CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc S-1, filed Sep 25, 2020
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CNSP)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 25, 2020.
Registration No. 333-[__]
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Nevada | 2834 | 82-2318545 |
|
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
2100 West Loop South, Suite 900
Houston, TX 77027
(800) 946-9185
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Mr. John Climaco
Chief Executive Officer
2100 West Loop South, Suite 900
Houston, TX 77027
(800) 946-9185
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
Copies to:
|
Cavas S. Pavri Schiff Hardin LLP 100 N. 18th, Suite 300 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: (202) 724-6847 Fax: (202) 778-6460 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. x
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
| Large accelerated filer | ¨ | Accelerated filer | ¨ |
| Non-accelerated filer | x | Smaller reporting company | x |
| Emerging growth company | x |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of each class of securities to be registered |
Amount to be registered | Proposed maximum offering price per share (1) | Proposed maximum aggregate offering price | Amount of registration fee |
| Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share | 2,100,000 | $1.875 | $3,937,500 | $511.09 |
(1) Pursuant to Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, calculated on the basis of the average of the high and low prices per share of the registrant’s common stock as reported by The NASDAQ Capital Market on September 22, 2020.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell, nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion Dated September 25, 2020.
2,100,000 Shares
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Common Stock
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale of up to 2,100,000 shares of our common stock by Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, which we refer to in this prospectus as Lincoln Park or the selling stockholder.
The shares of common stock to which this prospectus relates have been or may be issued by us to Lincoln Park pursuant to a purchase agreement, dated as of September 15, 2020, we entered into with Lincoln Park, which we refer to in the prospectus as the Purchase Agreement. We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling stockholder. However, we may receive up to $15.0 million aggregate gross proceeds under the Purchase Agreement from any sales of common stock we make to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement after the date of this prospectus. On September 15, 2020, we issued 201,991 shares to Lincoln Park as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase our common stock under the Purchase Agreement. See “The Lincoln Park Transaction” for a description of the Purchase Agreement and “Selling Stockholder” for additional information regarding Lincoln Park.
The selling stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the common stock described in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about how the selling stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the common stock being registered pursuant to this prospectus. The selling stockholder is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
We will pay the expenses incurred in registering under the Securities Act the offer and sale of the common stock to which this prospectus relates by the selling stockholder, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution”.
Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “CNSP”. On September 24, 2020, the closing price of our common stock, as reported on Nasdaq, was $[●] per share.
We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups Act of 2012 and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. These risks are described in the “Risk Factors” section on page 7 of this prospectus. You should also consider the risk factors described or referred to in any documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in an applicable prospectus supplement, before investing in these securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is ________________, 2020.
No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
This prospectus contains estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other data about our industry. We obtained the industry and market data in this prospectus from our own research as well as from industry and general publications, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations and contains projections and estimates of the future performance of the industries in which we operate that are subject to a high degree of uncertainty. We caution you not to give undue weight to such projections, assumptions and estimates.
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This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors” section, our historical consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, each included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
We are a clinical pharmaceutical company organized as a Nevada corporation in July 2017 to focus on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates for the treatment of brain and central nervous system tumors, based on intellectual property that we license under license agreements with Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“HPI”) and The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and own pursuant to a collaboration and asset purchase agreement with Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Reata”).
We believe our lead drug candidate, Berubicin, if approved by the FDA, may be a significant discovery in the treatment of glioblastoma. Glioblastoma are tumors that arise from astrocytes, which are star-shaped cells making up the supportive tissue of the brain. These tumors are usually highly malignant (cancerous) because the cells reproduce quickly, and they are supported by a large network of blood vessels. Berubicin is an anthracycline, which is a class of drugs that are among the most powerful chemotherapy drugs known. Based on limited clinical data, we believe Berubicin is the first anthracycline that appears to have crossed the blood brain barrier and target brain cancer cells. While our current focus is solely on the development of Berubicin, we are also in the process of attempting to secure intellectual property rights in additional compounds that may be developed into drugs to treat cancers.
Berubicin was discovered at MD Anderson by Dr. Waldemar Priebe, the founder of the Company. Through a series of transactions, Berubicin was initially licensed to Reata. Reata conducted a Phase I clinical trial on Berubicin but subsequently allowed their IND with the FDA to lapse for strategic reasons. This will require us to obtain a new IND for Berubicin before beginning further clinical trials.
We do not have manufacturing facilities and all manufacturing activities are contracted out to third parties. Additionally, we do not have a sales organization.
On November 21, 2017, we entered into a Collaboration and Asset Purchase Agreement with Reata (the “Reata Agreement”). Pursuant to the Reata Agreement we purchased all of Reata’s intellectual property and development data regarding Berubicin, including all trade secrets, knowhow, confidential information and other intellectual property rights, which we refer to as the Reata Data.
On December 28, 2017, we obtained the rights to a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing, license to the chemical compound commonly known as Berubicin from HPI in an agreement we refer to as the HPI License. HPI is affiliated with Dr. Priebe, who controls a majority of our shares. Under the HPI License we obtained the exclusive right to develop certain chemical compounds for use in the treatment of cancer anywhere in the world. In the HPI License we agreed to pay HPI: (i) development fees of $750,000 over a three-year period beginning November 2019; (ii) a 2% royalty on net sales; (iii) a $50,000 per year license fee; (iv) milestone payments of $100,000 upon the commencement of a Phase II trial and $1.0 million upon the approval of an NDA for Berubicin; and (v) 200,000 shares of our common stock. The patents we licensed from HPI expired in March 2020.
