, we will retain broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds.
6
General
The following description of our capital stock, together with any additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, summarizes the material terms and provisions of our common stock and the preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future common stock or preferred stock that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any class or series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. For the complete terms of our common stock and preferred stock, please refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (“Certificate of Incorporation”), and our bylaws that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or may be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of these securities may also be affected by Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The summary below and that contained in any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus are qualified in their entirety by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our bylaws.
As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized capital stock consisted of 400,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share of which (i) (A) 21,400 shares of our preferred stock have been designated as Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock, (B) 25,900 have been designated as Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, (C) 25,700 have been designated as Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock, and (D) 51,600 have been designated as Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock (collectively, “Series A Preferred Stock”) and (ii) (A) 50,000 shares of our preferred stock have been designated as Series B-1 Preferred Stock and (B) 50,000 have been designated as Series B-2 Preferred Stock (collectively, “Series B Preferred Stock”). Our Board may establish the rights and preferences of the preferred stock from time to time. As of November 13, 2024, there were 103,796,406 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding, 8,416.24 shares of Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding; no shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding and 7,444 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
We are authorized to issue up to a total of 400,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. Holders of our common stock have no cumulative voting rights. All shares of common stock offered hereby will, when issued, be fully paid and nonassessable, including shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of common stock warrants or subscription rights, if any. Holders of our common stock are entitled, subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to any other class of shares ranking in priority to the common stock, to receive any dividend declared by our board of directors.
Further, holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding- up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share in all assets remaining after payment of all liabilities and the liquidation preferences of any of our outstanding shares of preferred stock. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors out of our assets which are legally available. Such dividends, if any, are payable in cash, in property or in shares of capital stock.
The holders of a majority of the shares of our capital stock, represented in person or by proxy, are necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. If a quorum is present, an action by stockholders entitled to vote on a matter is approved if the number of votes cast in favor of the action exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to the action, with the exception of the election of directors, which requires a plurality of the votes cast.
Preferred Stock
Our Board of Directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional, or special rights as well as the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of the preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of the common stock. Our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, can issue preferred stock with voting, conversion, or other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of common stock. Preferred stock could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change of control or make removal of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock, and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. At present, we have no plans to issue any shares of preferred stock following this offering.
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Series A Preferred Stock
Dividends. At all times following the Issuance Date, while shares of Series A Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, and the Company shall pay, dividends on shares of Series A Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis and without regard to any limitations on conversion set forth herein or otherwise) to and in the same form as dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock, which shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Amended Certificate of Designation) actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock, which shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights And Limitations of Series A Convertible Voting Preferred Stock (the “Amended Series A Certificate Designation”) are paid on shares of the common stock.
Voting Rights. Subject to certain limitations described in the Amended Series A Certificate of Designation, the Series A Preferred Stock is voting stock. Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together with the common stock on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Accordingly, holders of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to one vote for each whole share of common stock into which their Series A Preferred Stock is then-convertible on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Liquidation. Upon any Liquidation, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock and common stock, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder, treating for this purpose all shares of Series A Preferred Stock as if they had been converted to common stock pursuant to the terms of the Amended Series A Certificate of Designation immediately prior to such Liquidation, without regard to any limitations on conversion set forth in the Amended Series A Certificate of Designation or otherwise.
Conversion. Subject to the limitations set forth in the Amended Series A Certificate of Designation, at the option of the holder, each share of Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock, Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock or Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock shall be convertible into a number shares of common stock obtained by dividing the Original Per Share Price ($1,000) of each such share of Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock, Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock or Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock by the applicable conversion price of $0.49, $0.54, $0.59 and $0.74 for the Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock, Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock or Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively.
The foregoing summary of the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Amended Series Certificate of Designation, which is filed hereto as Exhibit 3.3 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Series B Preferred Stock
All shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock were converted into our common stock and/or Series B-2 Preferred Stock on July 5, 2024 following stockholder approval on June 20, 2024. The terms of the Series B-2 Preferred Stock are as follows:
Stated Value: The Series B Preferred Stock has a Stated Value of $1,000 per share.
Dividends. At all times following the Issuance Date, while shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, and the Company shall pay, dividends on shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis and without regard to any limitations on conversion set forth herein or otherwise) to and in the same form as dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock, which shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Series B Certificate of Designation) actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock, which shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights And Limitations of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Certificate of Designation”) are paid on shares of the common stock.
Voting Rights. Subject to certain limitations described in the Series B Certificate of Designation, the Series B-2 Preferred Stock is voting stock. Holders of the Series B-2 Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together with the common stock on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Accordingly, holders of Series B-2 Preferred Stock will be entitled to one vote for each whole share of common stock into which their Series B-2 Preferred Stock is then-convertible on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
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Liquidation. Upon any Liquidation, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock and common stock, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder, treating for this purpose all shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock as if they had been converted to common stock pursuant to the terms of the Certificate of Designation immediately prior to such Liquidation, without regard to any limitations on conversion set forth in the Series B Certificate of Designation or otherwise.
Conversion. Subject to the limitations set forth in the Series B-2 Certificate of Designation, at the option of the holder, each share of Series B-2 Preferred Stock shall be convertible is convertible into the number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient of (A) the stated value ($1,000), divided by (B) the conversion price on the applicable conversion date, which is $1.00 as of the date of this registration statement.
