Annexon Closes $130 Million Private Placement Extending its Operating Runway into the Second Half of 2025
Proceeds Support Advancement of Broad Pipeline of Novel Complement Product Candidates for Diseases of the Body, Brain and Eye
BRISBANE, Calif., July 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Annexon, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANNX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of complement medicines for patients with classical complement-mediated autoimmune, neurodegenerative and ophthalmic disorders, today announced the closing of its private placement, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $130 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other expenses. The proceeds from the private placement, combined with the company’s current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, are now expected to be sufficient to fund the company’s current operating plan into the second half of 2025. Annexon intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement, together with its existing cash and investments, for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The private placement was led by Redmile Group, LLC, with participation by Adage Capital Partners LP, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Driehaus Capital Management, Fairmount, Satter Medical Technology Partners and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners.
“We are grateful for the support of our shareholders and their belief in our therapeutic approach to stopping the classical complement cascade at its start,” said Douglas Love, Esq., president and chief executive officer of Annexon. “This financing is an important strategic advancement for Annexon, providing meaningful funds to fuel our pipeline of multiple fit-for-purpose product candidates, including our first-of-its-kind oral, small molecule complement agent, ANX1502, for the treatment of classical complement-mediated autoimmune diseases. With an operating runway extended into the second half of 2025 and several clinical data readouts anticipated throughout 2022 and 2023, we believe we are well-positioned to execute both our near- and long-term goals.”
In the private placement, Annexon sold 9,013,834 shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 24,696,206 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase up to 8,427,508 shares of common stock, at a combined price of $3.871250 per share of common stock and accompanying common warrant and $3.870250 per pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrant. Each pre-funded warrant has an exercise price of $0.001 per share of common stock, is exercisable immediately and is exercisable until exercised in full. The accompanying common warrants have an exercise price of $5.806875 per share of common stock, are immediately exercisable and expire on June 30, 2025. The private placement was conducted in accordance with applicable Nasdaq rules and was priced to satisfy the “Minimum Price” requirement (as defined in the Nasdaq rules).
Jefferies and Cowen served as joint placement agents for the private placement.
The securities sold in this private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. Annexon has agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission registering the resale of the shares of common stock issued in the private placement and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants and the common warrants issued in the private placement.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Annexon
Annexon (Nasdaq: ANNX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that aims to bring game-changing medicines to patients with classical complement-mediated diseases of the body, brain and eye. The classical complement cascade is a seminal pathway within the immune system that anchors and drives a host of autoimmune, neurodegenerative and ophthalmic diseases. Annexon is advancing a new class of complement medicines targeting the early classical cascade and all downstream pathway components that contribute to disease, while selectively preserving the beneficial immune functions of other complement pathways. Annexon is rigorously developing a pipeline of diversified product candidates across multiple mid- to late-stage clinical trials, with clinical data anticipated throughout 2022 and 2023.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “target,” “on track,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: cash operating runway; anticipated milestones; timing of data reports and trials; execution of the company’s near- and long-term goals; and continuing advancement of the company’s innovative portfolio. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: the company’s history of net operating losses; the company’s ability to obtain necessary capital to fund its clinical programs; the early stages of clinical development of the company’s product candidates; the effects of COVID-19 or other public health crises on the company’s clinical programs and business operations; the company’s ability to obtain regulatory approval of and successfully commercialize its product candidates; any undesirable side effects or other properties of the company’s product candidates; the company’s reliance on third-party suppliers and manufacturers; the outcomes of any future collaboration agreements; and the company’s ability to adequately maintain intellectual property rights for its product candidates. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the company’s other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that the company makes in this press release are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contact:
Monique Allaire
THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com
Media Contact:
Sheryl Seapy
Real Chemistry
949-903-4750
sseapy@realchemistry.com