On June 10, 2020, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation (“ODD”) for Berubicin for the treatment of malignant gliomas. ODD from the FDA is available for drugs targeting diseases with less than 200,000 cases per year. ODD may enable market exclusivity of 7 years from the date of approval of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) in the United States. During that period the FDA generally could not approve another product containing the same drug for the same designated indication. Orphan drug exclusivity will not bar approval of another product under certain circumstances, including if a subsequent product with the same active ingredient for the same indication is shown to be clinically superior to the approved product on the basis of greater efficacy or safety, or providing a major contribution to patient care, or if the company with orphan drug exclusivity is not able to meet market demand. Although the Company is exploring if there are other patents that could be filed related to Berubicin to extend additional protections, because the extent and scope of any future patent protection for Berubicin may be limited, the ODD now constitutes our primary intellectual property protections. If we do not maintain orphan drug exclusivity for Berubicin, our competitors may then sell the same drug to treat the same condition sooner than if we had maintained orphan drug exclusivity, and our revenue will be reduced.
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With the Reata Agreement and the HPI License, we believe we have obtained all rights and intellectual property necessary to develop Berubicin. As stated earlier, it is our plan to obtain additional intellectual property covering other compounds which, subject to the receipt of additional financing, may be developed into drugs for brain and other cancers.
On January 10, 2020, we entered into a Patent and Technology License Agreement (the “1244 Agreement”) with The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, an agency of the State of Texas, on behalf of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (“UTMDACC”). Pursuant to the 1244 Agreement, we obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to certain intellectual property rights, including patent rights, related to our WP1244 drug technology. In consideration, we must make payments to UTMDACC including an up-front license fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and royalty payments (including minimum annual royalties) for sales of licensed products developed under the 1244 Agreement. The term of the 1244 Agreement expires on the last to occur of: (a) the expiration of all patents subject to the 1244 Agreement, or (b) fifteen years after execution; provided that UTMDACC has the right to terminate the 1244 Agreement in the event that we fail to meet certain commercial diligence milestones.
On March 20, 2020, we entered into a Development Agreement with WPD Pharmaceuticals (“WPD”) (the “Development Agreement”), a company founded by Dr. Priebe. Pursuant to the Development Agreement, WPD agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts in good faith to develop and commercialize certain products that WPD had previously sublicensed, solely in the field of pharmaceutical drug products for the treatment of any viral infection in humans, with a goal of eventual approval of in certain territories consisting of: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Greece, Austria, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland. Pursuant to the Development Agreement, we agreed to pay WPD the following payments: (i) an upfront payment of $225,000 to WPD (paid in April 2020); and (ii) within thirty days of the verified achievement of the Phase II Milestone, (such verification shall be conducted by an independent third party mutually acceptable to the parties hereto), we will make a payment of $775,000 to WPD. WPD agreed to pay us a development fee of 50% of the net sales for any products in the above territories; provided that Poland shall not be included as a territory after WPD receives marketing approval for a product in one-half of the countries included in the agreed upon territories or upon the payment by WPD to us of development fees of $1.0 million. The term of the Development Agreement will expire on the expiration of the sublicense pursuant to which WPD has originally sublicensed the products.
On May 7, 2020, pursuant to the WP1244 Portfolio license agreement described above, the Company entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement with UTMDACC to perform research relating to novel anticancer agents targeting CNS malignancies. The Company agreed to fund approximately $1,134,000 over a two-year period. The Company will pay and record $734,000 in 2020 related to this agreement in research and development expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. The remainder will be paid and recorded in 2021. The principal investigator for this agreement is Dr. Priebe.
On May 1, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a temporary suspension of trading in our securities due to statements made by us and others in press releases issued between March 23, 2020 and April 13, 2020 concerning our business, including the status of development of a drug candidate labeled WP1122, the status of testing WP1122's impact on COVID-19, and the ability to expedite regulatory approval of any such treatment. Pursuant to the suspension order, the trading halt was initiated at 9:30 a.m. EDT on May 4, 2020 and terminated at 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 15, 2020. Commencing May 18, 2020, the Nasdaq Stock Market placed a halt on the trading of our common stock pending the receipt of additional information. This halt was lifted on May 28, 2020. We believe in the accuracy and adequacy of our public disclosures, but can provide no assurances that we will not encounter future similar actions, which may adversely affect the holders of our common stock.
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Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as the term is used in The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act), and therefore, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements, including:
| · | a requirement to only have two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data and management’s discussion and analysis; |
| · | exemption from the auditor attestation requirement on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting; |
| · | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and |
| · | exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments. |
We may take advantage of these provisions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues, have more than $700.0 million in market value of our capital stock held by non-affiliates or issue more than $1.07 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available benefits of the JOBS Act. We have taken advantage of some of the reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
Company Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027. Our website address is www.cnspharma.com. The information on or accessible through our website is not part of this prospectus.
The Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park
On September 15, 2020, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which Lincoln Park has agreed to purchase from us up to an aggregate of $15.0 million of our common stock (subject to certain limitations) from time to time over the term of the Purchase Agreement. Also on September 15, 2020, we entered into a registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park, which we refer to in this prospectus as the Registration Rights Agreement, pursuant to which we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, the registration statement that includes this prospectus to register for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, the shares of our common stock that have been or may be issued to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
This prospectus covers the resale by the selling stockholder of up to 2,100,000 shares of our common stock, comprised of: (i) 201,991 shares of our common stock that we have already issued to Lincoln Park as a fee for making its irrevocable commitment to purchase our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, which we refer to in this prospectus as the Commitment Shares, and (ii) up to an additional 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we have reserved for sale to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement from time to time after the date of this prospectus, if and when we determine to sell additional shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
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Other than the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, we do not have the right to commence any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement until all of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement have been satisfied, including that the SEC has declared effective the registration statement that includes this prospectus registering the shares of our common stock that have been and may be issued and sold to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, which we refer to in this prospectus as the Commencement. From and after the Commencement, we may, from time to time and at our sole discretion for a period of 36-months, on any business day that we select on which the closing sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $0.25 per share, direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to 30,000 shares of our common stock, which amount may be increased depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of sale, subject to a maximum commitment of $1,000,000 per purchase, which we refer to in this prospectus as “Regular Purchases.” In addition, at our discretion, Lincoln Park has committed to purchase other “accelerated amounts” and/or “additional accelerated amounts” under certain circumstances. We will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park. The purchase price of the shares of our common stock that may be sold to Lincoln Park in Regular Purchases under the Purchase Agreement will be based on an agreed upon fixed discount to the market price of our common stock immediately preceding the time of sale as computed under the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price per share will be equitably adjusted as provided in the Purchase Agreement for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, or other similar transaction as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. We may at any time in our sole discretion terminate the Purchase Agreement without fee, penalty or cost upon one business day notice. There are no restrictions on future financings, rights of first refusal, participation rights, penalties or liquidated damages in the Purchase Agreement or Registration Rights Agreement, other than a prohibition on our entering into certain types of transactions that are defined in the Purchase Agreement as “Variable Rate Transactions.” Lincoln Park may not assign or transfer its rights and obligations under the Purchase Agreement.
As of September 15, 2020, there were 16,652,225 shares of our common stock outstanding, of which 6,580,927 shares of our common stock were held by non-affiliates, including the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement. Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to an aggregate of $15.0 million of our common stock to Lincoln Park, only 2,100,000 shares of our common stock are being registered for resale under this prospectus, which represents the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and an additional 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell to Lincoln Park in the future under the Purchase Agreement, if and when we sell shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement. Depending on the market prices of our common stock at the time we elect to issue and sell shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, we may need to register for resale under the Securities Act additional shares of our common stock in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to the $15.0 million total commitment available to us under the Purchase Agreement. If all of the 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that may be sold to Lincoln Park in the future under the Purchase Agreement that are being registered for resale hereunder were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, such shares of our common stock, taken together with the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, would represent approximately 11.3% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding and approximately 24.8% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock held by non-affiliates, in each case as of the date of this prospectus. If we elect to issue and sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement more than the 2,100,000 shares of our common stock being registered for resale by Lincoln Park under this prospectus, which we have the right, but not the obligation, to do, we must first register for resale under the Securities Act any such additional shares of our common stock, which could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of shares of our common stock ultimately offered for resale by Lincoln Park is dependent upon the number of shares of our common stock we ultimately decide to sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
Under applicable Nasdaq rules, in no event may we issue or sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement shares of our common stock in excess of 3,290,045 shares (including the Commitment Shares), which represents 19.99% of the shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the Purchase Agreement, or the Exchange Cap, unless (i) we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap or (ii) the average price of all applicable sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement equals or exceeds $2.0776 per share (which represents the lower of (A) the official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the Purchase Agreement and (B) the average official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq for the five consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the Purchase Agreement, adjusted such that the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules. In any event, the Purchase Agreement specifically provides that we may not issue or sell any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement if such issuance or sale would breach any applicable rules or regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market.
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The Purchase Agreement prohibits us from directing Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock if those shares of our common stock, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park and its affiliates, would result in Lincoln Park having beneficial ownership, at any single point in time, of more than 4.99% of the then total outstanding shares of our common stock, as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and Rule 13d-3 thereunder, which limitation we refer to as the Beneficial Ownership Cap.
Issuances of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will not affect the rights or privileges of our existing stockholders, except that the economic and voting interests of each of our existing stockholders will be diluted as a result of any such issuance. Although the number of shares of our common stock that our existing stockholders own will not decrease, the shares of our common stock owned by our existing stockholders will represent a smaller percentage of our total outstanding shares of our common stock after any such issuance of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
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The Offering
| Shares of our common stock offered by the selling stockholder |
Up to 2,100,000 shares of our common stock consisting of:
· 201,991 Commitment Shares issued to Lincoln Park upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement; and
· up to 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell to Lincoln Park from time to time under the Purchase Agreement from and after the Commencement. |
| Shares of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering | 16,652,225 shares of our common stock, which includes the 201,991 Commitment Shares issued to Lincoln Park upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement. |
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Shares of our common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to the issuance of the additional 1,898,009 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance and sale under the Purchase Agreement |
18,550,234 shares of our common stock.
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| Use of proceeds | We will receive no proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by Lincoln Park in this offering. We may receive up to $15.0 million aggregate gross proceeds under the Purchase Agreement from any sales of shares of our common stock we make to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement after the Commencement. Any proceeds that we receive from sales of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will be used for working capital. See “Use of Proceeds.” |
| Nasdaq symbol for our common stock | “CNSP” |
| Risk Factors | This investment involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities. |
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding before this offering is based on 16,652,225 shares outstanding as of September 15, 2020, and does not give effect to:
| · | 3,986,630 shares of common stock underlying outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $3.99 per share; |
| · | 2,125,736 shares of common stock underlying outstanding options with a weighted average exercise price of $1.99 per share; and |
| · | 60,500 shares available for future issuance under the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2017 Stock Plan and 2,813,764 shares available for future issuance under the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Stock Plan. |
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before investing in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties discussed under “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for quarters ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. You should carefully consider each of the following risks, together with all other information set forth in this prospectus, including the consolidated financial statements and the related notes, before making a decision to buy our common stock. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business could be harmed. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to this Offering
The sale or issuance of our common stock to Lincoln Park may cause dilution and the sale of the shares of common stock acquired by Lincoln Park, or the perception that such sales may occur, could cause the price of our common stock to fall.