The foregoing summary of the terms of the Series B-2 Preferred Stock is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Series B Certificate of Designation, which is filed hereto as Exhibit 3.4 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Warrants
As of November 13, 2024, there were outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of (i) 4,784,193 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $6.00 per share; (ii) 25,840.3122 shares of our Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $1,000 per share, which shares Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible into 47,852,430 shares of our common stock; (iii) 25,666,30154 shares of our Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $1,000 per share, which shares of Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible into 43,502,206 shares of our common stock; and (iv) 51,506.61294 shares of our Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $1,000 per share, which shares of Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible into 69,603,531 shares of our common stock
Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the DGCL
We are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly traded Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A business combination includes mergers, asset sales or other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or within three years, did own) 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock, subject to certain exceptions. The statute could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. In particular, our Certificate of Incorporation and bylaws, as applicable, among other things:
● | provide our Board of Directors with the ability to alter our bylaws without stockholder approval; and |
● | provide that vacancies on our Board of Directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum. |
Such provisions may have the effect of discouraging a third party from acquiring us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our Board of Directors and in the policies formulated by them, and to discourage some types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change in control of our Company. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal and to discourage some tactics that may be used in proxy fights. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our Company outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging such proposals because, among other things, negotiation of such proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
However, these provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol “UNCY.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The Transfer Agent and Registrar for our common stock is Pacific Stock Transfer Company.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements or free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. We may issue debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. The terms of any debt securities we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below. However, no prospectus supplement shall fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no outstanding registered debt securities. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the “indentures,” we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue any senior debt securities under the senior indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the senior indenture. We will issue any subordinated debt securities under the subordinated indenture and any supplemental indentures that we will enter into with the trustee named in the subordinated indenture. We have filed forms of these documents as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). We use the term “trustee” to refer to either the trustee under the senior indenture or the trustee under the subordinated indenture, as applicable.
The following summaries of material provisions of the senior debt securities, the subordinated debt securities and the indentures are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture and any supplemental indentures applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indentures that contains the terms of the debt securities. Except as we may otherwise indicate, the terms of the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are identical.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our Board of Directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. Debt securities may be issued in separate series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. We may specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the debt securities of any series. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
● | the title; |
● | the principal amount being offered, and if a series, the total amount authorized and the total amount outstanding; |
● | any limit on the amount that may be issued; |
● | whether or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form, and, if so, the terms and who the depositary will be; |
● | the maturity date; |
● | whether and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional amounts on any debt securities held by a person who is not a United States person for tax purposes, and whether we can redeem the debt securities if we have to pay such additional amounts; |
● | the annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
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● | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
● | the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt; |
● | the place where payments will be made; |
● | restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any; |
● | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
● | the date, if any, after which, and the price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
● | provisions for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund, if any, including the date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant thereto or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option, to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
● | whether the indenture will restrict our ability or the ability of our subsidiaries, if any, to: |
● | incur additional indebtedness; |
● | issue additional securities; |
● | create liens; |
● | pay dividends or make distributions in respect of our capital stock or the capital stock of our subsidiaries; |
● | redeem capital stock; |
● | place restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets; |
● | make investments or other restricted payments; |
● | sell or otherwise dispose of assets; |
● | enter into sale-leaseback transactions; |
● | engage in transactions with stockholders or affiliates; |
● | issue or sell stock of our subsidiaries; or |
● | effect a consolidation or merger; |
● | whether the indenture will require us to maintain any interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based, asset-based or other financial ratios; |
● | a discussion of certain material or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities; |
● | information describing any book-entry features; |
● | the applicability of the provisions in the indenture on discharge; |
● | whether the debt securities are to be offered at a price such that they will be deemed to be offered at an “original issue discount” as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 1273 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; |
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● | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
● | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; and |
● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, including any additional events of default or covenants provided with respect to the debt securities, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms under which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third party). We will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third party) that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indentures will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the indentures or the debt securities, as appropriate. If the debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for our other securities or securities of other entities, the person with whom we consolidate or merge or to whom we sell all of our property must make provisions for the conversion of the debt securities into securities that the holders of the debt securities would have received if they had converted the debt securities before the consolidation, merger or sale.
Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
● | if we fail to pay interest when due and payable and our failure continues for 90 days and the time for payment has not been extended; |
● | if we fail to pay the principal, premium or sinking fund payment, if any, when due and payable at maturity, upon redemption or repurchase or otherwise, and the time for payment has not been extended; |
● | if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant contained in the debt securities or the indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive notice from the trustee or we and the trustee receive notice from the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and |
● | if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur. |
We will describe in each applicable prospectus supplement any additional events of default relating to the relevant series of debt securities.
If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default arises due to the occurrence of certain specified bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization events, the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
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Subject to the terms of the indentures, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
● | the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and |
● | subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding. |
The indentures will provide that if an event of default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee will be required in the exercise of its powers to use the degree of care that a prudent person would use in the conduct of its own affairs. The trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or the indenture, or that the trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other holder of the relevant series of debt securities, or that would involve the trustee in personal liability. Prior to taking any action under the indentures, the trustee will be entitled to indemnification against all costs, expenses and liabilities that would be incurred by taking or not taking such action.
A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
● | the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series; |
● | the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made a written request and such holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense or to be incurred in compliance with instituting the proceeding as trustee; and |
● | the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer. |
These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities, or other defaults that may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indentures.
The indentures will provide that if a default occurs and is continuing and is actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee must mail to each holder notice of the default within the earlier of 90 days after it occurs and 30 days after it is known by a responsible officer of the trustee or written notice of it is received by the trustee, unless such default has been cured or waived. Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal or premium of, or interest on, any debt security or certain other defaults specified in an indenture, the trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Board of Directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors, or responsible officers of the trustee, in good faith determine that withholding notice is in the best interests of holders of the relevant series of debt securities.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
Subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue, we and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to the following specific matters:
● | to fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture; |
● | to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities — Consolidation, Merger or Sale;” |
● | to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act; |
● | to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture; |
● | to provide for the issuance of, and establish the form and terms and conditions of, the debt securities of any series as provided under “Description of Debt Securities — General,” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; |
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● | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee; |
● | to provide for uncertificated debt securities and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose; |
● | to add such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred to us in the indenture; or |
● | to change anything that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect. |
In addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue or otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may only make the following changes with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
● | extending the stated maturity of the series of debt securities; |
● | reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption or repurchase of any debt securities; or |
● | reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver. |
Discharge
Each indenture provides that, subject to the terms of the indenture and any limitation otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we may elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
● | register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; |
● | replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; |
● | maintain paying agencies; |
● | hold monies for payment in trust; |
● | recover excess money held by the trustee; |
● | compensate and indemnify the trustee; and |
● | appoint any successor trustee. |
In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we will deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indentures will provide that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company or another depositary named by us and identified in a prospectus supplement with respect to that series. See “Legal Ownership of Securities” below for a further description of the terms relating to any book-entry securities.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
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Subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
● | issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or |
● | register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part. |
Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture and is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indentures at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur. However, upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
Ranking Debt Securities
The subordinated debt securities will be unsecured and will be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to certain other indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement. The subordinated indenture does not limit the amount of subordinated debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.
