Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-194747

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated March 31, 2014)

4,761,900 Shares

 

LOGO

COMMON STOCK

 

 

We are offering 4,761,900 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). In a concurrent private placement, we are selling to the purchasers of shares of our Common Stock in this offering a warrant to purchase 3,571,425 shares of our Common Stock (the “Warrants”). The Warrants and the shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, are not being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) at this time, are not being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and are being offered pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “GALT.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market on November 19, 2015 was $2.40 per share.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any shares, you should carefully read the discussion of material risks of investing in our common stock under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and the accompanying prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the prospectus to which it relates is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

We have retained Roth Capital Partners to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering. The placement agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to place the securities offered by this prospectus supplement. We have agreed to pay the placement agent the fee set forth in the table below.

 

 

 

     Per
Share
     Total  

Public Offering Price

   $ 2.06      $ 9,809,514   

Placement Agent Fees (1)

   $ 0.12      $ 588,571   

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $ 1.94      $ 9,220,943   

 

(1) In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the placement agent’s actual out-of-pocket expenses up to $80,000, in the aggregate.

 

 

We expect that delivery of the shares of our Common Stock being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will be made to purchasers through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on or about November 25, 2015.

 

Roth Capital Partners

The date of this prospectus supplement is November 20, 2015


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

     Page  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

     S-1   

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     S-2   

SUMMARY

     S-3   

THE OFFERING

     S-5   

RISK FACTORS

     S-6   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     S-10   

DILUTION

     S-11   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     S-12   

PRIVATE PLACEMENT

     S-11   

LEGAL MATTERS

     S-14   

EXPERTS

     S-14   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     S-15   

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     S-15   
Prospectus   

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1   

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

     2   

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     4   

RISK FACTORS

     4   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     17   

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     17   

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     22   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     24   

LEGAL MATTERS

     26   

EXPERTS

     26   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     26   

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     26   

 

 

We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give 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 prospectus may have changed since those dates.


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this common stock offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, provides more general information. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, Registration Number 333-194747, filed on March 21, 2014, and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2014. Since the accompanying prospectus provides general information about us, some of the information may not apply to this offering. This prospectus supplement describes the specific details regarding this offering. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein filed prior to the date of this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference” in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation of an offer in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, or incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of the respective dates thereof, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or of any sale of our common stock.

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “Galectin Therapeutics,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “company,” or “Company” in this prospectus supplement refer to Galectin Therapeutics Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiaries, and their respective predecessor entities for the applicable periods, considered as a single enterprise.

 



 

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements made herein that look forward in time or express management’s expectations or beliefs with respect to the occurrence of future events are forward-looking statements as defined under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created therein for forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our anticipated operating results, research and development, clinical trials, regulatory proceedings, and financial resources, and can be identified by use of words such as, for example, “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” and “would,” “should,” “could” or “may.” All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding:

 

    our early stage of development;

 

    we have incurred significant operating losses since our inception and cannot assure you that we will generate revenue or profit;

 

    our dependence on additional outside capital;

 

    we may be unable to enter into strategic partnerships for the development, commercialization, manufacturing and distribution of our proposed product candidates;

 

    uncertainties related to any litigation, including shareholder class actions and derivative lawsuits filed;

 

    uncertainties related to our technology and clinical trials;

 

    we may be unable to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our developmental product candidates in human trials;

 

    we may be unable to improve upon, protect and/or enforce our intellectual property;

 

    we are subject to extensive and costly regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by foreign regulatory authorities, which must approve our product candidates in development and could restrict the sales and marketing and pricing of such products;

 

    competition and stock price volatility in the biotechnology industry;

 

    limited trading volume for our stock, concentration of ownership of our stock, and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in our SEC reports; and

 

    other risks detailed herein and from time to time in our SEC reports, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and our subsequent SEC filings.

We caution investors that actual results or business conditions may differ materially from those projected or suggested in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, those described above and in the Risk Factors section of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. We cannot assure you that we have identified all the factors that create uncertainties. Moreover, new risks emerge from time to time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all risks on our business or the extent to which any risk, or combination of risks, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or the respective dates of documents incorporated by reference herein or therein that include forward-looking statements.

This prospectus supplement also contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the market and our business. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. We obtained the industry, market and competitive position data in this prospectus from our own internal estimates and research as well as from industry and general publications and research surveys and studies conducted by third parties.

 



 

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This summary may not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the information incorporated by reference in each, and any related free writing prospectus before making an investment decision. You should pay special attention to the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and “Risk Factors” set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, to determine whether an investment in our common stock is appropriate for you.

General

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in drug research and development to create new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer. Our drug candidates are based on our method of targeting galectin proteins, which are key mediators of biologic and pathologic functions. We use naturally occurring, readily-available plant materials as starting material in manufacturing processes to create proprietary complex carbohydrates with specific molecular weights and other pharmaceutical properties. These complex carbohydrate molecules are appropriately formulated into acceptable pharmaceutical formulations. Using these unique carbohydrate-based candidate compounds that largely bind and inhibit galectin proteins, particularly galectin-3, we are undertaking the focused pursuit of therapies for indications where galectins have a demonstrated role in the pathogenesis of a given disease. We focus on diseases with serious, life-threatening consequences to patients and those where current treatment options are limited. Our strategy is to establish and implement clinical development programs that add value to our business in the shortest period of time possible and to seek strategic partners when a program becomes advanced and requires additional resources.

We endeavor to leverage our scientific and product development expertise as well as established relationships with outside sources to achieve cost-effective and efficient development. These outside sources, amongst others, provide us with expertise in preclinical models, pharmaceutical development, toxicology, clinical development, pharmaceutical manufacturing, sophisticated physical and chemical characterization, and commercial development. We also have established several collaborative scientific discovery programs with leading experts in carbohydrate chemistry and characterization. These discovery programs are generally aimed at the targeted development of new carbohydrate molecules which bind galectin proteins and offer alternative options to larger market segments in our primary disease indications. We also have established a discovery program aimed at the targeted development of small molecules (non-carbohydrate) which bind galectin proteins and may afford options for alternative means of drug delivery (e.g., oral) and as a result expand the potential uses of our compounds. Another discovery program seeks to identify the molecular interactions of molecules with the galectin-receptor. We are pursuing a development pathway to clinical enhancement and commercialization for our lead compounds in immune enhancement for cancer therapy as well as in both liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease. All of our proposed products are presently in development, including pre-clinical and clinical trials.

We were founded in July 2000 as Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation. On April 25, 2001, DTR-Med Pharma Corp., or DTR, which was incorporated in Nevada on January 26, 2001, entered into a stock exchange agreement with Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., whereby DTR acquired all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. On May 10, 2001, DTR changed its name to “Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” and on June 7, 2001, the Massachusetts corporation was merged into the Nevada corporation. On May 26, 2011, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. changed its name to “Galectin Therapeutics Inc.” In October, 2012, we moved our headquarters to a suburb of Atlanta, GA to be closer to a center of discovery collaboration while maintaining a contract laboratory operation in the Boston area.

The primary focus of our Company is to use galectin inhibitors to block galectin-3 and treat organ scarring or fibrosis in the liver. In particular, we are focused on the treatment of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, which we estimate to have up to 6 million and 2 million patients, respectively, in the United States.

Recent Developments

On May 11, 2015, we announced that we expect to commence our Phase 2 program with GR-MD-02 for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in the second quarter of 2015. Our Phase 2 program consists of studies in two different NASH fibrosis indications, the NASH-CX trial in patients with NASH cirrhosis and the NASH-FX trial in NASH patients with advanced fibrosis, but not cirrhosis. Our Phase 2 program is supported by data generated with GR-MD-02 in our Phase1b study along with preclinical work.

 



 

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Our NASH-CX trial will enroll 156 patients with NASH cirrhosis and will evaluate 2 mg/kg of GR-MD-02 and 8 mg/kg of GR-MD-02 and placebo, with patients randomized 1:1:1. We have identified 45 study sites in North America, obtained central institutional review board, or IRB, approval, and are working to secure site IRB approvals and contracts necessary to begin enrolling subjects. The primary endpoint will be change in hepatic venous pressure gradient, or HVPG, compared with placebo, and now secondary endpoints will include fibrosis stage on biopsy as well as the percent of collagen on biopsy at one year of treatment, liver stiffness measurements as determined by FibroScan Score, metabolic capacity as measured by a breath test and progression of cirrhosis as determined by complications. Correlation of HVPG with liver biopsy will continue to be studied, as planned. Additionally, the HVPG and liver biopsy measurements will be correlated with non-invasive measurements of liver fibrosis and function including FibroScan and 13C-methacetin breath test as additional secondary endpoints along with monitoring of progression of cirrhosis as determined by complications.

The first patients were enrolled in this study in June of 2015, with top-line data readout expected at the end of 2017. We submitted a special protocol assessment, or SPA, with the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and received very useful feedback for the design of the study and the overall development program. We will proceed with the trial as a Phase 2 program, rather than resubmit the SPA to attempt to obtain designation as a Phase 3 trial currently.

The NASH-FX study will be a shorter, four-month trial in 30 NASH patients with advanced fibrosis, but not cirrhosis, randomized 1:1 to either 8 mg/kg of GR-MD-02 or placebo. This study is entitled “Phase 2 Study to Evaluate Non-Invasive Imaging Methods in Efficacy Assessment of GR-MD-02 for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With NASH With Advanced Fibrosis.” The non-invasive assessments included in this trial include LiverMultiScan (a multi-parametric nuclear magnetic resonance imaging method developed by Perspectum Diagnostics™) as the primary endpoint compared with magnetic resonance elastography and FibroScan as secondary endpoints. This study was initiated in September 2015 and will be performed at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston in Texas, with top-line data readout in the second half of 2016.

In addition to the NASH fibrosis program, we have initiated an exploratory, open-label Phase 2a trial in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This is based on the known increase in galectin-3 in the skin of psoriatic patients and a patient in the Phase 1 trial with psoriasis who had an apparent remission of psoriasis while receiving GR-MD-02. Determination of future development in this indication will depend on results of this exploratory study. We expect a top-line data readout from this study in the third quarter of 2016.