On September 15, 2020, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which Lincoln Park has committed to purchase up to $15,000,000 of our common stock. Upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement, we issued 201,991 shares of common stock to Lincoln Park as a fee for its commitment to purchase shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement. The remaining shares of our common stock that may be issued under the Purchase Agreement may be sold by us to Lincoln Park at our discretion from time to time over a 36-month period commencing after the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, including that the SEC has declared effective the registration statement that includes this prospectus. The purchase price for the shares that we may sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will fluctuate based on the price of our common stock. Depending on market liquidity at the time, sales of such shares may cause the trading price of our common stock to fall.
We generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any future sales of our shares to Lincoln Park. Additional sales of our common stock, if any, to Lincoln Park will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to Lincoln Park all, some or none of the additional shares of our common stock that may be available for us to sell pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If and when we do sell shares to Lincoln Park, after Lincoln Park has acquired the shares, Lincoln Park may resell all, some or none of those shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales to Lincoln Park by us could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock. Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park, or the anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales.
We may require additional financing to sustain our operations, without which we may not be able to continue operations, and the terms of subsequent financings may adversely impact our stockholders.
We may direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to $15,000,000 worth of shares of our common stock under our agreement over a 36-month period generally in amounts up to 30,000 shares of our common stock, which may be increased to up to 150,000 shares of our common stock depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of sale, and, in each case, subject to a maximum limit of $1,000,000 per purchase, on any single business day (such share amounts being subject to adjustment for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction as provided in the Purchase Agreement). Assuming a purchase price of $1.95 per share (the closing sale price of the common stock on September 15, 2020) and the purchase by Lincoln Park of 1,898,009 purchase shares, proceeds to us would only be approximately $3.7 million.
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The extent we rely on Lincoln Park as a source of funding will depend on a number of factors including the prevailing market price of our common stock and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other sources. If obtaining sufficient funding from Lincoln Park were to prove unavailable or prohibitively dilutive, we will need to secure another source of funding in order to satisfy our working capital needs. Even if we sell all $15,000,000 under the Purchase Agreement to Lincoln Park, we may still need additional capital to finance our future production plans and working capital needs, and we may have to raise funds through the issuance of equity or debt securities. Depending on the type and the terms of any financing we pursue, stockholders’ rights and the value of their investment in our common stock could be reduced. A financing could involve one or more types of securities including common stock, convertible debt or warrants to acquire common stock. These securities could be issued at or below the then prevailing market price for our common stock. In addition, if we issue secured debt securities, the holders of the debt would have a claim to our assets that would be prior to the rights of stockholders until the debt is paid. Interest on these debt securities would increase costs and negatively impact operating results. If the issuance of new securities results in diminished rights to holders of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could be negatively impacted. Should the financing we require to sustain our working capital needs be unavailable or prohibitively expensive when we require it, the consequences could be a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from our sale of shares of common stock to Lincoln Park, you may not agree with how we use the proceeds and the proceeds may not be invested successfully.
Our management will have broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from our sale of shares of common stock to Lincoln Park, and we could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of commencement of this offering. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of those net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest those net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
The Company has no history of paying dividends on its common stock, and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
The Company has not previously paid dividends on its common stock. We currently anticipate that we will retain all of our available cash, if any, for use as working capital and for other general corporate purposes. Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, statutory and contractual restrictions applicable to the payment of dividends and other considerations that our board of directors deems relevant. Investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize a return on their investment.
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
We make forward-looking statements in this prospectus, including in the documents incorporated by reference herein. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, you should consider the numerous risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors.”
While we believe we have identified material risks, these risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive. Other sections of this prospectus describe additional factors that could adversely impact our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and we do not intend to do so.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
| · | our ability to obtain additional funding to develop our product candidates; |
| · | the need to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
| · | the success of our clinical trials through all phases of clinical development; |
| · | compliance with obligations under intellectual property licenses with third parties; |
| · | any delays in regulatory review and approval of product candidates in clinical development; |
| · | our ability to commercialize our product candidates; |
| · | market acceptance of our product candidates; |
| · | competition from existing products or new products that may emerge; |
| · | potential product liability claims; |
| · | our dependency on third-party manufacturers to supply or manufacture our products; |
| · | our ability to establish or maintain collaborations, licensing or other arrangements; |
| · | our ability and third parties’ abilities to protect intellectual property rights; |
| · | our ability to adequately support future growth; and |
| · | our ability to attract and retain key personnel to manage our business effectively. |
We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this prospectus in the case of forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus.
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This prospectus relates to shares of our common stock that may be offered and sold from time to time by Lincoln Park. We will receive no proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock by Lincoln Park in this offering. We may receive up to $15,000,000 aggregate gross proceeds under the Purchase Agreement from any sales we make to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement after the date of this prospectus. However, we may not be registering for sale or offering for resale under the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part all of the shares issuable pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. As we are unable to predict the timing or amount of potential issuances of all of the shares offered hereby (other than the commitment shares), we have not allocated any proceeds of such issuances to any particular purpose. Accordingly, all such proceeds are expected to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. It is possible that no additional shares will be issued under the Purchase Agreement.
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We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions contained in any financing instruments, provisions of applicable law and other factors the board deems relevant.