The senior debt securities will be unsecured and will rank equally in right of payment to all our other senior unsecured debt. The senior indenture does not limit the amount of senior debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.
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The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements and free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, which may consist of warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities and may be issued in one or more series. Warrants may be offered independently or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement, and may be attached to or separate from those securities. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness.
We may issue the warrants under a warrant agreement that we will enter into with a warrant agent to be selected by us. If selected, the warrant agent will act solely as an agent of ours in connection with the warrants and will not act as an agent for the holders or beneficial owners of the warrants. If applicable, we will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a Current Report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, the form of warrant agreement, including a form of warrant certificate, that describes the terms of the particular series of warrants we are offering before the issuance of the related series of warrants. The following summaries of material provisions of the warrants and the warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus related to the particular series of warrants that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.
General
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms relating to a series of warrants, including:
● | the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered; |
● | the currency for which the warrants may be purchased; |
● | if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security; |
● | if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise; |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise; |
● | the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreements and the warrants; |
● | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; |
● | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
● | the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire; |
● | the manner in which the warrant agreements and warrants may be modified; |
● | United States federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants; |
● | the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and |
● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants. |
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Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:
● | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the warrant agent in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate and in the applicable prospectus supplement the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to us or the warrant agent as applicable.
Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.
Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants
If selected, each warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.
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The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements and free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus.
While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any units that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of units in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any units offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness.
We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a Current Report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement that describes the terms of the series of units we are offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of the related series of units. The following summaries of material terms and provisions of the units are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the unit agreement and any supplemental agreements applicable to a particular series of units. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements related to the particular series of units that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that contain the terms of the units.
General
We may issue units comprised of one or more debt securities, shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock and warrants in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of units, including:
● | the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
● | any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below; and |
● | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units. |
The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Capital Stock,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Warrants” will apply to each unit and to any common stock, preferred stock, debt security or warrant included in each unit, respectively.
Unit Agent
The name and address of the unit agent, if any, for any units we offer will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Issuance in Series
We may issue units in such amounts and in numerous distinct series as we determine.
Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Units
Each unit agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable unit agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any unit. A single bank or trust company may act as unit agent for more than one series of units. A unit agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable unit agreement or unit, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a unit may, without the consent of the related unit agent or the holder of any other unit, enforce by appropriate legal action its rights as holder under any security included in the unit.
We, the unit agents and any of their agents may treat the registered holder of any unit certificate as an absolute owner of the units evidenced by that certificate for any purpose and as the person entitled to exercise the rights attaching to the units so requested, despite any notice to the contrary. See “Legal Ownership of Securities.”
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We can issue securities in registered form or in the form of one or more global securities. We describe global securities in greater detail below. We refer to those persons who have securities registered in their own names on the books that we or any applicable trustee or depositary or warrant agent maintain for this purpose as the “holders” of those securities. These persons are the legal holders of the securities. We refer to those persons who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in securities that are not registered in their own names, as “indirect holders” of those securities. As we discuss below, indirect holders are not legal holders, and investors in securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect holders.
Book-Entry Holders
We may issue securities in book-entry form only, as we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement. This means securities may be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, which are referred to as participants, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.
Only the person in whose name a security is registered is recognized as the holder of that security. Global securities will be registered in the name of the depositary or its participants. Consequently, for global securities, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the securities, and we will make all payments on the securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the securities.
As a result, investors in a global security will not own securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security, through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through a participant. As long as the securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect holders, and not legal holders, of the securities.
Street Name Holders
We may terminate a global security or issue securities that are not issued in global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their securities in their own names or in “street name.” Securities held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.
For securities held in street name, we or any applicable trustee or depositary will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the securities are registered as the holders of those securities, and we or any such trustee or depositary will make all payments on those securities to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold securities in street name will be indirect holders, not legal holders, of those securities.
Legal Holders
Our obligations, as well as the obligations of any applicable trustee or third party employed by us or a trustee, run only to the legal holders of the securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect holder of a security or has no choice because we are issuing the securities only in global form.
For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with its participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, we may want to obtain the approval of the holders to amend an indenture, to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of an indenture, or for other purposes. In such an event, we would seek approval only from the legal holders, and not the indirect holders, of the securities. Whether and how the legal holders contact the indirect holders is up to the legal holders.
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Special Considerations for Indirect Holders
If you hold securities through a bank, broker or other financial institution, either in book-entry form because the securities are represented by one or more global securities or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:
● | how it handles securities payments and notices; |
● | whether it imposes fees or charges; |
● | how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever required; |
● | whether and how you can instruct it to send you securities registered in your own name so you can be a legal holder, if that is permitted in the future; |
● | how it would exercise rights under the securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and |
● | if the securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s rules and procedures will affect these matters. |
Global Securities
A global security is a security that represents one or any other number of individual securities held by a depositary. Generally, all securities represented by the same global securities will have the same terms.
Each security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we issue to, deposit with and register in the name of a financial institution or its nominee that we select. The financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, The Depository Trust Company, New York, NY, known as DTC, will be the depositary for all securities issued in book-entry form.
A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary, its nominee or a successor depositary, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under “— Special Situations When A Global Security Will Be Terminated.” As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and legal holder of all securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a legal holder of the security, but only an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global security.
If the prospectus supplement for a particular security indicates that the security will be issued as a global security, then the security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. If termination occurs, we may issue the securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.
Special Considerations For Global Securities
As an indirect holder, an investor’s rights relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize an indirect holder as a holder of securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.