We are also supporting independent research with GR-MD-02 in combination with two commercial melanoma drugs, as preclinical research has shown our compound enhances the efficacy of these therapies with this mechanism of action. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the U.S., there would be approximately 73,000 new diagnoses of melanoma and approximately 9,900 deaths in 2015. A Phase 1b study with GR-MD-02 in combination with YERVOY® is ongoing, with successful completion of three patients in the first dosing group, and two patients enrolled in the second dosing group. Another, a Phase 1b study in combination with KEYTRUDA® is expected to be initiated during the second half of 2015. Preclinical work in mouse cancer models with GR-MD-02 added to checkpoint inhibitors shows a boost in anti-tumor immunity, a reduction in tumor size and increased survival, and we look forward to receiving human clinical data.

On May 14, 2015, we reported that in an open-label Phase 1 study with 8 mg/kg dose of GR-MD-02 and 2 mg/kg dose of midazolam there was no drug-drug interaction and no serious adverse events or drug-related adverse events were observed. This study was required by the FDA and the primary objective was to determine if single or multiple intravenous (IV) doses of GR-MD-02 affect the pharmacokinetics (PK) of midazolam. The secondary objective was to assess the safety and tolerability of GR-MD-02 when administered concomitantly with midazolam.

The lack of a drug interaction in this study will allow us to expand the number of patients eligible for its Phase 2 clinical trial. In addition, should GR-MD-02 be approved for marketing, the success of this study supports a broader patient population for the drug label.

The open-label Phase 1 study in normal healthy volunteer subjects tested a single dose of IV midazolam in the absence of GR-MD-02, following a single IV dose of GR-MD-02 and following three weekly IV doses of GR-MD-02. The four dosing periods were spaced one week apart, with midazolam PK determined in dosing periods one, two and four. A total of 17 subjects completed the study and met the primary endpoint of midazolam clearance when administered alone, compared with when administered with single and multiple doses of GR-MD-02. With completion of this study, the company does not anticipate further drug-drug interaction studies will be required in the development of GR-MD-02.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 4960 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 240, Norcross, Georgia 30071. Our telephone number is (678) 620-3186, fax number is (770) 864-1327 and our website address is www.galectintherapeutics.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and should not be relied upon with respect to this offering.

 



 

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THE OFFERING

 

 

Common stock offered by us

4,761,900 shares of common stock.

 

Offering price per share

$2.06

 

Common stock outstanding immediately after this offering

28,691,144 shares of common stock.

 

Use of proceeds

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered hereby to fund our research and development efforts, including clinical trials, and for general corporate purposes, including working capital. See the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”

 

Risk factors

See “Risk Factors” on Page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and “Risk Factors” set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 for a discussion of material risks that prospective purchasers of shares of our common stock should consider.

 

NASDAQ Capital Market Symbol

GALT

 

Concurrent Private Placement

In a concurrent private placement, we are selling to the purchasers of shares of our Common Stock in this offering Warrants to purchase 3,571,425 shares of our Common Stock. The Warrants will be exercisable on the six month anniversary of the date of issuance at an exercise price of $2.50 per share and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date that the Warrants initially become exercisable. The Warrants and the shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, are not being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and are being offered pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder. See “Private Placement Transaction.”

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after the offering is based on 23,929,244 shares of common stock outstanding as of November 19, 2015, and excludes:

 

    3,342,325 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $5.70 per share;

 

    an aggregate of 1,314,729 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance as of such date under our stock option and incentive plans;

 

    5,370,995 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of such date at a weighted-average price of $3.66; and

 

    2,522,936 shares of our common stock underlying the conversion of preferred stock outstanding as of such date.

 

    3,571,425 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants to be issued in the concurrent private placement. See “Private Placement Transaction.”

 



 

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RISK FACTORS

Before purchasing our common stock, you should carefully consider the following risk factors and those set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. You should also carefully consider all of the other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, or incorporated by reference herein. Any of the risks described below or incorporated by reference could have a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition and could therefore have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. Additionally, risks not currently known to us or that we now deem immaterial may also harm us and negatively affect your investment.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and adversely affected by several factors. This could subject us to securities class action litigation and our stockholders could incur substantial losses.

The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly in response to various factors and events, including but not limited to:

 

    the results of our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, including interim results, as well as those of our competitors;

 

    regulatory actions with respect to our products or our competitors’ products;

 

    our ability to integrate operations, technology, products and services;

 

    our ability to execute our business plan;

 

    operating results below expectations;

 

    our issuance of additional securities, including debt or equity or a combination thereof, which may be necessary to fund our operating expenses;

 

    announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors;

 

    the success of competitive products;

 

    loss of any strategic relationship;

 

    industry developments, including, without limitation, changes in healthcare policies or practices or third-party reimbursement policies;

 

    regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries;

 

    the level of expenses related to any of our product candidates or clinical development programs;

 

    disputes or other developments related to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters, and our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies;

 

    economic and other external factors;

 

    period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results;

 

    sales of our common stock by us, our insiders or our other stockholders; and

 

    whether an active trading market in our common stock develops and is maintained.

In addition, the market price for securities of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically has been highly volatile, and the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may cause the market price of our common stock to decline substantially.

 

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In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. As described below, we are currently defending a consolidated federal securities class action lawsuit and a consolidated shareholder derivative action and we may become involved in additional instances of this type of litigation in the future. Litigation often is expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Additionally, fluctuations in the trading price or liquidity of our common stock may materially and adversely affect, among other things, the interest of investors to purchase our common stock on the open market and, generally, our ability to raise capital.

We are a defendant in a consolidated class action and in a consolidated shareholder derivative action, and these lawsuits and any future such lawsuits may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows

We and certain of our officers and directors are defendants in a consolidated federal securities class action lawsuit and a consolidated shareholder derivative action. These lawsuits are described in Part I, Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” in our annual report Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and in our subsequent Form 10-Qs filed in 2015. These lawsuits may divert our attention from our ordinary business operations, and we may incur significant expenses associated with their defense (including, without limitation, substantial attorneys’ fees and other fees of professional advisors and potential obligations to indemnify current and former officers and directors who are or may become parties to such actions). Depending on the outcome of the class action lawsuit, we may be required to pay material damages and fines, consent to injunctions on future conduct and/or suffer other penalties, remedies or sanctions. Accordingly, the ultimate resolution of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and ability to meet our debt obligations and, consequently, could negatively impact the trading price of our common stock. In addition, there is the potential for additional shareholder litigation and for governmental investigations and/or enforcement actions. Any existing or future shareholder lawsuits and any future governmental investigations and/or enforcement actions could adversely impact our reputation, our relationships with our customers and our ability to generate revenue

Our board of directors has the power to designate, without stockholder approval, additional series of preferred stock, the shares of which could be senior to our common stock and be entitled to conversion or voting rights that adversely affect the holders of our common stock.

Our articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of capital stock including 20,000,000 authorized undesignated shares (8,001,000 designated as of December 31, 2014), and empowers our board of directors to prescribe, by resolution and without stockholder approval, a class or series of undesignated shares, including the number of shares in the class or series and the voting powers, designations, rights, preferences, restrictions and the relative rights in each such class or series. Accordingly, we may designate and issue additional shares or series of preferred stock that would rank senior to the shares of common stock as to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, winding-up, or dissolution.

Nevada law and our charter documents could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us and discourage a takeover, which could depress the trading price of our common stock.

Nevada corporate law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our Company or changes in our management that our stockholders may deem advantageous. For example, holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors, meaning that stockholders owning a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock will be able to elect all of our directors. In addition, because we have more than 200 stockholders of record, we are subject to the “business combinations” provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes. These provisions could prohibit or delay a merger or other takeover or change in control attempt and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire our company even though such a transaction may be in our stockholders’ best interest and offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price.

One investor and certain directors, by virtue of ownership of our securities and related rights, may be able to control the Company.

10X Fund L.P., or 10X Fund, owns all of our issued and outstanding Series B Preferred Stock, which are convertible into 2,000,000 shares of our common stock. 10X Fund owns related warrants exercisable to purchase an

 

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aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2014, we have issued 1,233,256 shares of our common stock as dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and 2,000,000 shares of our common stock on the exercise of warrants by 10X Fund. In addition, (i) James C. Czirr, a managing partner of 10X Fund and Executive Chairman of our board of directors, owns or controls approximately 817,000 shares of our common stock, including shares of Series A on an as converted basis, and has the right to acquire approximately 811,000 additional shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding stock options (approximately 631,000 of which are exercisable as of December 31, 2014); and (ii) Rod D. Martin, a managing partner of 10X Fund and Vice Chairman of our board of directors, owns or controls approximately 175,000 shares of our common stock and has the right to acquire approximately 41,000 additional shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding stock options (approximately 34,000 of which are exercisable as of December 31, 2014). As of December 31, 2014, on a fully diluted basis, assuming conversion of all Series B Preferred Stock and exercise of all outstanding warrants, 10X Fund would own approximately 31% of our then outstanding shares of common stock, which, together with the shares of our common stock that would be owned by Mr. Czirr and Mr. Martin (assuming exercise of all vested options at that date), would constitute approximately 35% of the then outstanding shares.

As holder of Series B Preferred Stock, 10X Fund is entitled to elect three directors in a separate class vote, nominate three directors for election by all shares entitled to vote, and provide or withhold consent to a range of fundamental corporate actions we may wish to undertake, such as recapitalization, sale of our company, and other matters. Such concentration of stock ownership and related rights could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing corporate events that our other security holders may desire or consider beneficial to the company.

We may issue additional common stock, which might dilute the net tangible book value per share of our common stock.

Our board of directors has the authority, without action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or a part of our authorized but unissued shares. Such stock issuances could be made at a price that reflects a discount to, or a premium from, the then-current market price of our common stock. In addition, in order to raise capital, we may need to issue securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for a significant amount of our common stock. We are currently contemplating additional capital raising transactions within the next twelve months, which would likely result in issuances of additional shares which would be dilutive to current shareholders. These issuances would dilute the percentage ownership interest, which would have the effect of reducing your influence on matters on which our stockholders vote, and might dilute the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. You may incur additional dilution if holders of stock options, whether currently outstanding or subsequently granted, exercise their options, or if warrant holders exercise their warrants to purchase shares of our common stock.

A sale of a substantial number of shares of the common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Our common stock is currently traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market and, despite certain increases of trading volume from time to time, there have been periods when it could be considered “thinly-traded,” meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. Finance transactions resulting in a large amount of newly issued shares that become readily tradable, or other events that cause current stockholders to sell shares, could place downward pressure on the trading price of our stock. Some of our shareholders have registration rights to facilitate sales of large blocks of our common stock. We have filed a shelf registration statement to allow registered sales of up to 9.7 million shares by these shareholders. We may consider additional capital raising transactions within the next twelve months, which would likely result in issuances of additional shares which would be dilutive to current shareholders. In addition, the lack of a robust resale market may require a stockholder who desires to sell a large number of shares of common stock to sell the shares in increments over time to mitigate any adverse impact of the sales on the market price of our stock.

