Warrants of series TO 8 were exercised to approximately 18.5 percent and ExpreS2ion receives approximately SEK 3.4 million
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Hørsholm, Denmark, 25 September 2023 - Today, 25 September 2023, ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB ("ExpreS2ion" or the "Company") announces the outcome of the exercise of warrants of series TO 8 (the "Warrants"), which were issued in connection with the Company's rights issue of units in 2023. In total, 2,155,191 Warrants were exercised, corresponding to approximately 18.5 percent of the total number of outstanding Warrants, for subscription of 2,155,191 shares at an exercise price of SEK 1.57 per share. ExpreS2ion will receive approximately SEK 3.4 million before issuing costs through the exercise of the Warrants.
Background
ExpreS2ion completed a rights issue of units during the second quarter of 2023. Within the scope of the rights issue, ExpreS2ion issued 11,115,398 Warrants. Furthermore, ExpreS2ion issued an additional 527,573 Warrants to guarantors in the rights issue who chose to receive guarantee compensation in units. One (1) unit consisted of one (1) newly issued share and one (1) Warrant. One (1) Warrant gives the owner the right to subscribe for one (1) new share in the Company. The exercise price for the Warrants was determined to 70 percent of the volume-weighted average price in the Company's share on Nasdaq First North Growth Market during the measurement period, from 21 August 2023 to 1 September 2023. During the measurement period, the volume-weighted average price in the Company's share was approximately SEK 2.24, therefore the exercise price for the Warrants was set to SEK 1.57.
Outcome
In total, 2,155,191 Warrants were exercised for subscription of 2,155,191 shares, meaning that approximately 18.5 percent of all outstanding Warrants were exercised for subscription of shares and ExpreS2ion receives approximately SEK 3.4 million in gross proceeds.
Exercised warrants have been replaced with interim shares (IA), pending registration with the Swedish Companies Registration Office. The interim shares are expected to be converted to shares within approximately three weeks.
Number of shares, share capital and dilution
Through the exercise of the Warrants, the number of shares in ExpreS2ion increases by 2,155,191 shares, from 49,249,767 shares to a total of 51,404,958 shares. The share capital will increase by SEK 239,465.667101, from SEK 5,472,196.343262 to SEK 5,711,662.010363.
For existing shareholders who did not exercise any Warrants, the dilution amounts to approximately 4.2 percent based on the number of shares following exercise of the Warrants.
CEO Bent U. Frandsen's comments:
"Although the recent results from Bavarian Nordic’s Phase III clinical trial for ABNCoV2 were disappointing from a commercial perspective, we are now in a unique position as a biotech company with a clinical Phase III-validated technology platform. Looking forward, we are actively exploring opportunities to leverage our expertise, including the Phase III-validated technology platform, to develop innovative vaccines with a faster and less costly path to value creation. We have an advanced preclinical-stage HER2-VLP breast cancer vaccine ES2B-C001 with compelling research data, that we now actively employ in search of new strategic options for financing the near-term clinical development. Furthermore, I am very confident in progression of our other pipeline projects across influenza, CMV, and malaria, and not least exploratory research that give us proprietary capabilities to fast-forward novel preclinical assets toward clinical development. I thank the shareholders who stand with us and look forward to generating new value from our R&D in the near-term future."
Advisors
Vator Securities act as financial advisor and issuing agent to the Company in connection with the transaction. Advokatfirman Schjødt is the Company’s legal advisor in connection with the transaction.
Certified Adviser
Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgranskning AB
This press release constitutes inside information that ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014. The information was sent for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out below, at the time stated by the Company’s news distributor, Cision, at the publication of this press release.
For further information about ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB, please contact:
Bent U. Frandsen, CEO
Keith Alexander, CFO
E-mail: investor@expres2ionbio.com
About ExpreS2ion
ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies ApS is a fully owned Danish subsidiary of ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB with company register number 559033-3729. ExpreS2ion has developed a unique technology platform, ExpreS2, for fast and efficient non-clinical development and production of complex proteins for new vaccines and diagnostics. ExpreS2 is regulatorily validated for clinical supply. The platform includes functionally modified glycosylation variants for enhanced immunogenicity and pharmacokinetics. Since 2010, the Company has produced more than 500 proteins and virus-like particles (VLPs) in collaboration with leading research institutions and companies. ExpreS2ion develops novel VLP based vaccines in association with AdaptVac ApS, of which ExpreS2ion owns 34%. For additional information, please visit www.expres2ionbio.com.
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This announcement does not identify or suggest, or purport to identify or suggest, the risks (direct or indirect) that may be associated with an investment in the Company. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. Vator Securities is acting for ExpreS2ion in connection with the rights issue and no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than ExpreS2ion for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for giving advice in relation to the rights issue or any other matter referred to herein.
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Forward-looking statements
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Information to distributors
Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended (“MiFID II”); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the “MiFID II Product Governance Requirements”), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any “manufacturer” (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the shares in ExpreS2ion have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the “Target Market Assessment”). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, Distributors should note that: the price of the shares in ExpreS2ion may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the shares in ExpreS2ion offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the shares in ExpreS2ion is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Rights Issue.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the shares in ExpreS2ion.
Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the shares in ExpreS2ion and determining appropriate distribution channels.