If securities are issued only as global securities, an investor should be aware of the following:
● | an investor cannot cause the securities to be registered in his or her name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the securities, except in the special situations we describe below; |
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● | an investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the securities, as we describe above; |
● | an investor may not be able to sell interests in the securities to some insurance companies and to other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form; |
● | an investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in the global security in circumstances where certificates representing the securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective; |
● | the depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in the global security. We and any applicable trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions or for its records of ownership interests in the global security. We and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way; |
● | the depositary may, and we understand that DTC will, require that those who purchase and sell interests in the global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds, and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and |
● | financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest in the global security, may also have their own policies affecting payments, notices and other matters relating to the securities. There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries. |
Special Situations When A Global Security Will Be Terminated
In a few special situations described below, a global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing those interests. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in securities transferred to their own names, so that they will be direct holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above.
A global security will terminate when the following special situations occur:
● | if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as depositary for that global security and we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days; |
● | if we notify any applicable trustee that we wish to terminate that global security; or |
● | if an event of default has occurred with regard to securities represented by that global security and has not been cured or waived. |
The applicable prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of securities covered by the prospectus supplement. When a global security terminates, the depositary, and neither we, nor any applicable trustee, is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct holders.
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We may sell the securities being offered hereby in one or more of the following ways from time to time:
● | through agents to the public or to investors; |
● | to underwriters for resale to the public or to investors; |
● | negotiated transactions; |
● | block trades; |
● | directly to investors; or |
● | through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
As set forth in more detail below, the securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:
● | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
● | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
● | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
● | at negotiated prices. |
We will set forth in a prospectus supplement the terms of that particular offering of securities, including:
● | the name or names of any agents or underwriters; |
● | the purchase price of the securities being offered and the proceeds we will receive from the sale; |
● | any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; |
● | any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation; |
● | any initial public offering price; |
● | any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and |
● | any securities exchanges or markets on which such securities may be listed. |
Only underwriters named in an applicable prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement.
If underwriters are used in an offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction (including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more investment banking firms or others, as designated. If an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the offered securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own accounts and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities if any are purchased.
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We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for those securities.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, we will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be specified in a prospectus supplement.
We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, any agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.
In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the common stock for whom they act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase common stock directly and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the common stock by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties (including the writing of options), or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with such a transaction, the third parties may, pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or in a post-effective amendment.
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To facilitate an offering of a series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than have been sold to them by us. In those circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasing in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to those persons. In addition, those persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each class or series of securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than our common stock, which is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. We may elect to list any other class or series of securities on any exchange or market, but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a class or series of securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We cannot give any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities.
In order to comply with the securities laws of some U.S. states or territories, if applicable, the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus will be sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.
Any underwriter may engage in overallotment, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Overallotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of these activities at any time.
Any underwriters who are qualified market makers on The Nasdaq Capital Market may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security. If all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.
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The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, New York, NY. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The Company’s financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Grassi & Co., independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, and have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.
The Company’s financial statements of as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by CBIZ CPAs P.C. (formerly Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.), independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, and have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus constitutes a part of the registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. As permitted by the SEC’s rules, this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, which forms a part of the registration statement, do not contain all of the information that is included in the registration statement. You will find additional information about us in the registration statement. Any statement made in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.unicycive.com, at which you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain copies of these documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities. You may also request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at: 4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Los Altos, California, 94022, (650) 351-4495.
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INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
This prospectus is part of the registration statement, but the registration statement includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than by including them in this prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus and any subsequent prospectus supplement. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus from the date those documents are filed.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below, all filings filed by us pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the registration statement of which this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement forms a part, and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the time that all securities covered by this prospectus have been sold; provided, however, that we are not incorporating any information furnished under either Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K:
● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 filed on August 14, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 filed on November 13, 2024; |
● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 21, 2024; March 14, 2024; March 14, 2024; June 20, 2024; June 26, 2024; July 2, 2024; July 15, 2024; July 15, 2024; September 25, 2024 and November 12, 2024; |
● | our definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 26, 2024; and |
● | the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on July 6, 2021, including any amendments or reports filed with the SEC for the purposes of updating such description. |
Any statements made in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document, which is also incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement made in this prospectus is deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent a statement in any subsequently filed document, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus should be read together with the information in the documents incorporated by reference. In addition, certain information, including financial information, contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus should be read in conjunction with documents we have filed with the SEC.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial holder, to whom a prospectus is delivered, at no cost, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in the prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. Requests for documents should be by writing to or telephoning us at the following address: Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc., 4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Los Altos, California, 94022, (650) 351-4495. Exhibits to these filings will not be sent unless those exhibits have been specifically incorporated by reference in such filings.
26
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy these securities until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Subject to completion, dated November 13, 2024
Up to $50,000,000
Common Stock
We have entered into a Sales Agreement, or the Sales Agreement, with Guggenheim Securities, LLC, or Guggenheim Securities, dated November 13, 2024, relating to shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement, we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50 million, subject to certain limitations, as described below, from time to time through or to Guggenheim Securities, acting as sales agent or principal.
Our common stock trades on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “UNCY.” On November 8, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was $0.59 per share.
Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus may be made in sales deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (the “Securities Act”). Guggenheim Securities is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but will act as sales agent or principal on a best efforts basis and use commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms between us and Guggenheim Securities. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
Guggenheim Securities will be entitled to compensation at a fixed commission rate equal to 3.0% of the gross sales price per common share sold under the Sales Agreement. In connection with the sale of our common stock on our behalf, Guggenheim Securities will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of Guggenheim Securities will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to Guggenheim Securities with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or the Exchange Act.