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General
On September 15, 2020, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which Lincoln Park has agreed to purchase from us up to an aggregate of $15.0 million of our common stock (subject to certain limitations) from time to time over the term of the Purchase Agreement. Also on September 15, 2020, we entered into the Registration Rights Agreement, pursuant to which we filed with the SEC the registration statement that includes this prospectus to register for resale under the Securities Act the shares of our common stock that have been or may be issued to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
This prospectus covers the resale by the selling stockholder of up to 2,100,000 shares of our common stock, comprised of: (i) 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park as a fee for making its irrevocable commitment to purchase our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, and (ii) up to an additional 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we have reserved for sale to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement from time to time after the date of this prospectus, if and when we determine to sell additional shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
Other than the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, we do not have the right to commence any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement until all of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement have been satisfied, including that the SEC has declared effective the registration statement that includes this prospectus registering the shares of our common stock that have been and may be issued and sold to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement. From and after the Commencement, we may, from time to time and at our sole discretion for a period of 36-months, on any business day that we select on which the closing sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $0.25 per share, direct Lincoln Park to purchase in a Regular Purchase up to 30,000 shares of our common stock, which amount may be increased depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of sale, subject to a maximum commitment of $1,000,000 per Regular Purchase. In addition, at our discretion, Lincoln Park has committed to purchase other “accelerated amounts” and/or “additional accelerated amounts” under certain circumstances. We will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park. The purchase price of the shares of our common stock that may be sold to Lincoln Park in Regular Purchases under the Purchase Agreement will be based on an agreed upon fixed discount to the market price of our common stock immediately preceding the time of sale as computed under the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price per share will be equitably adjusted as provided in the Purchase Agreement for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, or other similar transaction as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. We may at any time in our sole discretion terminate the Purchase Agreement without fee, penalty or cost upon one business day notice. There are no restrictions on future financings, rights of first refusal, participation rights, penalties or liquidated damages in the Purchase Agreement or Registration Rights Agreement, other than a prohibition on our entering into certain types of transactions that are defined in the Purchase Agreement as “Variable Rate Transactions.” Lincoln Park may not assign or transfer its rights and obligations under the Purchase Agreement.
As of September 15, 2020, there were 16,652,225 shares of our common stock outstanding, of which 6,580,927 shares of our common stock were held by non-affiliates, including the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement. Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to an aggregate of $15.0 million of our common stock to Lincoln Park, only 2,100,000 shares of our common stock are being registered for resale under this prospectus, which represents the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and an additional 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell to Lincoln Park in the future under the Purchase Agreement, if and when we sell shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement. Depending on the market prices of our common stock at the time we elect to issue and sell shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, we may need to register for resale under the Securities Act additional shares of our common stock in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to the $15.0 million total commitment available to us under the Purchase Agreement. If all of the 2,100,000 shares of our common stock that may be sold to Lincoln Park in the future under the Purchase Agreement that are being registered for resale hereunder were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, such shares of our common stock, taken together with the 201,991 Commitment Shares that we issued to Lincoln Park upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, would represent approximately 11.3% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding and approximately 24.8% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock held by non-affiliates, in each case as of the date of this prospectus. If we elect to issue and sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement more than the 1,898,009 shares of our common stock being registered for resale by Lincoln Park under this prospectus, which we have the right, but not the obligation, to do, we must first register for resale under the Securities Act any such additional shares of our common stock, which could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of shares of our common stock ultimately offered for resale by Lincoln Park is dependent upon the number of shares of our common stock we ultimately decide to sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
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Under applicable Nasdaq rules, in no event may we issue or sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap of 3,290,045 shares (including the Commitment Shares), which represents 19.99% of the shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the Purchase Agreement, unless (i) we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap or (ii) the average price of all applicable sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement equals or exceeds $2.0776 per share (which represents the lower of (A) the official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the Purchase Agreement and (B) the average official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq for the five consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the Purchase Agreement, adjusted such that the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules. In any event, the Purchase Agreement specifically provides that we may not issue or sell any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement if such issuance or sale would breach any applicable rules or regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The Purchase Agreement prohibits us from directing Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock if those shares of our common stock, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park and its affiliates, would result in Lincoln Park having beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock, as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder, in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Cap at any time.
Issuances of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will not affect the rights or privileges of our existing stockholders, except that the economic and voting interests of each of our existing stockholders will be diluted as a result of any such issuance. Although the number of shares of our common stock that our existing stockholders own will not decrease, the shares of our common stock owned by our existing stockholders will represent a smaller percentage of our total outstanding shares of our common stock after any such issuance of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
Purchase of Shares of our common stock Under the Purchase Agreement
Under the Purchase Agreement, from and after Commencement, on any business day that we select on which the closing sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $0.25 per share, we may direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to 30,000 shares of our common stock in a Regular Purchase on such business day, provided, however, that (i) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 50,000 shares of our common stock, provided that the closing sale price of our common stock is not below $2.00 on the purchase date, (ii) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 75,000 shares of our common stock, provided that the closing sale price of our common stock is not below $2.50 on the purchase date, (iii) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 100,000 shares of our common stock, provided that the closing sale price of our common stock is not below $3.00 on the purchase date, and (iv) the Regular Purchase may be increased to up to 150,000 shares of our common stock, provided that the closing sale price of the shares of our common stock is not below $4.00 on the purchase date (such share amount limitation, the “Regular Purchase Share Limit”). In each case, Lincoln Park’s maximum commitment in any single Regular Purchase may not exceed $1.0 million. The Regular Purchase Share Limit is subject to proportionate adjustment in the event of a reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction; provided, that if after giving effect to such full proportionate adjustment, the adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit would preclude us from requiring Lincoln Park to purchase shares of our common stock at an aggregate purchase price equal to or greater than $150,000 in any single Regular Purchase, then the Regular Purchase Share Limit will not be fully adjusted, but rather the Regular Purchase Share Limit for such Regular Purchase shall be adjusted as specified in the Purchase Agreement, such that, after giving effect to such adjustment, the Regular Purchase Share Limit will be equal to (or as close as can be derived from such adjustment without exceeding) $150,000.