If our stockholders sell, or the market perceives that our stockholders intend to sell for various reasons, including the ending of restriction on resale or the expiration of lock-up agreements such as those entered into in connection with this offering, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, the market price of our common stock could fall. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate. We may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm our business.

 

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We have not paid cash dividends in the past and do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have never paid cash dividends on our capital stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our capital stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as the board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if the market price of our common stock price appreciates.

At times, our shares of common stock and warrants have been thinly traded, so you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or even at all if you need to sell your shares or warrants to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares or warrants.

We cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock and warrants will develop or be sustained. Our common stock is currently traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market and experiences periods when it could be considered “thinly-traded.” This situation may be attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days, weeks or months when trading activity in our shares is minimal, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained or not diminish.

Risks Related to This Offering

Management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds from this offering, and we may not use the proceeds effectively.

Our management will have broad discretion with respect to the use of proceeds of this offering. We have not identified specific uses for the proceeds of this offering. You will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the proceeds of this offering. The results and effectiveness of the use of proceeds are uncertain, and we could spend the proceeds in ways that you do not agree with or that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, delay the development of our product candidates and cause the price of our common stock to decline.

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase.

Since the offering price for our common stock in this offering is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. Based on the offering price of $2.06 per share, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of $ 1.05 per share in the net tangible book value of the common stock.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We expect to receive net proceeds of approximately $9.1 million from this offering, after deducting the placement agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered hereby for general corporate purposes, including clinical trial expenses. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we have not allocated the proceeds for any specific purposes.

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

The net tangible book value of our common stock on September 30, 2015 was approximately $19.8 million, or approximately $0.83 per share. Net tangible book value per share is equal to the amount of our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, divided by the aggregate number of shares of common stock outstanding. Dilution in 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.

After giving effect to the sale of shares of common stock in this offering at an offering price of $2.06 per share, our as adjusted net tangible book value at September 30, 2015, would have been approximately $ 28.9 million, or $ 1.01 per share. This represents an immediate dilution of $1.05 per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution:

 

Offering price per share

      $ 2.06   

Net tangible book value per share at September 30, 2015

   $ 0.83      

Increase per share attributable to new investors for this offering

     0.18         1.01   
     

 

 

 

Net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering

     

Dilution per share to new investors

      $ 1.05   
     

 

 

 

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after the offering is based on 23,929,244 shares of common stock outstanding as of November 19, 2015, and excludes:

 

    3,342,325 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $5.70 per share;

 

    an aggregate of 1,314,729 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance as of such date under our stock option and incentive plans;

 

    5,370,995 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of such date at a weighted-average price of $5.66; and

 

    2,522,936 shares of our common stock underlying the conversion of preferred stock outstanding as of such date.

 

    3,571,425 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants to be issued in the concurrent private placement. See “Private Placement Transaction.”

PRIVATE PLACEMENT TRANSACTION

In a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement Transaction”), we are selling to purchasers of our Common Stock in this offering a warrant (the “Warrants”) to purchase 3,571,425 shares of our Common Stock.

The Warrants and the shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants are not being registered under the Securities Act, are not being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the

 

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accompanying prospectus and are being offered pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder. Accordingly, purchasers may only sell shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of the Warrants pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the resale of those shares, an exemption under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or another applicable exemption under the Securities Act.

We will be required to file a registration statement on Form S-3 within 30 calendar days of the issuance of the Warrants to provide for the resale of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants and will be obligated to use our commercially reasonable efforts to keep such registration statement effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, or (ii) the date on which all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants have been sold under the registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect.

Description of Warrants. Each Warrant will be exercisable on the six month anniversary of the date of its issuance (the “Initial Exercise Date”) at an exercise price of $2.50 per share, subject to adjustment, and will remain exercisable for five (5) years from the date it becomes exercisable, but not thereafter. A holder of Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); providedhowever, that upon 61 days’ prior notice to the Company, the holder may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, provided that in no event shall the Beneficial Ownership Limitation exceed 9.99% and any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until 61 days following notice of such increase from the holder to us. In addition, the holders of the Warrants will have the right to participate in any rights offering or distribution of assets (such as a spinoff) together with the holders of our Common Stock on an as-exercised basis.

The exercise price and number of the shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants will be subject to adjustment for stock splits, reverse splits, and similar capital transactions, as described in the Warrants.

The Warrants will be exercisable on a “cashless” basis in certain circumstances. In addition, in the event of a fundamental transaction, then the Company or any successor entity will pay at the holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with or within 30 days after the consummation of the fundamental transaction, an amount of cash equal to the value of the Warrant as determined in accordance with the Black Scholes option pricing model.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Roth Capital Partners, which we refer to as the placement agent, has agreed to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agent agreement dated November 19, 2015. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any of the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement, nor is it required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of shares of our common stock, but has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of all of the shares of our common stock offered hereby. Therefore, we will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with investors in connection with this offering and we may not sell the entire amount of shares of our common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement. We will make offers only to a limited number of qualified institutional buyers and institutional accredited investors. Roth Capital Partners is also acting as placement agent for the private placement transaction and is being paid a fee related to the placement of the Warrants.

We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make in respect thereof.

Fees and Expenses

We have agreed to pay the placement agent a placement agent’s fee equal to 6% of the aggregate purchase price of the shares of our common stock sold in this offering. The following table shows the per share and total cash placement agent’s fees we will pay to the placement agent in connection with the sale of the shares of our common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, assuming the purchase of all of the shares offered hereby.

 

     Per Share      Total  

Public offering price

   $ 2.06       $ 9,809,514   

Placement agent fees

   $ 0.12       $ 588,571   

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $ 1.94       $ 9,220,943   

 

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In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the placement agent’s actual out-of-pocket expenses up to $80,000, in the aggregate.

We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, excluding the placement agent fees, will be approximately $150,000.

In addition, we have granted a right of first refusal to the placement agent pursuant to which it has the right to act as the lead placement agent or lead underwriter, as applicable, if the Company or any of its subsidiaries decides to raise funds by means of a public offering or a private placement of equity or equity-linked financings using a placement agent or underwriter at any time prior to the six month anniversary of the closing of this offering.

The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the shares sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the placement agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares by the placement agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent:

 

    may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and

 

    may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock that are offered hereby by us will be passed upon by Dentons US LLP, Atlanta, Georgia.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014 and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting have been audited by McGladrey LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports thereon, and included in this Prospectus and Registration Statement in reliance upon such report and upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

RSM US LLP, an Iowa limited liability partnership, is doing business as McGladrey LLP in the state of North Carolina and is a CPA firm registered with the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountants under the name McGladrey LLP. Rules permitting the use of RSM US LLP have been published in the North Carolina Register and are pending final approval.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. You may read and copy any materials we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-888-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings are also available to the public from our website at www.galectintherapeutics.com. However, the information on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus supplement, nor is it incorporated by reference herein.

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

In this document, we “incorporate by reference” certain information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to that information. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus supplement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to be furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

 

    Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on March 18, 2015;

 

    Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2015, August 10, 2015 and November 9, 2015;

 

    All information in our proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 2015 to the extent incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014;

 

    Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 12, 2015, May 27, 2015 and September 11, 2015; and

 

    The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on September 9, 2003, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating that description, including Amendment No. 1 to Form 8-A filed with the SEC on March 22, 2012.

We hereby undertake to provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus supplement is delivered, upon written or oral request of any such person, a copy of any and all of the information that has been or may be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, including any exhibits that are specifically incorporated by reference in such documents. Requests for such copies should be directed as follows:

Galectin Therapeutics Inc.

4960 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 240

Norcross, Georgia 30071

Attention: Jack W. Callicutt, Chief Financial Officer

Tel.: (678) 620-3186

E-mail: ir@galectintherapeutics.com

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

From time to time, we may offer and sell shares of common stock in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms that we will determine at the time of the offering. The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold by us under this prospectus will not exceed $100,000,000. In addition, the selling stockholder may, over time, offer and sell up to 500,000 shares of common stock.

Each time we offer securities, we will provide you with specific terms of the securities offered in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any application prospectus supplement and the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” carefully before you invest in any securities.

The selling stockholder, who is an affiliate of the company, may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and, as a result, may be deemed to be making a primary offering of securities, indirectly, on our behalf. We will not receive any of the proceeds from any sale of our shares by the selling stockholder. For a detailed discussion of the selling stockholder, please read the section captioned “Selling Stockholder” in this prospectus. The selling stockholder will be responsible for its own legal fees and expenses and for any underwriting fees, discounts and commissions due to brokers, dealers or agents. We will be responsible for all other offering expenses.

The securities offered by this prospectus may be sold directly by us or the selling stockholder to investors, through agents designated from time to time or to or through underwriters or dealers. We will set forth the names of any underwriters or agents in an accompanying prospectus supplement. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we or the selling stockholder expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “GALT”. The last reported sale price of our common stock on March 19, 2014 was $15.75 per share.

 

 

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISKS. SEE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN THE OTHER DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT TO READ ABOUT FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING OUR SECURITIES.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus or the accompanying prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is March 21, 2014


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1   

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

     2   

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     4   

RISK FACTORS

     4   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     17   

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     17   

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     22   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     24   

LEGAL MATTERS

     26   

EXPERTS

     26   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     26   

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     26   


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “Galectin Therapeutics,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “company,” or “Company” in this prospectus refer to Galectin Therapeutics Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiaries, and their respective predecessor entities for the applicable periods, considered as a single enterprise.

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any related prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. For further information, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference.” The selling stockholders are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 



 

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights important features of this offering and the information included in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our securities. You should read this prospectus carefully as it contains important information you should consider when making your investment decision. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7.

About Galectin Therapeutics Inc.

We are a development-stage company engaged in drug research and development to create new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer. Our drug candidates are based on our method of targeting galectin proteins, which are key mediators of biologic and pathologic functions. We use naturally occurring, readily-available plant materials as starting material in manufacturing processes to create proprietary complex carbohydrates with specific molecular weights and other pharmaceutical properties. These complex carbohydrate molecules are appropriately formulated into acceptable pharmaceutical formulations. Using these unique carbohydrate-based candidate compounds that largely bind and inhibit galectin proteins, particularly galectin-3, we are undertaking the focused pursuit of therapies for indications where galectins have a demonstrated role in the pathogenesis of a given disease. We focus on diseases with serious, life-threatening consequences to patients and those where current treatment options are limited. Our strategy is to establish and implement clinical development programs that add value to our business in the shortest period of time possible and to seek strategic partners when a program becomes advanced and requires additional resources.