As of the date of this prospectus the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates, or our public float, was approximately $51,608,469 based on 87,471,891 shares of outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates and a per share price of $0.59, the closing price of our common stock on November 8, 2024, which is the highest closing price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market within the prior 60 days. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell shares pursuant to this prospectus with a value of more than one-third of the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates in any 12-month period, so long as the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $75,000,000. During the 12-calendar month period that ends on, and includes, the date of this prospectus (excluding this offering), we have not offered or sold shares of our common stock pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3 and, accordingly, may offer and sell additional shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $17,202,823 from time to time through Guggenheim Securities in accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement. If our public float increases such that we may sell additional amounts under the Sales Agreement and this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the prospectus prior to making additional sales.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus, and in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, incorporated by reference into this prospectus before making a decision to invest in our common stock.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Guggenheim Securities
The date of this prospectus is November , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROSPECTUS
Page | |
About This Prospectus | S-2 |
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements | S-3 |
Prospectus Summary | S-4 |
The Offering | S-6 |
Risk Factors | S-7 |
Use of Proceeds | S-11 |
Dilution | S-12 |
Plan of Distribution | S-13 |
Legal Matters | S-14 |
Experts | S-14 |
Where You Can Find More Information | S-14 |
Incorporation of Documents by Reference | S-15 |
We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not and Guggenheim Securities has not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and neither we nor Guggenheim Securities take any responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this documentation are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
S-1
This prospectus relates to the offering of our common stock. Before buying any of the common stock that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus, together with the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference as described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.” This prospectus is deemed a prospectus to the accompanying prospectus contained in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
This prospectus is part of a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), using a “shelf” registration process. This prospectus describes the specific terms of this offering of shares of common stock and also adds to and updates information contained in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
This prospectus relates only to an offering of up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock through Guggenheim Securities. These sales, if any, will be made pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement entered into between us and Guggenheim Securities on November 13, 2024, a copy of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus or contained in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on our behalf. We have not, and Guggenheim Securities has not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. The distribution of this prospectus and sale of these securities in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. We are not, and Guggenheim Securities is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
Trademarks, service marks or trade names of any other companies appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Use or display by us of trademarks, service marks or trade names owned by others is not intended to and does not imply a relationship between us and, or endorsement or sponsorship by, the owners of the trademarks, service marks or trade names.
S-2
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain, in addition to historical information, certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act that include information relating to future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation and availability of resources. Such forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and they are subject to risks and uncertainties known and unknown that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “should”, “could” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus or incorporated herein by reference.
Risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from those expressed or implied in our written or oral forward-looking statements may be found in this prospectus under the heading “Risk Factors” and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Business,” as updated in our Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We qualify all of the information presented in this prospectus and incorporated herein by reference, and particularly our forward-looking statements, by these cautionary statements.
S-3
The following summary highlights certain of the information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Because this is only a summary, however, it does not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our securities and it is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information included elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Before you make an investment decision, you should read this entire prospectus and the accompanying prospectus carefully, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed under the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should also carefully read the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements, and the exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.
Overview
We are a biotechnology company dedicated to developing treatments for certain medical conditions. Currently, two of our programs are focused on kidney disease, an area we believe we have the potential to offer medical benefit. As we grow the company and build our team, we intend to focus on identifying medical conditions within and outside of kidney disease. Our current development programs are focused on two novel therapies: Oxylanthanum Carbonate (“OLC), for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, and UNI 494, for treatment of acute kidney injury (“AKI”). Oxylanthanum Carbonate and UNI 494 were initially developed by and licensed to us from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (“Spectrum”) and Sphaera Pharma (“Sphaera”), respectively. Spectrum conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial with OLC in 2012, prior to the grant of our license in 2018. Sphaera conceived and performed initial characterization of various potential pro-drug linkers, including the initial patent application, and performed some initial physiochemical characterization and preliminary animal pharmacokinetic studies. As discussed herein, after completing IND enabling preclinical studies, we have conducted a Phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers with UNI 494 in 2023.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the gradual loss of kidney (renal) function that can get worse over time leading to lasting damage and possibly Stage 5 or end-stage renal disease (“ESRD”). Our initial focus is on developing drugs and getting them approved in the U.S., and then to partner with global biopharmaceutical companies in the rest of the world. According to the United States Renal Data System (“USRDS”) 2022 Annual Data Report, 30 million (14%) of adults in the United States are estimated to have CKD and, of these, approximately 13 million patients have advanced CKD (stage 3-5). Approximately 550,000 patients (ESRD) are on dialysis and of those, approximately 450,000 patients (~80%) take phosphate binders to control hyperphosphatemia (too much phosphorus in their blood). The number of patients with ESRD in the U.S. is increasing steadily and is projected to reach between 971,000 and 1,259,000 patients in 2030.
AKI is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage (within the first 90 days of injury). After 90 days, the patient is considered to have progressed into CKD. AKI affects more than 2 million U.S. patients and costs the healthcare system in excess of $9 billion per year. More than 300,000 patients per year in the U.S. die due to AKI that has many causes.
Our business model is to license technologies and drugs in order to pursue development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of those products in global markets. Many biotechnology companies utilize similar strategies of in-licensing and then developing and commercializing drugs. We believe, however, that our management team’s broad network, expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry, and successful track record gives us an advantage in identifying and bringing these assets into our company.
S-4
Pipeline
Our proprietary pipeline is comprised of our two product candidates – OLC and UNI 494 – which are described below.
◦ | Figure 1 Unicycive Product Pipeline |
Recent Developments
New Drug Application
On September 3, 2024, we submitted a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for OLC for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD on dialysis. On November 11, 2024, we announced that the FDA has accepted the NDA for OLC and has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June 28, 2025.
Company Information
We were incorporated as a Delaware corporation on August 18, 2016. Our principal executive offices are located at 4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Los Altos, CA 94022 and our telephone number is (650) 351-4495. Our website address is http://www.unicycive.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock. We have included our website address as a factual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website.
