SEC Form SC 13D/A filed by Aerovate Therapeutics Inc. (Amendment)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13D

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 2)*

Aerovate Therapeutics, Inc.

(Name of Issuer)

Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

008064107

(CUSIP Number)

RA Capital Management, L.P.

200 Berkeley Street, 18th Floor

Boston, MA 02116

Attn: Peter Kolchinsky

Telephone: 617.778.2500

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person

Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

April 26, 2024

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box. ☐

Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

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Item 1 of the Statement is amended and supplemented as follows:

This Amendment No. 2 (this “Amendment No. 2” or this “Schedule 13D/A”) amends and supplements the statement on the Schedule 13D originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 12, 2021 and amended on June 27, 2023 (the “Statement”), filed by RA Capital Management, L.P., Dr. Kolchinsky, Mr. Shah, and RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P. with respect to the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Aerovate Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), which has its principal executive offices at 930 Winter Street, Suite M-500, Waltham, MA 02451. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this Amendment No. 2 shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Statement. Unless amended or supplemented below, the information in the Statement remains unchanged.

Item 2 of the Statement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

The Reporting Persons’ beneficial ownership of the Issuer’s Common Stock consists of (i) 6,965,568 shares of Common Stock directly held by the Fund; (ii) 987,244 shares of Common Stock directly held by the RA Capital Nexus Fund, L.P (the “Nexus Fund”); (iii) 311,170 shares of Common Stock directly held by a separately managed account (the “Account”); (iv) a total of 36,111 vested stock options (right to buy) held by Joshua Resnick for the benefit of RA Capital; and (v) 13,889 stock options (right to buy) scheduled to vest within 60 days of this filing held by Dr. Resnick for the benefit of RA Capital.

RA Capital Healthcare Fund GP, LLC is the general partner of the Fund and RA Capital Nexus Fund GP, LLC is the general partner of the Nexus Fund. The general partner of RA Capital is RA Capital Management GP, LLC, of which Dr. Kolchinsky and Mr. Shah are the controlling persons. RA Capital serves as investment adviser for each of the Fund, the Nexus Fund and the Account and may be deemed a beneficial owner, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Act, of any securities of the Issuer held by the Fund, the Nexus Fund or the Account. Each of the Fund and the Nexus Fund has delegated to RA Capital the sole power to vote and the sole power to dispose of all securities held in its portfolio, including the shares of the Issuer’s Common Stock reported herein. Because each of the Fund and the Nexus Fund has divested itself of voting and investment power over the reported securities it holds and may not revoke that delegation on less than 61 days’ notice, each of the Fund and the Nexus Fund disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities it holds for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Act and therefore disclaims any obligation to report ownership of the reported securities under Section 13(d) of the Act. As managers of RA Capital, Dr. Kolchinsky and Mr. Shah may be deemed beneficial owners, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Act, of any securities of the Issuer beneficially owned by RA Capital. RA Capital, Dr. Kolchinsky, and Mr. Shah disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities reported in this Schedule 13D/A other than for the purpose of determining their obligations under Section 13(d) of the Act, and the filing of this Schedule 13D/A shall not be deemed an admission that either RA Capital, Dr. Kolchinsky, or Mr. Shah is the beneficial owner of such securities for any other purpose.

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Item 7 of the Statement is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

Exhibit 1      Joint Filing Agreement

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SIGNATURES

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: April 30, 2024

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SCHEDULE A¹

* Represents future vesting options within 60 days from the filing date of this Schedule 13D/A.

¹ The Common Stock and percentage ownership reported in this amendment reflect an increase in the number of outstanding shares of the Issuer.

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EXHIBIT 1

JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

This Joint Filing Agreement, dated as of April 30, 2024, is by and among RA Capital Management, L.P., Peter Kolchinsky, Rajeev Shah, and RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P. (the foregoing are collectively referred to herein as the “Filers”).

Each of the Filers may be required to file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission a statement on Schedule 13G and/or 13D with respect to Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share of Aerovate Therapeutics, Inc. beneficially owned by them from time to time.

Pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 13(d)(1)(k) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Filers hereby agree to file a single statement on Schedule 13G and/or 13D (and any amendments thereto) on behalf of each of such parties, and hereby further agree to file this Joint Filing Agreement as an exhibit to such statement, as required by such rule.

This Joint Filing Agreement may be terminated by any of the Filers upon one week’s prior written notice or such lesser period of notice as the Filers may mutually agree.

Executed and delivered as of the date first above written.