We endeavor to leverage our scientific and product development expertise as well as established relationships with outside sources to achieve cost-effective and efficient development. These outside sources, amongst others, provide us with expertise in preclinical models, pharmaceutical development, toxicology, clinical development, pharmaceutical manufacturing, sophisticated physical and chemical characterization, and commercial development. We also have established a collaborative scientific discovery program with leading experts in carbohydrate chemistry and characterization. This discovery program is aimed at the targeted development of new carbohydrate molecules which bind galectin proteins and offer alternative options to larger market segments in our primary disease targets. We also have established a discovery program aimed at the targeted development of small molecules (non-carbohydrate) which bind galectin proteins and may afford options for alternative means of drug delivery and as a result expand the potential uses of our compounds. We are pursuing a development pathway to clinical enhancement and commercialization for our lead compounds in immune enhancement for cancer therapy as well as in both liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease. All of our proposed products are presently in development, including pre-clinical and clinical trials.

We were founded in July 2000 as Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation. On April 25, 2001, DTR-Med Pharma Corp. (“DTR”), which was incorporated in Nevada on January 26, 2001, entered into a stock exchange agreement with Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., whereby DTR acquired all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. On May 10, 2001, DTR changed its name to “Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” and on June 7, 2001, the Massachusetts corporation was merged into the Nevada corporation. On May 26, 2011, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. changed its name to “Galectin Therapeutics Inc.” In October, 2012, we moved our headquarters to a suburb of Atlanta, GA to be closer to a center of discovery collaboration while maintaining a contract laboratory operation in the Boston area.

Principal Executive Offices

Our principal executive offices are located at 4960 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 240, Norcross, Georgia 30071. Our telephone number is (678) 620-3186, fax number is (770) 864-1327 and our website address is www.galectintherapeutics.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and should not be relied upon with respect to this offering.

 



 

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The Offering

 

Securities Offered

We are offering up to $100,000,000 in securities consisting of shares common stock. In addition, 500,000 shares of our common stock will be offered by selling stockholders

 

Use of Proceeds

We will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, research and development, clinical trial expenditures, acquisitions of new technologies and investments, and the repayment or redemption of preferred stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

 



 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue” or other similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these statements. We caution investors that actual results or business conditions may differ materially from those projected or suggested in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, those described in, or incorporated by reference into, the Risk Factors section of this prospectus. We cannot assure you that we have identified all the factors that create uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information before deciding to invest in our common stock. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our business. We have attempted to identify below the major factors that could cause differences between actual and planned or expected results, but we cannot assure you that we have identified all of those factors. If any of such risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. In such case you may lose part or all of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Company

We have incurred net losses to date and must raise additional capital in order to continue to operate after 2015.

We have incurred net losses in each year of operation since our inception in July 2000. Our accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2013 was $102 million and our cumulative net loss applicable to common stockholders as of December 31, 2013 was $102.2 million. We had $10.5 million of unrestricted cash as of December 31, 2013. Additionally, in January and February 2014, the Company received approximately $28.2 million in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock at then-current market prices through its at the market (“ATM”) financing arrangement and $1.5 million from the exercise of stock purchase warrants. The Company currently believes there is sufficient cash to fund currently planned operations through 2015. We will require more cash to fund our operations after 2015. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such new financing or, if available, that such financing will be obtainable on terms favorable to us. If our current clinical trials are unsuccessful or do not produce positive results, it may be particularly difficult for us to raise additional capital. If we do not raise additional cash for operations after 2015, we may not be able to continue operations and may be forced to seek bankruptcy protection.

We may raise capital through public or private equity financings, partnerships, debt financings, bank borrowings, or other sources. Additional funding may not be available on favorable terms or at all. If adequate funds are not otherwise available, we may need to significantly curtail operations. To obtain additional funding, we may need to enter into arrangements that require us to relinquish rights to certain technologies, products and/or potential markets. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity, or securities convertible into equity, our equity holders may experience dilution of their proportionate ownership of the Company.

 

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We are a development stage company and have not yet generated any revenue.

We are a development stage company and have not generated any revenues to date. There is no assurance that we will obtain FDA approval of GR-MD-02, GM-CT-01, or any other of our products in development and, even if we do so, that we will generate revenue sufficient to become profitable. Our failure to generate revenue and profit would likely lead to loss of your investment.

We are largely dependent on the success of our two lead product candidates, GR-MD-02 and GM-CT-01 and we cannot be certain that these product candidates will receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized.

We currently have no products for sale and we cannot guarantee that we will ever have any drug products approved for sale. We and our product candidates are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities in other countries governing, among other things, research, testing, clinical trials, manufacturing, labeling, promotion, selling, adverse event reporting and recordkeeping. We are not permitted to market any of our product candidates in or outside the United States until we receive approval of a new drug application for a product candidate from the FDA or the equivalent approval from a foreign regulatory authority. Obtaining FDA approval is a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process.

Before obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of any drug candidate, we must conduct extensive pre-clinical studies and clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates in humans.

GR-MD-02 our lead product candidate for fibrosis is in Phase 1 of the human clinical trial phase of drug development in the US. GR-MD-02 is also currently in an investigator sponsored, human clinical trial being conducted by Providence Portland Medical Center in combination with Yervoy® (ipilimumab) in patients with metastatic melanoma. We cannot assure you that these trials will yield successful results, that they will lead to the generation of revenue, or that we will obtain regulatory approval in other countries.

There are currently no FDA clinical trials ongoing for GM-CT-01.

We filed for an IND with the FDA for GR-MD-02 in January 2013 for initiating human clinical trials in patients with NASH, and the FDA notified us in March 2013 that we may proceed with a Phase 1 clinical trial. Our Phase 1 clinical trial began in July 2013. Pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and ultimately may not be successful. The results of pre-clinical and initial clinical testing of these products may not necessarily indicate the results that will be obtained from later or more extensive testing. Also, it is possible to suffer significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after obtaining promising results in earlier trials. For example, even though GM-CT-01 progressed successfully through Phase 1 and was progressing successfully through Phase 2 human trials (which were only partially completed due to financing issues in 2010), it may fail in Phase 3 trials or in later stages of development. We will engage others to conduct our clinical trials, including clinical research organizations and, possibly, government-sponsored agencies. Pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may not start or be completed as we forecast and may not achieve the desired results. The time required to obtain FDA and other approvals is unpredictable but often can take years following the commencement of clinical trials, depending upon the complexity of the drug candidate.

Even if we receive regulatory approval, we may be unable to commercialize our product candidates.

Even if GR-MD-02, GM-CT-01 and other future product candidates achieve positive results in clinical trials, we may be unable to commercialize them. The availability of government and third party payor reimbursement, and pricing, especially compared to competitor products, could affect our ability to commercialize our product candidates. Our general inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and, if obtained, to commercialize our products would substantially impair our viability.

 

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There are risks associated with our reliance on third parties to design trial protocols, arrange for and monitor the clinical trials, and collect and analyze data.

As we develop products eligible for clinical trials, we will contract with independent parties to assist us in the design of the trial protocols, arrange for and monitor the clinical trials, collect data and analyze data. For instance, in February 2013, we entered into an agreement with CTI Clinical Trial Services, Inc. and CTI Clinical Consulting Services, Inc. for the purpose of assisting us in the design, development and conduct of one or more clinical research studies from time to time. In accordance with this agreement, CTI is conducting the Phase 1 clinical trial for GR-MD-02 to evaluate the drug’s safety in subjects with NASH with advanced hepatic fibrosis. In addition, certain clinical trials for our products may be conducted by government-sponsored agencies and will be dependent on governmental participation and funding. Additionally, GR-MD-02 is being studied by Providence Portland Medical Center in an Investigator-sponsored IND to conduct a Phase 1B study to determine if GR-MD-02 enhances the probability of melanoma response with ipilimumab by inducing proliferation, activation and memory function of CD8+ T cells in human patients. This study represents a novel approach for patients with metastatic melanoma. The IND was approved by FDA in February 2014.

Our dependence on independent parties and clinical sites involves risks including reduced control over the timing and other aspects of our clinical trials.

There are risks associated with our reliance on third parties for manufacturing, marketing, sales, managed care and distribution infrastructure and channels.

We do not have, and do not now intend to develop, facilities for the manufacture of any of our products for clinical or commercial production. At this time, we are not a party to any long-term agreement with any of our suppliers, and accordingly, we have our products manufactured on a purchase-order basis from one of two primary suppliers. We are developing relationships with manufacturers and will enter into collaborative arrangements with licensees or have others manufacture our products on a contract basis. We expect to depend on such collaborators to supply us with products manufactured in compliance with standards imposed by the FDA and foreign regulators.

We have limited experience in marketing, sales or distribution, and we do not intend to develop a sales and marketing infrastructure to commercialize our pharmaceutical products. If we develop commercial products, we will need to rely on licensees, collaborators, joint venture partners or independent distributors to market and sell those products. Thus, we expect that we will be required to enter into agreements with commercial partners to engage in sales, marketing and distribution efforts around our products in development. We may be unable to establish or maintain third-party relationships on a commercially reasonable basis, if at all. In addition, these third parties may have similar or more established relationships with our competitors. If we do not enter into relationships with third parties for the sales and marketing of our proposed products, we will need to develop our own sales and marketing capabilities.

Even if engaged, these distributors may:

 

    fail to satisfy financial or contractual obligations to us;

 

    fail to adequately market our products;

 

    cease operations with little or no notice to us; or

 

    offer, design, manufacture or promote competing formulations or products.

If we fail to develop sales, managed care, marketing and distribution channels, we would experience delays in generating sales and incur increased costs, which would harm our financial results.

 

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We are exposed to product liability, pre-clinical and clinical liability risks, which could place a financial burden upon us, should we be sued, because we do not currently have product liability insurance beyond our general insurance coverage.