S-5
Common stock offered by us: | Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000. | |
Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering: | Up to 188,542,168 shares, assuming the sale of up to 84,745,762 shares hereunder at a price of $0.59 per share, the closing price per share on The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 8, 2024, for aggregate gross proceeds of $50,000,000. Actual shares issued will vary depending on the sales prices under this offering. | |
Manner of offering: | “At the market offering” that may be made from time to time on The Nasdaq Capital Market or other existing trading markets for our common stock through or to Guggenheim Securities, acting as agent or principal. See “Plan of Distribution” on page S-13 of this prospectus. | |
Use of Proceeds: | Our management will retain broad discretion regarding the allocation and use of the net proceeds. We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including the development and commercialization of our products, research and development, general and administrative expenses, license or technology acquisitions, and working capital and capital expenditures. We may also use a portion of the remaining net proceeds, if any, to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products and technologies, although we have no current commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date hereof. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-11. | |
Risk factors: | Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus, and in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in any updates to those risk factors in our reports on Form 10-Q or subsequent filings, incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. | |
Nasdaq Capital Market symbol: | UNCY |
Unless we indicate otherwise, all information in this prospectus is based on 103,796,406 shares of common stock outstanding as of November 13, 2024 and excludes as of that date:
● | 13,671,140 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options under our stock incentive plans at a weighted average exercise price of $1.00 per share; |
● | 4,784,193 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $6.00 per share; |
● | 17,176,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 8,416.24 shares Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock; |
● | 47,852,430 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 25,840.3122 shares Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of Tranche A Warrants; |
● | 43,502,206 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 25,666.30154 shares Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of Tranche B Warrants; |
● | 69,603,531 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 51,506.61294 shares Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of Tranche C Warrants; |
● | 7,444,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 7,444 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock; and |
● | 7,433,327 shares of common stock reserved for future grants and awards under our stock incentive plans. |
S-6
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below and discussed under the section captioned “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are each incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus in their entirety, as well as any amendment or update to our risk factors reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, together with other information in this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus, and the information and documents incorporated by reference that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties summarized and described below are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Certain statements in this prospectus are forward-looking statements. Please also see the section entitled “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to this Offering and Our Common Stock
Our common stock price may be volatile and could fluctuate widely in price, which could result in substantial losses for investors.
The market price of our common stock historically has been, and we expect will continue to be, subject to significant fluctuations over short periods of time. For example, since January 1, 2024, the closing price of our common stock ranged from a low of $0.2360 to a high of $1.79. These fluctuations may be due to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
● | technological innovations or new products and services introduced by us or our competitors; |
● | clinical trial results relating to our tests or those of our competitors; |
● | announcements or press releases relating to the industry or to our own business or prospects; |
● | coverage and reimbursement decisions by third party payors, such as Medicare and other managed care organizations; |
● | regulation and oversight of our product candidates and services, including by the FDA, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and comparable foreign agencies; |
● | the establishment of partnerships with clinical reference laboratories; |
● | healthcare legislation; |
● | intellectual property disputes; |
● | additions or departures of key personnel; |
● | sales of our common stock; |
● | our ability to integrate operations, technology, products and services; |
S-7
● | our ability to execute our business plan; |
● | operating results below expectations; |
● | loss of any strategic relationship; |
● | industry developments; |
● | economic and other external factors; |
● | catastrophic weather and/or global disease outbreaks, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic; and |
● | period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results. |
In addition, market fluctuations, as well as general political and economic conditions, could materially adversely affect the market price of our securities. Because we are a development stage company with no revenue from operations to date, other than licensing, milestone and royalty income, you should consider any one of these factors to be material. Our stock price may fluctuate widely as a result of any of the foregoing.
If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you may incur immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares.
The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering. Assuming that an aggregate of 84,745,762 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $0.59 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 8, 2024, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $50,000,000, and after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, you would experience immediate dilution of $0.18 per share, representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2024 after giving effect to this offering and the assumed public offering price. The exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants will result in further dilution of your investment.
This dilution would be due to the substantially lower price paid by some of our investors who purchased shares prior to this offering as compared to the assumed price offered to the public in this offering and the exercise of stock options granted to our employees, directors and consultants as well as the exercise of outstanding warrants and conversion of outstanding preferred stock. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of our liquidation. Further, because we expect we will need to raise additional capital to fund our future activities, we may in the future sell substantial amounts of common stock or securities exercisable or convertible into or exchangeable for common stock.
Because we will have broad discretion and flexibility in how the net proceeds from this offering are used, we may use the net proceeds in ways with which you disagree.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including the development and commercialization of our products, research and development, general and administrative expenses, license or technology acquisitions, and working capital and capital expenditures. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-11. We have not allocated specific amounts of the net proceeds from this offering for any of the foregoing purposes. Accordingly, our management will have significant discretion and flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. You will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that the net proceeds will be invested in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
S-8
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings and other issuances of our securities. In addition, this offering and future equity offerings and other issuances of our common stock or other securities may adversely affect our common stock price.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities exercisable or convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may not be able to sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock or securities exercisable or convertible into common stock in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share in this offering. You will incur dilution upon exercise of any outstanding stock options or warrants, the conversion of any outstanding preferred stock or upon the issuance of shares of common stock under our stock incentive programs. In addition, the sale of shares in this offering and any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the price of our common stock. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that market sales of those shares of common stock or the availability of those shares of common stock for sale will have on the market price of our common stock.
We have not paid dividends on our common stock in the past and do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
We have never paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We expect that any income received from operations will be devoted to our future operations and growth. We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the near future. Payment of dividends would depend upon our profitability at the time, cash available for those dividends, and other factors that our Board of Directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on an investor’s investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates. Furthermore, the terms of any debt agreements may also preclude us from paying dividends. Investors in our common stock should not rely on an investment in our company if they require dividend income. We expect that only appreciation of the price of our common stock, if any, will provide a return to investors in this offering for the foreseeable future.
The common stock offered hereby will be sold in “at the market” offerings, and investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.
Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and so may experience different outcomes in their investment results. We will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices, and numbers of shares sold, and there is no minimum or maximum sales price. Investors may experience a decline in the value of their shares as a result of share sales made at prices lower than the prices they paid.
The actual number of shares we will issue under the Sales Agreement, at any one time or in total, is uncertain.
Subject to certain limitations in the Sales Agreement and compliance with applicable law, we have the discretion to deliver placement notices to Guggenheim Securities at any time throughout the term of the Sales Agreement. The number of shares that are sold by Guggenheim Securities after delivering a placement notice will fluctuate based on the market price of the common stock during the sales period and limits we set with Guggenheim Securities. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate based on the market price of our common stock during the sales period, it is not possible at this stage to predict the number of shares that will be ultimately issued.
S-9
We are a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are currently a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. As a smaller reporting company, we take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “smaller reporting companies,” including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our share price may be more volatile.
If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market, our common stock may be delisted and the price of our common stock and our ability to access the capital markets could be negatively impacted.
Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market and the continued listing of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market is contingent on our continued compliance with a number of listing requirements. If we are unable to comply with the continued listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market, our common stock would be delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market, which would limit investors’ ability to effect transactions in our common stock and subject us to additional trading restrictions. In order to maintain our listing, we must maintain certain share prices, financial and share distribution targets, including maintaining a minimum amount of stockholders’ equity and a minimum number of public stockholders, as well as satisfy other listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market. In addition to these objective standards, Nasdaq Capital Market may delist the securities of any issuer for other reasons involving the judgment of Nasdaq Capital Market.
On July 9, 2024, we received written notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), as the minimum bid price of our common stock had been below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810, we have a period of 180 calendar days, or until January 6, 2025, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement and market value of common stock requirement. To regain compliance with The Nasdaq bid price requirement, the closing bid price of our common stock must meet or exceed $1.00 per share for at least 10 consecutive business days during this 180 calendar day period. In the event we do not regain compliance by January 6, 2025, we may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day grace period; however, there can be no assurance that we will regain compliance with The Nasdaq continued listing requirements.
In addition, on July 11, 2024, the Company received Notice from Nasdaq notifying the Company that for the last 30 consecutive business days prior to the date of the Notice, the Company’s minimum Market Value of Listed Securities was below the minimum of $35 million required for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “MVLS Requirement”). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), Nasdaq has provided the Company with 180 calendar days, or until January 7, 2025 (the “Compliance Date”), to regain compliance with the MVLS Requirement. If the Company regains compliance with the MVLS Requirement, Nasdaq will provide written confirmation to the Company and close the matter. Nasdaq has determined that for the last 10 consecutive business days, from September 10 to September 23, 2024, the Company’s market value of listed securities has been $35,000,000 or greater. On September 24, 2024, the Company received notice from Nasdaq that the Company has regained compliance with the minimum market value requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with The Nasdaq Capital Market continued listing standards and/or continue our listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market in the future.
If The Nasdaq Capital Market delists our common stock from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect the common stock would qualify to be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
● | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
● | reduced liquidity for our securities; | |
● | substantially impair our ability to raise additional funds; | |
● | the loss of institutional investor interest and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future; | |
● | a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; | |
● | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and | |
● | potential breaches of representations or covenants of our agreements pursuant to which we made representations or covenants relating to our compliance with applicable listing requirements, which, regardless of merit, could result in costly litigation, significant liabilities and diversion of our management’s time and attention and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business and results of operations. |
S-10
We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $50,000,000 from time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. There can be no assurance that we will sell any shares under or fully utilize our Sales Agreement with Guggenheim Securities as a source of financing.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the shares for general corporate purposes, including the development and commercialization of our products, research and development, general and administrative expenses, license or technology acquisitions, and working capital and capital expenditures. The expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend on numerous factors, including the factors described under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, as well as the amount of cash used in our operations. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds. We may also use a portion of the remaining net proceeds, if any, to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products and technologies, although we have no current commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date hereof. Pending the uses described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
S-11
If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering. As of September 30, 2024, our net tangible book value was $27.9 million, or $0.28 per share. Net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets (excluding deferred issuance costs) less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding. Dilution with respect to net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares of common stock in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.
Our pro forma net tangible book value on September 30, 2024 was approximately $27.9 million, or $0.27 per share, after giving effect to (i) the issuance of an aggregate of 5,500,000 shares of our common stock upon the conversion of outstanding Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock; and (ii) 438,000 shares of our common stock upon the conversion of outstanding shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock. “Net tangible book value” is total assets minus the sum of liabilities and intangible assets. “Net tangible book value per share” is net tangible book value divided by the total number of shares outstanding.
After giving effect to the sale of 84,745,762 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $0.59 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 8, 2024, and after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2024 would have been approximately $77.9 million, or approximately $0.41 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $0.14 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $0.18 per share to investors participating in this offering at the assumed public offering price.
Assumed public offering price per share | $ | 0.59 | ||||||
Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2024 | $ | 0.27 | ||||||
Increase in pro forma net tangible per share attributable to this offering | 0.14 | |||||||
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2024, after giving effect to this offering | 0.41 | |||||||
Dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per share to investors participating in this offering | $ | 0.18 |
The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The above discussion and table is based on 97,858,406 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and excludes as of that date:
● | 13,671,140 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options under our stock incentive plans at a weighted average exercise price of $1.00 per share; |
● | 4,784,193 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $6.00 per share; |
● | 22,676,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 11,111.24 shares Series A-2 Prime Preferred Stock; |
● | 47,852,430 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 25,840.3122 shares Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of Tranche A Warrants; |
● | 43,502,206 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 25,666.30154 shares Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of Tranche B Warrants; |
● | 69,603,531 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 51,506.61294_ shares Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of Tranche C Warrants; |
● | 7,882,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of 7,882 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock; and |
● | 7,433,327 shares of common stock reserved for future grants and awards under our stock incentive plans. |
S-12
We have entered into the Sales Agreement with Guggenheim Securities, under which we may offer and sell up to $50,000,000 of our shares of common stock from time to time through or to Guggenheim Securities acting as agent or principal. Sales of our shares of common stock, if any, under this prospectus will be made by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act.
Each time we wish to issue and sell shares of common stock under the Sales Agreement, we will notify Guggenheim Securities of the number of shares to be issued, the dates on which such sales are anticipated to be made, any limitation on the number of shares to be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Once we have so instructed Guggenheim Securities, unless Guggenheim Securities declines to accept the terms of such notice, Guggenheim Securities has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The obligations of Guggenheim Securities under the Sales Agreement to sell our shares of common stock are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet.
