WOBURN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Frequency Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: FREQ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing the body’s innate biology to repair or reverse damage caused by a broad range of degenerative diseases, today announced that it has agreed to sell 2,350,108 shares of its common stock in a private placement to institutional and accredited investors. Institutional investors in the private placement included Wasatch Global, Federated Hermes Kaufmann Funds, RTW Investments, Perceptive Advisors, Driehaus Capital Management, Maven Investment Partners US and Alexandria Venture Investments, in addition to other new and existing investors. The transaction is expected to result in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $42.3 million, based on a price of $18.00 per share, before deducting placement agent fees and other expenses. The closing of the private placement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur on July 20, 2020.
The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the private placement to further advance the clinical development of FX-322, its lead product candidate in Phase 2a development for sensorineural hearing loss, by gaining additional insights regarding the patient populations and severity of hearing loss that FX-322 may treat. The Company also plans to increase support for its remyelination program in multiple sclerosis, which it intends to move into the clinic in the second half of 2021, and new areas of research where there is potential to utilize the Company’s progenitor cell activation platform.
Cowen and Company, LLC served as the placement agent for the private placement.
“We are very pleased with recent clinical advances demonstrating both delivery of FX-322 to the site of action within the cochlea and the durable hearing response seen in patients from our Phase 1/2 study. This additional investment will further support our ongoing FX-322 development efforts to bring a potential disease modifying therapeutic forward to the millions of individuals suffering from hearing loss, and apply our regenerative medicine platform to other serious degenerative diseases including our remyelination work in multiple sclerosis,” said David L. Lucchino, Chief Executive Officer of Frequency Therapeutics.
The offer and sale of the foregoing securities are being made in a transaction not involving a public offering and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or applicable state securities laws, and will be sold in a private placement pursuant to Regulation D of the Securities Act. The securities being issued in the private placement may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. (Read more…)
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.
About Frequency Therapeutics
Frequency Therapeutics is a leader in the development of medicines designed to activate progenitor cells within the body to treat degenerative diseases. The Company’s progenitor cell activation (PCA) approach stimulates progenitor cells to create functional tissue with the aim of developing disease modifying therapies. The Company’s lead product candidate, FX-322, is designed to regenerate auditory hair cells to restore hearing function. In a FX-322 Phase 1/2 study, statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in key measures of hearing function in patients with sensorineural hearing loss were observed. FX-322 is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 2a study. The Company also is evaluating additional diseases where its PCA approach could create functional tissue, including a discovery program in multiple sclerosis.
Headquartered in Woburn, Mass., Frequency has a license and collaboration agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. for FX-322, for which it retains U.S. rights, as well as additional collaboration and licensing agreements with academic and nonprofit research organizations including The Scripps Research Institute, Cambridge Enterprises Limited, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Partners Healthcare and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding the timing and completion of the private placement, the gross proceeds generated from the private placement, the expected use of proceeds from the private placement, the sufficiency of this financing to support ongoing development efforts, the ability of FX-322 to be a disease modifying therapeutic, and the ability of FX-322 to regenerate auditory hair cells and restore hearing function.
These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the Company has incurred and will continue to incur significant losses and is not and may never be profitable; the Company’s need for additional funding to complete development and commercialization of any product candidate; the Company’s dependence on the development of FX-322; the unproven approach of the PCA platform; the lengthy, expensive and uncertain process of clinical drug development and regulatory approval; limited experience successfully obtaining marketing approval for and commercializing product candidates; the results of earlier clinical trials not being indicative of the results from later clinical trials; differences between preliminary or interim data and final data; adverse events or undesirable side effects; disruptions at the FDA and other regulatory agencies; disruptions to the Company’s business and operations due to COVID-19; failure to identify additional product candidates; new or changed legislation; failure to maintain Fast Track designation for FX-322 and such designation failing to result in faster development or regulatory review or approval; costly and damaging litigation, including related to product liability or intellectual property or brought by stockholders; dependence on Astellas Pharma Inc. for the development and commercialization of FX-322 outside of the United States; misconduct by employees or independent contractors; reliance on third parties, including to conduct clinical trials and manufacture product candidates; compliance with laws and regulations, including healthcare and environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations; failure to obtain, maintain and enforce protection of patents and other intellectual property; security breaches or failure to protect private personal information; attracting and retaining key personnel; and ability to manage growth.
These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk factors” in the Company’s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 14, 2020 and its other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While the Company may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Contacts
Investor:
Carlo Tanzi, Ph.D.
Kendall Investor Relations
ctanzi@kendallir.com
617-914-0008
Media:
Suzanne Day
Frequency Therapeutics
Tel: 781-496-2211
Email: sday@frequencytx.com