Our business exposes us to potential product liability and other liability risks that are inherent in the testing, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical formulations and products; accordingly, claims may be asserted against us. In addition, the use in our clinical trials of pharmaceutical formulations and products that our potential collaborators may develop and the subsequent sale of such formulations or products by us or our potential collaborators may cause us to assume a portion of or all of the product liability risks. A successful liability claim or series of claims brought against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because we do not currently have any FDA-approved products or formulations, we do not currently have any product liability insurance covering commercialized products. We may not be able to obtain or maintain adequate product liability insurance on acceptable terms, if at all, or such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against our potential liabilities. Furthermore, our current and potential partners with whom we have collaborative agreements or our future licensees may not be willing to indemnify us against these types of liabilities and may not, themselves, be sufficiently insured or have sufficient liquidity to satisfy any product liability claims. Claims or losses in excess of any product liability insurance coverage that may be obtained by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face intense competition in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive. We face direct competition from U.S. and foreign companies focusing on pharmaceutical products, which are rapidly evolving. Our competitors include major multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies, specialized biotechnology firms and universities and other research institutions. Many of these competitors possess greater financial and other resources, larger research and development staffs and more effective marketing and manufacturing organizations than we possess. In addition, academic and government institutions are increasingly likely to enter into exclusive licensing agreements with commercial enterprises, including our competitors, to market commercial products based on technology developed at such institutions. Our competitors may succeed in developing or licensing technologies and products that are more effective, or succeed in obtaining FDA or other regulatory approvals for product candidates before we do. Acquisitions of, or investments in, competing pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies by large corporations could increase such competitors’ financial, marketing, manufacturing and other resources.

The market for our proposed products is rapidly changing and competitive, and new drugs and new treatments which may be developed by others could impair our ability to maintain and grow our business and remain competitive.

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are subject to rapid and substantial technological change. Developments by others may render our proposed products noncompetitive or obsolete, or we may be unable to keep pace with technological developments or other market factors. Technological competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, governmental entities and others diversifying into the field is intense and is expected to increase.

As a pre-revenue company engaged in the development of drug technologies, our resources are limited and we may experience technical challenges inherent in such technologies. Competitors have developed or are in the process of developing technologies that are, or in the future may be, the basis for competition. Some of these technologies may have an entirely different approach or means of accomplishing similar therapeutic effects compared to our proposed products. Our competitors may develop drugs that are safer, more effective and less costly than our proposed products and, therefore, present a serious competitive threat to us.

 

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The potential widespread acceptance of therapies that are alternatives to ours may limit market acceptance of our proposed products, even if commercialized. Many of our targeted diseases and conditions can also be treated by other medications. These treatments may be widely accepted in medical communities and have a longer history of use. The established use of these competitive drugs may limit the potential for our technologies, formulations and products to receive widespread acceptance even if commercialized.

Our lack of operating experience may cause us difficulty in managing our growth.

We have limited experience in manufacturing or procuring products in commercial quantities, conducting other later-stage phases of the regulatory approval process, selling pharmaceutical products, or negotiating, establishing and maintaining strategic relationships. Although we have engaged a number of consultants to assist us, any additional growth may require us to expand our management, operational and financial systems and controls. If we are unable to do so, our business and financial condition would be materially harmed. If rapid growth occurs, it may strain our managerial, operational and financial resources.

We depend on key individuals to develop our products and core technologies and pursue collaborative relationships.

We are highly dependent on Peter G. Traber, M.D. Dr. Traber is our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Medical Officer who, among other things, designs and leads our pre-clinical and clinical studies, as well as our U.S. and European regulatory processes. The loss of Dr. Traber or failure to attract or retain other key personnel could prevent us from developing our products and core technologies and pursuing collaborative relationships.

We may fail to comply with our reporting and other requirements under federal securities laws.

As a publicly traded company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports. Our failure to prepare and disclose this information in a timely manner could subject us to penalties under federal securities laws, expose us to lawsuits and restrict our ability to access financing. We may be required to implement additional and expensive finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls as we grow our business and organization to satisfy new reporting requirements, which will increase our costs and require additional management resources.

Risks Related to the Regulation of our Products

We will need regulatory approvals to commercialize our products.

We are required to obtain approval (i) from the FDA in order to sell our products in the U.S. and (ii) from foreign regulatory authorities in order to sell our products in other countries. The FDA’s review and approval process is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. Extensive pre-clinical and clinical data and supporting information must be submitted to the FDA for each indication for each product candidate in order to secure FDA approval. Before receiving FDA clearance to market our proposed products, we will have to demonstrate that our products are safe on the patient population and effective for the diseases that are to be treated. Clinical trials, manufacturing and marketing of drugs are subject to the rigorous testing and approval process of the FDA and equivalent foreign regulatory authorities. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other federal, state and foreign statutes and regulations govern and influence the testing, manufacture, labeling, advertising, distribution and promotion of drugs and medical devices. As a result, regulatory approvals can take several years to acquire and may further require the expenditure of substantial financial, managerial and other resources. The FDA could reject an application or, in the alternative, require us to conduct additional clinical or other studies as part of the regulatory review process. Delays in obtaining or failure to obtain FDA approvals would delay or prevent the commercialization of our product candidates, which would prevent, defer or decrease our receipt of revenues. In addition, should we receive initial regulatory approval, our product candidates will be subject to extensive and rigorous ongoing domestic and foreign government regulation.

 

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Even if we obtain regulatory approvals, our marketed drugs will be subject to ongoing regulatory review. If we fail to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, we could lose our approvals to market drugs, in which case our business would be materially adversely affected.

Following regulatory approval in the United States of any drugs we may develop, we will remain subject to continuing regulatory review, including the review of adverse drug experiences and clinical results that are reported after our drug products are made available to patients. This would include results from any post marketing tests or vigilance required as a condition of approval. The manufacturer and manufacturing facilities we use to make any of our drug products will also be subject to periodic review and inspection by the FDA. The discovery of any new or previously unknown problems with the product, manufacturer or facility may result in restrictions on the drug or manufacturer or facility, including withdrawal of the drug from the market. We would continue to be subject to the FDA requirements governing the labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping, and submission of safety and other post-market information for all of our product candidates, even those that the FDA had approved. If we fail to comply with applicable continuing regulatory requirements, we may be subject to fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approval, product recalls and seizures, operating restrictions and other adverse consequences.

The drug development process to obtain FDA approval is very costly and time consuming and if we cannot complete our clinical trials in a cost-effective manner, our results of operations may be adversely affected.

Costs and timing of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project owing to the following non-exclusive reasons:

 

    the duration of the clinical trial;

 

    the number of sites included in the trials;

 

    the countries in which the trial is conducted;

 

    the length of time required and ability to enroll eligible patients;

 

    the number of patients that participate in the trials;

 

    the number of doses that patients receive;

 

    the drop-out or discontinuation rates of patients;

 

    per patient trial costs;

 

    third party contractors failing to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner;

 

    our drug product candidates having different chemical and pharmacological properties in humans than in lab testing;

 

    the need to suspend or terminate our clinical trials;

 

    insufficient or inadequate supply or quality of drug product candidates or other necessary materials to conduct our trials;

 

    potential additional safety monitoring, or other conditions required by FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials, or other studies requested by regulatory agencies;

 

    problems engaging IRBs to oversee trials or in obtaining and maintaining IRB approval of studies;

 

    the duration of patient follow-up;

 

    the efficacy and safety profile of the product candidate;

 

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    the costs and timing of obtaining regulatory approvals; and

 

    the costs involved in enforcing or defending patent claims or other intellectual property rights.

Each of the above factors and other unanticipated factors beyond our control could prevent us from gaining approval for our drugs in a cost-effective and timely manner, which could have a material adverse impact on our business.

If users of our proposed products are unable to obtain adequate reimbursement from third-party payers, market acceptance of our proposed products may be limited and we may not achieve revenues or profits.

The continuing efforts of governments, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other payers of healthcare costs to contain or reduce costs of health care may affect our future revenues and profitability as well as the future revenues and profitability of our potential customers, suppliers and collaborative partners in addition to the availability of capital. In other words, our ability to commercialize our proposed products will depend in large part on the extent to which appropriate reimbursement levels for the cost of our proposed formulations, products and related treatments are obtained by the health care providers of these products and treatments. At this time we cannot predict the precise impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Act of 2010, the comprehensive health care reform legislation passed by Congress in March 2010. It is possible that the adoption of this legislation could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Data obtained from clinical trials may be negative or inconclusive, and are susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory clearances.

Data already obtained, or in the future obtained, from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials do not necessarily predict the results that will be obtained from later pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. Moreover, pre-clinical and clinical data may be negative or inconclusive. In addition, data is susceptible to varying interpretations. Negative or inconclusive data, or data interpreted in various ways, could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after having obtained promising results in earlier trials. The failure to adequately demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a proposed formulation or product under development could delay or prevent regulatory clearance of the potential drug. The resulting delays in commercialization could materially harm our business. Our clinical trials may not demonstrate sufficient levels of safety and efficacy necessary to obtain the requisite regulatory approvals for our drugs, and thus, our proposed drugs may not be approved for marketing.

We will need to obtain FDA approval of any proposed product brand names, and any failure or delay associated with such approval may adversely impact our business.

A pharmaceutical product cannot be marketed in the U.S. or other countries until it has completed rigorous and extensive regulatory review processes, including approval of a brand name. Any brand names we intend to use for our product candidates will require approval from the FDA regardless of whether we have secured a formal trademark registration from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the PTO. The FDA typically conducts a review of proposed product brand names, including an evaluation of potential for confusion with other product names. The FDA may also object to a product brand name if it believes the name inappropriately implies medical claims. If the FDA objects to any of our proposed product brand names, we may be required to adopt an alternative brand name for our product candidates. If we adopt an alternative brand name, we would lose the benefit of our existing trademark applications for such product candidate and may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable product brand name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA. We may be unable to build a successful brand identity for a new trademark in a timely manner or at all, which would limit our ability to commercialize our product candidates.

 

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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Our competitive position is contingent upon the protection of our intellectual property.

Development and protection of our intellectual property are critical to our business. All of our intellectual property, patented or otherwise, has been invented and/or developed by employees or former employees of the Company. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patent protection for our products or processes in the U.S. and other countries, protect trade secrets and prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights. We will only be able to protect our product candidates from unauthorized making, using, selling, offering to sell or importation by third parties to the extent that we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, competitors may be able to practice our technologies.

The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents has emerged to date in the United States. The biotechnology patent situation outside the United States is even more uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed in our pending patent applications or enforced in our issued patents or in third-party patents.