The settlement of sales of shares between us and Guggenheim Securities is generally anticipated to occur on the first trading day following the date on which the sale was made. Sales of our shares of common stock as contemplated in this prospectus will be settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company or by such other means as we and Guggenheim Securities may agree upon. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
We will pay Guggenheim Securities a commission equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds we receive from each sale of our shares of common stock. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse Guggenheim Securities for the fees and disbursements of its counsel, payable upon execution of the Sales Agreement, in an amount not to exceed $75,000. Additionally, pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement, we agreed to reimburse Guggenheim Securities for the documented fees and costs of its legal counsel reasonably incurred in connection with Guggenheim Securities’ ongoing diligence arising from the transactions contemplated by the Sales Agreement in an amount not to exceed $25,000 per calendar quarter, in addition to certain ongoing disbursements of its legal counsel, unless we and Guggenheim Securities otherwise agree. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding any commissions or expense reimbursement payable to Guggenheim Securities under the terms of the Sales Agreement, will be approximately $[ ]. The remaining sale proceeds, after deducting any other transaction fees, will equal our net proceeds from the sale of such shares.
Guggenheim Securities will provide written confirmation to us before the open on The Nasdaq Capital Market on the day following each day on which our shares of common stock are sold under the Sales Agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares sold on that day, the aggregate gross proceeds of such sales and the proceeds to us.
In connection with the sale of our shares of common stock on our behalf, Guggenheim Securities will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of Guggenheim Securities will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to indemnify Guggenheim Securities against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We have also agreed to contribute to payments Guggenheim Securities may be required to make in respect of such liabilities.
This offering of our shares of common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all shares of common stock subject to the Sales Agreement and (ii) the termination of the Sales Agreement as permitted therein.
This summary of the material provisions of the Sales Agreement does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. A copy of the Sales Agreement is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Guggenheim Securities and its affiliates may in the future provide various investment banking, commercial banking, financial advisory and other financial services for us and our affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive customary fees. In the course of its business, Guggenheim Securities may actively trade our securities for its own account or for the accounts of customers, and, accordingly, Guggenheim Securities may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities.
A prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by Guggenheim Securities, and Guggenheim Securities may distribute the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus electronically.
S-13
The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, New York, New York. Guggenheim Securities is being represented in connection with this offering by Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts.
The Company’s financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Grassi & Co., independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, and have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.
The Company’s financial statements of as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by CBIZ CPAs P.C. (formerly Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.), independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, and have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus constitutes a part of the registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. As permitted by the SEC’s rules, this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, do not contain all of the information that is included in the registration statement. You will find additional information about us in the registration statement. Any statement made in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.unicycive.com, at which you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain copies of these documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities. You may also request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at: Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc., 4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Los Altos, California, 94022; (650) 351-4495.
S-14
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than by including them in this prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus from the date those documents are filed.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below, all filings filed by us pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the registration statement of which this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus forms a part, and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the time that all securities covered by this prospectus have been sold; provided, however, that we are not incorporating any information furnished under either Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K:
● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 filed on August 14, 2024; |
● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 filed on November 13, 2024 |
● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 21, 2024, March 14, 2024, March 14, 2024; June 20, 2024; June 26, 2024; July 2, 2024; July 15, 2024; July 15, 2024; September 25, 2024; and November 12, 2024; |
● | our definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 26, 2024; and |
● | the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on July 6, 2021, including any amendments or reports filed with the SEC for the purposes of updating such description. |
Any statements made in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document, which is also incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement made in this prospectus is deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent a statement in any subsequently filed document, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus should be read together with the information in the documents incorporated by reference. In addition, certain information, including financial information, contained in this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus should be read in conjunction with documents we have filed with the SEC.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial holder, to whom a prospectus is delivered, at no cost, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in the prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. Requests for documents should be by writing to or telephoning us at the following address: Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc., 4300 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Los Altos, California, 94022; (650) 351-4495. Exhibits to these filings will not be sent unless those exhibits have been specifically incorporated by reference in such filings.
S-15
Up to $50,000,000
Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS
Guggenheim Securities
November [ ], 2024
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth an estimate of the fees and expenses relating to the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which shall be borne by the registrant.
All of such fees and expenses are estimated:
Amount | ||||
SEC registration fee | $ | 15,310.00 | ||
FINRA filing fee | 15,500.00 | |||
Accounting fees and expenses | ** | |||
Legal fees and expenses | ** | |||
Miscellaneous fees and expenses | ** | |||
Total expenses | $ | ** |
** | These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102 of the DGCL permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director of the Company shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, ending or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
II-1
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will provide indemnification for our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. We will indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened or pending action by or in the right of us by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and bylaws provide that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.
We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 16. Exhibits.
II-2
3.6 | Certificate of Correction to Series B Preferred Certificate of Designation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on November 8, 2024, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024 filed on November 13, 2024 | |
4.1 | Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing the shares of common stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form S-1 filed on May 21, 2021) | |
4.2* | Form of Certificate of Designation with respect to Preferred Stock | |
4.3** | Form of Senior Indenture | |
4.4** | Form of Subordinated Indenture | |
4.5* | Form of Senior Note | |
4.6* | Form of Subordinated Note | |
4.7* | Form of Warrant | |
4.8* | Form of Warrant Agreement | |
4.9* | Form of Unit Agreement | |
5.1** | Opinion of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP | |
23.1** | Consent of CBIZ CPAs P.C. | |
23.2** | Consent of Grassi & Co., CPAs, P.C. | |
23.3** | Consent of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) | |
24.1** | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto) | |
25.1* | Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended | |
107** | Filing fee table |
* | To the extent applicable, to be filed by an amendment or as an exhibit to a document filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated by reference herein. |
** | Filed herewith. |
II-3
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee Table” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement;
(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(l)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date;
II-4
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(7) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(8) To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Los Altos, State of California, on November 13, 2024.
UNICYCIVE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Shalabh Gupta | |
Shalabh Gupta | ||
Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Shalabh Gupta, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or any substitute or substitutes for him, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Shalabh Gupta | Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors | November 13, 2024 | ||
Shalabh Gupta | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
/s/ John Townsend | Chief Financial Officer | November 13, 2024 | ||
John Townsend | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
/s/ Saraswati Kenkare-Mitra., Ph.D. | Director | November 13, 2024 | ||
Saraswati Kenkare-Mitra., Ph.D. | ||||
/s/ Sandeep Laumas, M.D. | Director | November 13, 2024 | ||
Sandeep Laumas, M.D.
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/s/ Gaurav Aggarwal, M.D. | Director | November 13, 2024 | ||
Gaurav Aggarwal, M.D. |
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