The purchase price per share for each such Regular Purchase will be equal to the lower of:
| · | the lowest sale price for our common stock on the purchase date for such shares of our common stock; and |
| · | the arithmetic average of the three lowest closing sale prices for our common stock during the 10 consecutive business days ending on the business day immediately preceding the purchase date of such shares of our common stock. |
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In addition to Regular Purchases described above, we may also direct Lincoln Park, on any business day on which we have properly submitted a Regular Purchase notice directing Lincoln Park to purchase the maximum number of shares of our common stock that we are then permitted to include in a single Regular Purchase notice, to purchase an additional amount of our common stock, which we refer to as an Accelerated Purchase, not to exceed the lesser of:
| · | 30% of the aggregate number of shares of our common stock traded during all or, if certain trading volume or market price thresholds specified in the Purchase Agreement are crossed on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date, which is defined as the next business day following the purchase date for the corresponding Regular Purchase, the portion of the normal trading hours on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date prior to such time that any one of such thresholds is crossed, which period of time on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date we refer to as the Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period; and |
| · | 300% of the number of purchase shares purchased pursuant to the corresponding Regular Purchase. |
The purchase price per share for each such Accelerated Purchase will be equal to 95% of the lower of:
| · | the volume weighted average price of our common stock during the Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date; and |
| · | the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date. |
We may also direct Lincoln Park, not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day on which an Accelerated Purchase has been completed and all of the shares of our common stock to be purchased thereunder (and under the corresponding Regular Purchase) have been properly delivered to Lincoln Park in accordance with the Purchase Agreement prior to such time on such business day, to purchase an additional amount of our common stock, which we refer to as an Additional Accelerated Purchase, of up to the lesser of:
| · | 30% of the aggregate number of shares of our common stock traded during a certain portion of the normal trading hours on such Accelerated Purchase date as determined in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, which period of time we refer to as the Additional Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period; and |
| · | 300% of the number of purchase shares purchased pursuant to the Regular Purchase corresponding to the Accelerated Purchase that was completed on such Accelerated Purchase date on which an Additional Accelerated Purchase notice was properly received. |
The purchase price per share for each such Additional Accelerated Purchase will be equal to 95% of the lower of:
| · | the volume weighted average price of our common stock during the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase date; and |
| · | the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase date. |
In the case of the Initial Purchase, Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, the purchase price per share will be equitably adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction occurring during the business days used to compute the purchase price.
Other than as described above, there are no trading volume requirements or restrictions under the Purchase Agreement, and we will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park.
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Events of Default
Events of default under the Purchase Agreement include the following:
| · | the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part lapses for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order), or any required prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are unavailable for the resale by Lincoln Park of our common stock offered hereby, and such lapse or unavailability continues for a period of 10 consecutive business days or for more than an aggregate of 30 business days in any 365-day period; |
| · | suspension by our principal market of our common stock from trading for a period of one business day; |
| · | the de-listing of our common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market, our principal market, provided our common stock is not immediately thereafter trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca, or the OTCQX Best Market or the OTCQB Venture Market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (or nationally recognized successor thereto); |
| · | the failure of our transfer agent to issue to Lincoln Park shares of our common stock within two business days after the applicable date on which Lincoln Park is entitled to receive such shares of our common stock; |
| · | any breach of the representations or warranties or covenants contained in the Purchase Agreement or Registration Rights Agreement that has or could have a material adverse effect on us and, in the case of a breach of a covenant that is reasonably curable, that is not cured within five business days; |
| · | any voluntary or involuntary participation or threatened participation in insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings by or against us; |
| · | if at any time we are not eligible to transfer our common stock electronically; or |
| · | if at any time the Exchange Cap (to the extent applicable under the terms of the Purchase Agreement) is reached and our stockholders have not approved the issuance of common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap in accordance with applicable Nasdaq rules. |
Lincoln Park does not have the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement upon any of the events of default set forth above. During an event of default, all of which are outside of Lincoln Park’s control, we may not direct Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement.
Our Termination Rights
We have the unconditional right, at any time, for any reason and without any payment or liability to us, to give notice to Lincoln Park to terminate the Purchase Agreement. In the event of bankruptcy proceedings by or against us, the Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate without action of any party.
No Short-Selling or Hedging by Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park has agreed that neither it nor any of its affiliates shall engage in any direct or indirect short-selling or hedging of our common stock during any time prior to the termination of the Purchase Agreement.
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Prohibitions on Variable Rate Transactions
There are no restrictions on future financings, rights of first refusal, participation rights, penalties or liquidated damages in the Purchase Agreement or Registration Rights Agreement other than a prohibition on entering into a “Variable Rate Transaction,” as defined in the Purchase Agreement.
Effect of Performance of the Purchase Agreement on Our Stockholders
All 2,100,000 shares of our common stock being registered for resale hereunder which have been or may be issued or sold by us to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement are expected to be freely tradable. It is anticipated that shares registered in this offering will be sold over a period of up to 36-months commencing on the date that the registration statement including this prospectus becomes effective. The sale by Lincoln Park of a significant amount of shares of our common stock registered in this offering at any given time could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and to be highly volatile. Sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park, if any, will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to Lincoln Park all, some or none of the additional shares of our common stock that may be available for us to sell pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If and when we do sell additional shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park, after Lincoln Park has acquired the shares of our common stock, Lincoln Park may resell all, some or none of those shares of our common stock at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales to Lincoln Park by us under the Purchase Agreement may result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock. In addition, if we sell a substantial number of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, or if investors expect that we will do so, the actual sales of shares of our common stock or the mere existence of our arrangement with Lincoln Park may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect such sales. However, we have the right to control the timing and amount of any additional sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park and the Purchase Agreement may be terminated by us at any time at our discretion without any cost to us.
Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, from and after Commencement, we have the right, but not the obligation, from time to time to direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to $15.0 million of our common stock. Depending on the price per share at which we sell our common stock to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we may need to sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement more shares of our common stock than are being registered for resale under this prospectus in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to the $15.0 million total commitment available to us under the Purchase Agreement. If we choose to do so, we must first register for resale under the Securities Act such additional shares of our common stock, which could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of shares of our common stock ultimately offered for resale by Lincoln Park under this prospectus is dependent upon the number of shares of our common stock we direct Lincoln Park to purchase under the Purchase Agreement.
The Purchase Agreement prohibits us from issuing or selling to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement (i) shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap, unless we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares in excess of the Exchange Cap or the average price of all applicable sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement equals or exceeds $2.0776 per share, such that the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules and (ii) any shares of our common stock if those shares, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park, would exceed the Beneficial Ownership Cap.
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The following table sets forth the amount of gross proceeds we would receive from Lincoln Park from our sale of up to 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we are registering hereby that we may issue and sell to Lincoln Park in the future under the Purchase Agreement at varying purchase prices from and after Commencement:
| Assumed Average Purchase Price Per share | Number of Registered Shares of our common stock to be Issued if Full Purchase(1) | Percentage of Outstanding Shares of our common stock After Giving Effect to the Issuance to Lincoln Park(2) | Proceeds from the Sale of Shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park Under the Purchase Agreement(1) | |||
| $1.00 | 2,100,000 | 11.3% | $1,898,009 | |||
| $1.95(3) | 2,100,000 | 11.3% | $3,701,118 | |||
| $3.00 | 2,100,000 | 11.3% | $5,694,027 | |||
| $4.00 | 2,100,000 | 11.3% | $7,592,036 | |||
| $5.00 | 2,100,000 | 11.3% | $9,490,045 |
| (1) | Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to $15.0 million of our common stock to Lincoln Park, we are only registering 2,100,000 shares of our common stock for resale under this prospectus, including 201,991 Commitment Shares issued to Lincoln Park as a commitment fee for making its irrevocable commitment to purchase our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, which may or may not cover all the shares of our common stock we ultimately sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, depending on the purchase price per share. |
| (2) | The denominator is based on 16,652,225 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 15, 2020 (including the 201,991 Commitment Shares), adjusted to include the number of shares of our common stock set forth in the adjacent column which we would have sold to Lincoln Park, assuming the purchase price in the adjacent column. The numerator is based on the number of shares of our common stock issuable under the Purchase Agreement at the corresponding assumed purchase price set forth in the adjacent column, giving effect to the Exchange Cap, but without giving effect to the Beneficial Ownership Cap, and excludes the Commitment Shares. |
| (3) | The closing sale price per share of our common stock on September 14, 2020. |
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This prospectus relates to the possible resale by the selling stockholder, Lincoln Park, of shares of our common stock that have been or may be issued to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. We are filing the registration statement that includes this prospectus pursuant to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement, which we entered into with Lincoln Park on September 15, 2020, concurrently with our execution of the Purchase Agreement, in which we agreed to provide certain registration rights with respect to sales by Lincoln Park of the shares of our common stock that have been or may be issued to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
Lincoln Park, as the selling stockholder, may, from time to time, offer and sell pursuant to this prospectus any or all of the shares of our common stock that we may issue to Lincoln Park from time to time at our discretion under the Purchase Agreement. The “selling stockholder” may sell some, all or none of its shares of our common stock. We do not know how long the selling stockholder will hold the shares of our common stock before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the selling stockholder regarding the sale of any of the shares of our common stock.
The following table presents information regarding the selling stockholder and the shares of our common stock that it may offer and sell from time to time under this prospectus. The table is prepared based on information supplied to us by the selling stockholder, and reflects its holdings as of September 15, 2020. Neither Lincoln Park nor any of its affiliates has held a position or office, or had any other material relationship, with us or any of our predecessors or affiliates. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder. The percentage of shares of our common stock beneficially owned prior to the offering is based on 16,652,225 shares of our common stock actually outstanding as of September 15, 2020.
| Name | Shares of our common stock Beneficially Offering |
Number of Shares of our common stock Being Offered |
Shares of our common stock Beneficially Offering(4) | ||
| Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC(1) | 201,991(2) | 1.2%(3) | 2,100,000 | -- | -- |
| (1) | Josh Scheinfeld and Jonathan Cope, the Managing Members of Lincoln Park Capital, LLC, the manager of the selling shareholder, are deemed to be beneficial owners of all of the shares of our common stock owned by the selling shareholder. Messrs. Cope and Scheinfeld have shared voting and investment power over the shares of our common stock being offered under this prospectus. Neither Lincoln Park Capital, LLC, nor the selling shareholder, is a licensed broker-dealer or an affiliate of a licensed broker-dealer. |
| (2) | Represents the 201,991 Commitment Shares issued to Lincoln Park as a commitment fee for making its irrevocable commitment to purchase our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, all of which shares of our common stock are being registered under the Securities Act under the registration statement that includes this prospectus. In accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) under the Exchange Act, we have excluded from the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned prior to the offering all of the shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement from and after Commencement, because the issuance and sale of such shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement is solely at our discretion and is subject to certain conditions, the satisfaction of all of which are outside of Lincoln Park’s control, including the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part becoming and remaining effective under the Securities Act. Furthermore, under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, issuances and sales of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement are subject to certain limitations on the amounts we may sell to Lincoln Park at any time, including the Exchange Cap and the Beneficial Ownership Cap. See the description under the heading “The Lincoln Park Transaction” for more information about the Purchase Agreement. |
| (3) | Calculated by dividing (i) the total number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder on September 15, 2020, which pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (A) consists of the 201,991 Commitment Shares issued to Lincoln Park as a commitment fee for making the commitment under the Purchase Agreement and (B) excludes the 1,898,009 shares of our common stock that we may sell to Lincoln Park from time to time after Commencement under the Purchase Agreement, by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 15, 2020, which includes the 201,991 Commitment Shares referred to in clause (i)(A) above. |
| (4) | Assumes the sale of all shares of common stock registered pursuant to this prospectus, although the selling stockholder is under no obligation known to us to sell any shares of common stock at this time. |
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The shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus are being offered by the selling stockholder, Lincoln Park. The shares may be sold or distributed from time to time by the selling stockholder directly to one or more purchasers or through brokers, dealers, or underwriters who may act solely as agents at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices, at negotiated prices, or at fixed prices, which may be changed. The sale of our common stock offered by this prospectus could be effected in one or more of the following methods:
| · | ordinary brokers’ transactions; |
| · | transactions involving cross or block trades; |
| · | through brokers, dealers, or underwriters who may act solely as agents; |
| · | “at the market” into an existing market for the shares of our common stock; |
| · | in other ways not involving market makers or established business markets, including direct sales to purchasers or sales effected through agents; |
| · | in privately negotiated transactions; or |
| · | any combination of the foregoing. |
In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus may be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states, the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the state or an exemption from the state’s registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.