The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:

 

    others may be able to make compounds that are competitive with our product candidates but are not covered by the claims of our patents;

 

    we might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our pending patent applications;

 

    we might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;

 

    it is possible that our pending patent applications will not result in issued patents;

 

    we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable; or

 

    the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business.

We also may rely on trade secrets to protect our technology, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Although we require our scientific and technical employees and consultants to enter into broad assignment of inventions agreements, and all of our employees, consultants and corporate partners with access to proprietary information to enter into confidentiality agreements, these agreements may not be honored. Enforcing a claim that a third party illegally obtained, and is using, our trade secrets is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how.

We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights and we may be unable to protect our rights to, or use of, our technology.

Some or all of our patent applications may not issue as patents, or the claims of any issued patents may not afford meaningful protection for our technologies or products. In addition, patents issued to us or our licensors, if any, may be challenged and subsequently narrowed, invalidated or circumvented. Patent litigation is widespread in the biotechnology industry and could harm our business. Litigation might be necessary to protect our patent position or to determine the scope and validity of third-party proprietary rights.

If we choose to go to court to stop someone else from using the inventions claimed in our patents, that individual or company would have the right to ask the court to rule that such patents are invalid and/or should not

 

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be enforced against that third party. These lawsuits are expensive and we may not have the required resources to pursue such litigation or to protect our patent rights. In addition, there is a risk that the court will decide that these patents are not valid and that we do not have the right to stop the other party from using the inventions. There is also the risk that, even if the validity of these patents is upheld, the court will refuse to stop the other party on the ground that such other party’s activities do not infringe our rights in these patents.

Furthermore, a third party may claim that we are using inventions covered by the third party’s patent rights and may go to court to stop us from engaging in our normal operations and activities, including making or selling our product candidates. These lawsuits are costly and could affect our results of operations and divert the attention of managerial and technical personnel. There is a risk that a court would decide that we are infringing the third party’s patents and would order us to stop the activities covered by the patents. In addition, there is a risk that a court will order us to pay the other party treble damages for having violated the other party’s patents. The biotechnology industry has produced a proliferation of patents, and it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods of use. The coverage of patents is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform. If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our products or methods of use either do not infringe the claims of the relevant patent and/or that the patent claims are invalid, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity in the U.S., in particular, is difficult since it requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents.

Because some patent applications in the United States may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued, patent applications in the United States and many foreign jurisdictions are typically not published until eighteen months after filing, and publications in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications for technology covered by our issued patents or our pending applications or that we were the first to invent the technology. Our competitors may have filed, and may in the future file, patent applications covering technology similar to ours. Any such patent application may have priority over our patent applications and could further require us to obtain rights to issued patents covering such technologies. If another party has filed a United States patent application on inventions similar to ours, we may have to participate in an interference or other proceeding in the PTO or a court to determine priority of invention in the United States. The costs of these proceedings could be substantial, and it is possible that such efforts would be unsuccessful, resulting in a loss of our United States patent position with respect to such inventions.

Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations.

Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends upon compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

The PTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other provisions during the patent process. There are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, competitors might be able to enter the market earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

Our failure to secure trademark registration could adversely affect our ability to market our product candidates and our business.

Our trademark applications in the United States, when filed, and any other jurisdictions where we may file may not be allowed for registration, and our registered trademarks may not be maintained or enforced. During trademark registration proceedings, we may receive rejections. Although we are given an opportunity to respond

 

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to those rejections, we may be unable to overcome such rejections. In addition, in the PTO and in comparable agencies in many foreign jurisdictions, third parties are given an opportunity to oppose pending trademark applications and to seek to cancel registered trademarks. Opposition or cancellation proceedings may be filed against our applications and/or registrations, and our applications and/or registrations may not survive such proceedings. Failure to secure such trademark registrations in the United States and in foreign jurisdictions could adversely affect our ability to market our product candidates and our business.

Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and other proprietary information and may not adequately protect our intellectual property, which could impede our ability to compete.

Because we operate in the highly technical field of biotechnology and pharmaceutical development, we rely in part on trade secret protection in order to protect our proprietary trade secrets and unpatented know-how. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect, and we cannot be certain that others will not develop the same or similar technologies on their own. We have taken steps, including entering into confidentiality agreements with all of our employees, consultants and corporate partners to protect our trade secrets and unpatented know-how. These agreements generally require that the other party keep confidential and not disclose to third parties all confidential information developed by the party or made known to the party by us during the course of the party’s relationship with us. We also typically obtain agreements from these parties which provide that inventions conceived by the party in the course of rendering services to us will be our exclusive property. However, these agreements may not be honored and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to us. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally obtained and is using our trade secrets or know-how is difficult, expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States may be less willing to protect trade secrets or know-how. The failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive position.

We may be subject to claims that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and adversely affected by several factors.

The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly in response to various factors and events, including but not limited to:

 

    the results of our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, including interim result

 

    our ability to integrate operations, technology, products and services;

 

    our ability to execute our business plan;

 

    operating results below expectations;

 

    our issuance of additional securities, including debt or equity or a combination thereof, which may be necessary to fund our operating expenses;

 

    announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors;

 

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    loss of any strategic relationship;

 

    industry developments, including, without limitation, changes in healthcare policies or practices or third-party reimbursement policies;

 

    economic and other external factors;

 

    period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results; and

 

    whether an active trading market in our common stock develops and is maintained.

In addition, the market price for securities of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically has been highly volatile, and the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may cause the market price of our common stock to decline substantially.

In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. We may become involved in this type of litigation in the future. Litigation often is expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Additionally, fluctuations in the trading price or liquidity of our common stock may materially and adversely affect, among other things, the interest of investors to purchase our common stock on the open market and, generally, our ability to raise capital.

Our board of directors has the power to designate, without stockholder approval, additional series of preferred stock, the shares of which could be senior to our common stock and be entitled to conversion or voting rights that adversely affect the holders of our common stock.

Our articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of capital stock including 20,000,000 authorized undesignated shares (8,001,000 designated as of December 31, 2013), and empowers our board of directors to prescribe, by resolution and without stockholder approval, a class or series of undesignated shares, including the number of shares in the class or series and the voting powers, designations, rights, preferences, restrictions and the relative rights in each such class or series. Accordingly, we may designate and issue additional shares or series of preferred stock that would rank senior to the shares of common stock as to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, winding-up, or dissolution.

Nevada law and our charter documents could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us and discourage a takeover, which could depress the trading price of our common stock.

Nevada corporate law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our Company or changes in our management that our stockholders may deem advantageous. For example, holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors, meaning that stockholders owning a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock will be able to elect all of our directors. In addition, because we have more than 200 stockholders of record, we are subject to the “business combinations” provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or NRS. These provisions could prohibit or delay a merger or other takeover or change in control attempt and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire our company even though such a transaction may be in our stockholders’ best interest and offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price.

One investor and certain directors, by virtue of ownership of our securities and related rights, may be able to control the Company.

The 10X Fund owns all of our issued and outstanding Series B Preferred Stock, which are convertible into 2,000,000 shares of our common stock. The 10X Fund owns related warrants exercisable to purchase an

 

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aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2013, we have issued 988,186 shares of our common stock as dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and 1,500,000 shares of our common stock on the exercise of warrants by 10X Fund. In addition, (i) James C. Czirr, a managing partner of the 10X Fund and Executive Chairman of our board of directors, owns or controls approximately 862,000 shares of our common stock, including shares of Series A on an as converted basis, and has the right to acquire 666,667 additional shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding stock options (416,667 of which are exercisable as of December 31, 2013); and (ii) Rod D. Martin, a managing partner of the 10X Fund and Vice Chairman of our board of directors, owns or controls approximately 91,000 shares of our common stock and has the right to acquire 114,236 additional shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding stock options (103,791 of which are exercisable as of December 31, 2013). As of December 31, 2013, on a fully diluted basis, assuming conversion of all Series B Preferred Stock and exercise of all outstanding warrants, the 10X Fund would own approximately 29% of our then outstanding shares of common stock, which, together with the shares of our common stock that would be owned by Mr. Czirr and Mr. Martin (assuming exercise of all vested options at that date), would constitute approximately 34% of the then outstanding shares.

As holder of Series B Preferred Stock, the 10X Fund is entitled to elect three directors in a separate class vote, nominate three directors for election by all shares entitled to vote, and provide or withhold consent to a range of fundamental corporate actions we may wish to undertake, such as recapitalization, sale of our company, and other matters. Such concentration of stock ownership and related rights could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing corporate events that our other security holders may desire or consider beneficial to the company.

We may issue additional common stock, which might dilute the net tangible book value per share of our common stock.

Our board of directors has the authority, without action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or a part of our authorized but unissued shares. Such stock issuances could be made at a price that reflects a discount to, or a premium from, the then-current market price of our common stock. In addition, in order to raise capital, we may need to issue securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for a significant amount of our common stock. We are currently contemplating additional capital raising transactions within the next twelve months, which would likely result in issuances of additional shares which would be dilutive to current shareholders. These issuances would dilute the percentage ownership interest, which would have the effect of reducing your influence on matters on which our stockholders vote, and might dilute the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. You may incur additional dilution if holders of stock options, whether currently outstanding or subsequently granted, exercise their options, or if warrant holders exercise their warrants to purchase shares of our common stock.

A sale of a substantial number of shares of the common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Our common stock is currently traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market and, despite certain increases of trading volume from time to time, there have been periods when it could be considered “thinly-traded,” meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. Finance transactions resulting in a large amount of newly issued shares that become readily tradable, or other events that cause current stockholders to sell shares, could place downward pressure on the trading price of our stock. Some of our shareholders have registration rights to facilitate sales of large blocks of our common stock. We have filed a shelf registration statement to allow registered sales of up to 9.7 million shares by these shareholders. We may consider additional capital raising transactions within the next twelve months, which would likely result in issuances of additional shares which would be dilutive to current shareholders. In addition, the lack of a robust resale market may require a stockholder who desires to sell a large number of shares of common stock to sell the shares in increments over time to mitigate any adverse impact of the sales on the market price of our stock.

 

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If our stockholders sell, or the market perceives that our stockholders intend to sell for various reasons, including the ending of restriction on resale or the expiration of lock-up agreements such as those entered into in connection with this offering, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, the market price of our common stock could fall. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate. We may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm our business.

We have not paid cash dividends in the past and do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have never paid cash dividends on our capital stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our capital stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as the board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if the market price of our common stock price appreciates.

At times, our shares of common stock and warrants have been thinly traded, so you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or even at all if you need to sell your shares or warrants to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares or warrants.

We cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock and warrants will develop or be sustained. Our common stock is currently traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market and experiences periods when it could be considered “thinly-traded.” This situation may be attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days, weeks or months when trading activity in our shares is minimal, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained or not diminish.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, research and development, clinical trial expenditures, acquisitions of new technologies and investments, and the repayment or redemption of preferred stock. We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of securities by the Selling Stockholder. Additional information on the use of net proceeds from the sale of securities offered by this prospectus may be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to that offering.

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Common Stock

We currently have authorized 50,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of March 18, 2014, there were 21,932,775 shares of common stock outstanding. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive rights and no right to convert their common stock into any other securities. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

The following summary of the terms of our common stock is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to our Articles of Incorporation and by-laws, copies of which are on file with the SEC as exhibits to previous SEC filings. Please refer to the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” for directions on obtaining these documents.

Voting Rights. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including, without limitation, the election of our board of directors. Our stockholders have no right to cumulate their votes in the election of directors.

Dividends. Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably those dividends declared from time to time by the board of directors. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We expect to retain future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

Rights Upon Liquidation. Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in assets remaining after payment of liabilities.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of Nevada Law

Effect of Nevada Anti-takeover Statute. We are subject to Section 78.438 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, an anti-takeover law. In general, Section 78.438 prohibits a Nevada corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless prior to that date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. Section 78.439 provides that business combinations after the three year period following the date that the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder may also be prohibited unless approved by the corporation’s directors or other stockholders or unless the price and terms of the transaction meet the criteria set forth in the statute.

 

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Section 78.416 defines “business combination” to include the following:

 

    any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder or any other corporation which is an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder;

 

    any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of the assets of the corporation involving the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder if the assets transferred have a market value equal to 5% or more of all of the assets of the corporation or 5% or more of the value of the outstanding shares of the corporation or represent 10% or more of the earning power of the corporation;

 

    subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation with a market value of 5% or more of the value of the outstanding shares of the corporation;

 

    the adoption of a plan of liquidation proposed by or under any arrangement with the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder;

 

    any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder; or

 

    the receipt by the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.

In general, Section 78.423 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by any of these entities or persons.

Control Share Acquisitions. Sections 78.378 through 78.3793 of the Nevada Revised Statutes limit the voting rights of certain acquired shares in a corporation. The provisions apply to any acquisition of outstanding voting securities of a Nevada corporation that has 200 or more stockholders, at least 100 of which are Nevada residents, and conducts business in Nevada (an “issuing corporation”) resulting in ownership of one of the following categories of an issuing corporation’s then outstanding voting securities: (i) twenty percent or more but less than thirty-three percent; (ii) thirty-three percent or more but less than fifty percent; or (iii) fifty percent or more. The securities acquired in such acquisition are denied voting rights unless a majority of the security holders approve the granting of such voting rights. Unless an issuing corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws then in effect provide otherwise: (i) voting securities acquired are also redeemable in part or in whole by an issuing corporation at the average price paid for the securities within 30 days if the acquiring person has not given a timely information statement to an issuing corporation or if the stockholders vote not to grant voting rights to the acquiring person’s securities, and (ii) if outstanding securities and the security holders grant voting rights to such acquiring person, then any security holder who voted against granting voting rights to the acquiring person may demand the purchase from an issuing corporation, for fair value, all or any portion of his securities. These provisions do not apply to acquisitions made pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution, the enforcement of a judgment, or the satisfaction of a security interest, or made in connection with certain mergers or reorganizations.

Preferred Stock

We are currently authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of undesignated stock, par value $0.01 per share, the rights and privileges of which may be established from time to time by our board of directors. As of the date of this prospectus, our board of directors has designated:

 

    5,000,000 as Series A 12% Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series A Preferred Stock, of which 1,452,500 are issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus;

 

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    900,000 as Series B-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series B-1 Preferred Stock, and 2,100,000 as Series B-2 Convertible Preferred Stock, referred to together as the Series B Preferred Stock, all of which are issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus supplement; and

 

    1,000 as Series C Super Dividend Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series C Preferred Stock, of which 185 are issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus supplement.

Series A Preferred Stock

The shares of Series A Preferred Stock accrue interest at 12% per annum payable at our option in cash or shares of common stock valued per share at the higher of $6.00 or 100% of the value weighted average price of our shares of common stock for the 20 consecutive trading days prior to the applicable dividend payment date. Holders are entitled to vote as a class with the common stock and each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible at any time to one-sixth share of common stock, subject to adjustment in the event of a stock dividend, stock split or combination, reclassification or similar event. We may require conversion if the closing price of the common stock exceeds $18.00 for 15 consecutive trading days and a registration statement covering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock is then in effect.

Series B Preferred Stock

Dividends. Holders of the Series B will be entitled to receive cumulative dividends at the rate of 12% per share per annum (compounding monthly) payable quarterly which may, at our option, be paid in cash or common stock. Pursuant to an agreement with the holder of all shares of Series B, on January 26, 2011, we amended and restated the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations for the Series B-1 and Series B-2, to provide that dividends are payable in cash or shares of Common Stock valued at 100% of the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for the 20 consecutive trading days prior to the dividend payment date on and after September 30, 2011. If we do not pay any dividend on the Series B, dividends will accrue at the rate of 15% per annum (compounding monthly).

Conversion Rights. Each share of Series B is convertible into two-thirds (approximately 0.667) shares of common stock at the conversion price of $3.00 per share at the option of (i) the holder, at any time and (ii) us, at any time after February 12, 2010 (and upon 10 days notice) if the common stock was quoted at or above $9.00 for 15 consecutive trading days and an effective registration statement regarding the underlying shares of common stock is in effect (subject to certain monthly volume limits). Pursuant to an agreement with the holder of all shares of Series B, on January 26, 2011, we amended and restated the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations for the Series B-1 and Series B-2, to remove our right to compel conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock to shares of its Common Stock.

Redemption Rights. Pursuant to an agreement with the holder of all shares of Series B, on January 26, 2011, we amended and restated the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations for the Series B-1 and Series B-2, to provide that, upon notice of not less than 30 trading days, a holder of Series B may require us to redeem, in whole or in part at any time on or after the earlier of (a) February 12, 2019 or (b) the date of issuance of a promissory note to David Platt in connection with the achievement of certain milestones under his separation agreement.

The redemption price will be equal to the sum of the stated value of the Series B, plus all accrued but unpaid dividends thereon, as of the redemption date. If we fail to pay the redemption price in cash on the redemption date, then the holders of the Series B requesting redemption may, at their sole option, automatically convert their shares of Series B into a promissory note bearing interest at the rate of 15% per year and secured by a lien on all of our assets. So long as any shares of the Series B remain outstanding, we are also subject to restrictions limiting, among other things, amendments to our organizational documents; the purchase or redemption of our

 

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capital stock; mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions; sales of assets; dividends and other restricted payments; investments and acquisitions; joint ventures, licensing agreements, exclusive marketing and other distribution agreements; issuances of securities; incurrence of indebtedness; incurrence of liens and other encumbrances and issuances of any common stock equivalents.

Voting Rights. Except as noted below, the holder of each share of Series B shall be entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such share of Series B would be convertible, and shall otherwise have voting rights and powers equal to the voting rights and powers of the Common Stock. With respect to the election of directors, the holders of the Series B shall vote together as a separate class to elect two (2) members of the Board of Directors (the “Series B Directors”), and we shall take all reasonably necessary or desirable actions within its control (including, without limitation, calling special meetings of the Board of Directors, nominating such persons designated by the holders of the Series B as directors on the applicable proxy statements and recommending their election) to permit the holders of the Series B to appoint two additional (2) members of the Board of Directors (the “Series B Nominees”), who shall be subject to election by all shares our voting stock voting together as a single group, until such time as all authorized shares of Series B have has been issued and sold, after which the number of Series B Nominees shall be three (3), and shall remain three (3) until there are no longer any shares of Series B outstanding. The holders of Series B shall vote together with the holders of Common Stock and other voting capital stock to elect all other members of the Board of Directors.

Other Restrictions. So long as any shares of the Series B remain outstanding, we may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the shares of Series B outstanding, among other things, (i) change the size of our Board of Directors; (ii) amend or repeal our Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or file any articles of amendment designating the preferences, limitations and relative rights of any series of preferred stock; (iii) create or increase the authorized amount of any additional class or series of shares of stock that is equal to or senior to Series B; (iv) increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of the Series B; (v) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for value any shares of any class of capital stock; (vi) merge or consolidate our into or with any other corporation or sell, assign, lease, pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or those of any subsidiary; (vii) voluntarily or involuntarily liquidate, dissolve or wind up our or our business; (viii) pay or declare dividends on any capital stock other than the Preferred Stock, unless the Series B share ratably in such dividend and all accrued dividends payable with respect to the Series B have been paid prior to the payment or declaration of such dividend; (ix) acquire an equitable interest in, or the assets or business of any other entity in any form of transaction; (x) create or commit us to enter into a joint venture, licensing agreement or exclusive marketing or other distribution agreement with respect to our products, other than in the ordinary course of business; (xi) permit us or any subsidiary to sell or issue any security of such subsidiary to any person or entity other than ours; (xii) enter into, create, incur, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money of any kind (other than indebtedness existing on the initial closing date and approved by Series B shareholders); (xiii) enter into, create, incur or assume any liens of any kind (other than certain permitted liens); (xiv) issue any common stock equivalents; (xv) increase the number of shares of our common stock that may be issued pursuant to options, warrants or rights to employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors above 250,000.

Series C Super Dividend Preferred Stock

Conversion Rights. Each holder of Series C may convert all, but not less than all, of his Series C shares plus accrued and unpaid dividends into Common Stock at the price of $6.00 per share of Common Stock (“Conversion Price”), such that approximately 1,667 shares of Common Stock will be issued per each converted share of Series C (accrued and unpaid dividends will be issued as additional shares). At December 31, 2013, the 196 outstanding shares of Series C were convertible into a total of approximately 326,667 shares of Common Stock.

 

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Subject to the continuing obligation to pay post conversion dividends, we may convert all, but not less than all, of the Series C (plus all accrued and unpaid dividends) into Common Stock, at the Conversion Price, upon such time that the closing price of the Common Stock is no less than $18.00 per share for 15 consecutive trading days.

Dividends. Holders of Series C shall be entitled to receive cumulative non-compounding dividends at the rate per share of Series C equal to the greater of (i) 6% per annum of the Stated Value (also defined as the “Floor”) or (ii) 2.5% of net sales until the total dividends paid is equal to the initial investment and 1.25% of net sales thereafter. The maximum amount each Series C shareholder will receive in dividend payments is equal to $100,000 (the “Maximum Payout”). For purposes of this dividend calculation, net sales shall mean gross revenues actually received by us, from the sale or licensing of the product DAVANAT® (GM-CT-01), less chargebacks, returns, expenses attributable to product recalls, duties, customs, sales tax, freight, insurance, shipping expenses, allowances and other customary deductions.

The dividend shall be payable in arrears semiannually on March 31 and September 30, beginning with the first such date after the original issue date; provided, however, that all dividends and all other distributions shall cease, and no further dividends or other distributions shall be paid, in respect of each share of Series C from and after such time that the Maximum Payout has been paid in respect of such share of Series C. Such dividends shall be payable at the Company’s option either in cash or in duly authorized, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock valued at the higher of (i) $3.00 per share or (ii) the average of the Common Stock trading price for the ten (10) consecutive trading days ending on the trading day that is immediately prior to the dividend payment date.

Series C Post Conversion Dividend Right. In the event that any share of Series C is converted into Common Stock before the Maximum Payout is paid in respect of such converted share of Series C, then the holder shall have the right to continue to receive dividends in respect of such converted share of Series C equal to the remaining payout (the “Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Dividend Right”) which shall be equal to the Maximum Payout less the cumulative dividends received through the conversion date. One share of Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Dividend Right shall be issued for each such converted share of Series C. The holder of each Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Dividend Right shall receive the remaining payout on an equal basis and in conjunction with the then outstanding shares of Series C and all the other then outstanding Series C Post Conversion Dividend Rights, in the same manner and subject to the same terms and conditions as applicable to the payment of dividends on each share of Series C, except that for purposes of calculating the dividend the Floor shall not apply. The Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Dividend Right shall have no stated value, liquidation preference or right to any dividends or distributions other than the remaining payout. The Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Right is subject to redemption in the same manner as outstanding Series C shares.

Liquidation Rights. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, either voluntarily or involuntarily, the holders of Series C will receive $10,000 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends, payable prior and in preference to any distributions to the holders of Common Stock but after and subordinate to the Series A 12% Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A”), Series B-1 and Series B-2, subject to the Maximum Payout.

 

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Redemption. Upon a sale of the Company, we shall redeem all of the then outstanding shares of Series C and Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Rights within thirty (30) days after the transaction constituting the sale of the Company is closed and such closing is fully funded. The price to redeem a share of Series C and each redeemed Series C Preferred Stock Post Conversion Redemption Right shall be equal to (i) (A) the applicable return on investment (“ROI”) percentage, multiplied by (B) $10,000, minus (ii) the cumulative dividends received through the redemption date. The redemption price shall be payable at our option either in cash or in shares of common stock valued at the higher of (i) $3.00 per share or (ii) the average market price for the ten consecutive trading days ending immediately prior to the date of redemption. The ROI Percentage shall mean the percentage that applies as of the redemption date, as follows:

 

ROI Percentage   
200%    before the second anniversary of the date of issuance;
250%    on or after the second anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the third anniversary of the date of issuance;
300%    on or after the third anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the fourth anniversary of the date of issuance;
350%    on or after the fourth anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance;
400%    on or after the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the sixth anniversary of the date of issuance;
450%    on or after the sixth anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the seventh anniversary of the date of issuance;
500%    on or after the seventh anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the eighth anniversary of the date of issuance; and
550%    on or after the eighth anniversary of the date of issuance, but before the ninth anniversary of the date of issuance.

Voting Rights. The Series C shares have no voting rights.

Except for shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock, there are no other shares of preferred stock outstanding as of the date of this prospectus.

Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for any series or class of preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

This prospectus covers the sale by the selling stockholders from time to time of up to 500,000 shares of common stock.

The term “selling stockholder” includes (i) each person and entity that is identified in the table below (as such table may be amended from time to time by means of an amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part) and (ii) any transferee, donee, pledgee or other successor of any person or entity named in the table that acquires any of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and that is identified in a supplement or amendment to this prospectus.

We have listed below:

 

    the name of each selling stockholder;

 

    the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder as of the date of this prospectus;

 

    the maximum number of shares of common stock being offered by each of them in this offering; and

 

    the number of shares of common stock to be owned by the selling stockholder after this offering (assuming sale of such maximum number of shares) and the percentage of the class which such number constitutes (if one percent or more).

 

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Except as otherwise noted below, during the last three years, no selling stockholder has been an officer, director or affiliate of our company, nor has any selling stockholder had any material relationship with our company or affiliates during that period. Each selling stockholder represented at the closing of the private placement that it did not have any contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any person to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of any of the securities. Based on information provided to us by the selling stockholders, the selling stockholder purchased the securities in the ordinary course of business.

The shares of common stock being offered hereby are being registered to permit public secondary trading, and the selling stockholders are under no obligation to sell all or any portion of their shares included in this prospectus. The information contained in the following table is derived from information provided to us by selling stockholders, our books and records, as well as from our transfer agent. Where we were unable to obtain information from a selling stockholder with respect to the total number of shares beneficially owned by such holder, we have included only the shares underlying warrants held by such holder.

Unless otherwise indicated, each person has sole investment and voting power with respect to the shares indicated. For purposes of this table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of any shares as of a given date which such person has the right to acquire within 60 days after such date.

We do not know when or in what amounts a selling stockholder may offer shares for sale. The selling stockholder may not sell any or all of the shares offered by this prospectus. Because the selling stockholder may offer some or all of the shares pursuant to this prospectus, and because there are currently no agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to any of the shares, we cannot estimate the number of the shares that will be held by the selling stockholders after completion of the offering. However, for purposes of this table, we have assumed that, after completion of the offering, none of the shares covered by this prospectus will be held by the selling stockholders. The numbers of shares shown under the column “Common Stock Owned Upon Completion of this Offering” reflect the assumption solely for purpose of this table that such shares are still owned upon completion of the offering, which assumption is not intended to override the selling stockholder table in, as applicable, any other prospectus covering the resale of any other of our securities by the selling stockholder.

 

Name of Selling Stockholder

   Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
Prior to
Offering
     Common Stock
Offered
Pursuant to
this Prospectus
     Common Stock
Owned Upon
Completion of
this Offering
    Percentage of
Common
Stock Owned
Upon
Completion
of this
Offering
 

Richard Uihlein (1)

     512,470         500,000         12,470  (2)          

 

* less than one percent.

Percentage calculations are based on 21,932,775 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of March 18, 2014.

 

(1) Does not include shares held by 10X Fund, L.P. (“10X Fund”). Mr. Uihlein is a limited partner owning a minority investment in 10X Fund and as such, does not have voting or dispositive power over the shares held by 10X Fund.
(2) Assumes all offered shares are sold.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities covered by this prospectus in any of three ways (or in any combination):

 

    to or through underwriters or dealers;

 

    directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser; or

 

    through agents.

Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will set forth the terms of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus, including:

 

    the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them;

 

    the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

 

    any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities;

 

    any underwriting discounts or commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

    the initial public offering price of the securities;

 

    any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and

 

    any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed.

Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

Underwriters or dealers may offer and sell the securities 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. If underwriters or dealers are used in the sale of any securities, the securities will be acquired by such underwriters or dealers for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transaction described above. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters or dealers. Subject to certain conditions, the underwriters or dealers will be obligated to purchase all the securities of the series offered by the prospectus supplement. We will describe the nature of any such relationship in the prospectus supplement, naming the underwriter or dealer.

We may use underwriters with whom we have a material relationship. We may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers 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. The prospectus supplement will set forth the conditions to these contracts and any commissions we pay for solicitation of these contracts.

To comply with applicable state securities laws, the securities offered by this prospectus will be sold, if necessary, in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, securities may not be sold in some states 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 is complied with.

 

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Each selling stockholder and any of his, her or its pledgees, donees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of his, her or its shares on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. A selling stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:

 

    ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

    block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

    purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

    an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

    privately negotiated transactions;

 

    settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part;

 

    broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

    through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

 

    a combination of any of these methods of sale; or

 

    any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

The selling stockholders may also sell shares under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus.

Broker-dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA/NASD Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA/NASD IM-2440.

The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

In connection with the sale of shares, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the shares in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares short and deliver these shares to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these shares. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to that broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares that broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect that transaction).

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus has been passed upon for Galectin Therapeutics Inc. by Arnall Golden Gregory LLP of Atlanta, Georgia.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Galectin Therapeutics. Inc. as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2013 have been audited by McGladrey LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report thereon, and included in this Prospectus and Registration Statement in reliance upon such report and upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

RSM US LLP, an Iowa limited liability partnership, is doing business as McGladrey LLP in the state of North Carolina and is a CPA firm registered with the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountants under the name McGladrey LLP. Rules permitting the use of RSM US LLP have been published in the North Carolina Register and are pending final approval.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are a reporting company and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the Public Reference Room (Room 1580), 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain information on the operations of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains the reports, proxy and information statements, and other information that we file electronically with the SEC.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC. The registration statement contains more information than this prospectus regarding us and the securities, including exhibits and schedules. You can obtain a copy of the registration statement from the SEC at the above address or from the SEC’s Internet site.

Our internet address is www.galectintherapeutics.com. We have not incorporated by reference into this prospectus the information on our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this document. Our web address is included in this document as an inactive textual reference only.

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information contained in documents that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those other documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we will make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended prior to the termination of this offering:

 

    Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2014;

 

    Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 10, 2014, January 13, 2014, January 15, 2014, January 27, 2014, and February 3, 2014;

 

    All information in our proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21, 2014 to the extent incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013;

 

    The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on September 9, 2003, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating that description, including Amendment No. 1 to Form 8-A filed with the SEC on March 22, 2012.

 

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You may request, orally or in writing, a copy of these documents, which will be provided to you at no cost, by contacting:

Galectin Therapuetics Inc.

4960 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 240

Norcross, Georgia 30071

Attention: Jack W. Callicutt, Chief Financial Officer

Tel.: (678) 620-3186

E-mail: ir@galectintherapeutics.com


Table of Contents

 

 

4,761,900 Shares

 

 

LOGO

COMMON STOCK

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

Roth Capital Partners

 

 

November 20, 2015