Lincoln Park is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act.
Lincoln Park has informed us that it intends to use an unaffiliated broker-dealer to effectuate all sales, if any, of our common stock that it has acquired and may in the future acquire from us pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Such sales will be made at prices and at terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price. Each such unaffiliated broker-dealer will be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Lincoln Park has informed us that each such broker-dealer will receive commissions from Lincoln Park that will not exceed customary brokerage commissions.
Brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts, or concessions from the purchasers, for whom the broker-dealers may act as agent, of shares of our common stock sold by Lincoln Park through this prospectus. The compensation paid to any such particular broker-dealer by any such purchasers of shares of our common stock sold by Lincoln Park may be less than or in excess of customary commissions. Neither we nor Lincoln Park can presently estimate the amount of compensation that any agent will receive from any purchasers of shares of our common stock sold by Lincoln Park.
We know of no existing arrangements between Lincoln Park or any other stockholder, broker, dealer, underwriter or agent relating to the sale or distribution of the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus.
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We may from time to time file with the SEC one or more supplements to this prospectus or amendments to the registration statement that includes this prospectus to amend, supplement or update information contained in this prospectus, including, if and when required under the Securities Act, to disclose certain information relating to a particular sale of shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus by the selling stockholder, including the names of any brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of such shares of our common stock by the selling stockholder, any compensation paid by Lincoln Park to any such brokers, dealers, underwriters or agents, and any other required information.
We will pay the expenses incident to the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of the shares of our common stock included in this prospectus by Lincoln Park. We have agreed to indemnify Lincoln Park and certain other persons against certain liabilities in connection with the offering of shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act or, if such indemnity is unavailable, to contribute amounts required to be paid in respect of such liabilities. Lincoln Park has agreed to indemnify us against liabilities under the Securities Act that may arise from certain written information furnished to us by Lincoln Park specifically for use in this prospectus or, if such indemnity is unavailable, to contribute amounts required to be paid in respect of such liabilities.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore, unenforceable.
Lincoln Park has represented to us that at no time prior to the Purchase Agreement has Lincoln Park or its agents, representatives or affiliates engaged in or effected, in any manner whatsoever, directly or indirectly, any short sale (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of our common stock or any hedging transaction, which establishes a net short position with respect to our common stock. Lincoln Park agreed that during the term of the Purchase Agreement, it, its agents, representatives or affiliates will not enter into or effect, directly or indirectly, any of the foregoing transactions.
We have advised Lincoln Park that it is required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act. With certain exceptions, Regulation M precludes the selling stockholder, any affiliated purchasers, and any broker-dealer or other person who participates in the distribution from bidding for or purchasing, or attempting to induce any person to bid for or purchase any security which is the subject of the distribution until the entire distribution is complete. Regulation M also prohibits any bids or purchases made in order to stabilize the price of a security in connection with the distribution of that security. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the securities offered by this prospectus.
This offering will terminate on the date that all shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus have been sold by Lincoln Park.
Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CNSP”.
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The following summary is a description of the material terms of our capital stock and is not complete. You should also refer to the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. articles of incorporation and bylaws, which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and the applicable provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation authorize us to issue up to 75,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. As of September 15, 2020, we have 16,652,225 shares of common stock outstanding.
Common Stock
Shares of our common stock have the following rights, preferences and privileges:
Voting
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Any action at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be decided by a majority of the voting power present in person or represented by proxy, except in the case of any election of directors, which will be decided by a plurality of votes cast. There is no cumulative voting.
Dividends
Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for payment, subject to the rights of holders, if any, of any class of stock having preference over the common stock. Any decision to pay dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Our board of directors may or may not determine to declare dividends in the future. See “Dividend Policy.” The board’s determination to issue dividends will depend upon our profitability and financial condition any contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and the SEC, and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably on the basis of the number of shares held in any of the assets available for distribution after we have paid in full, or provided for payment of, all of our debts and after the holders of all outstanding series of any class of stock have preference over the common stock, if any, have received their liquidation preferences in full.
Other
Our issued and outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Holders of shares of our common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights. Shares of our common stock are not convertible into shares of any other class of capital stock, nor are they subject to any redemption or sinking fund provisions.
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Preferred Stock
We are authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our articles of incorporation authorizes the board to issue these shares in one or more series, to determine the designations and the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including the dividend rights, conversion or exchange rights, voting rights (including the number of votes per share), redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences, sinking fund provisions and the number of shares constituting the series. Our board of directors could, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of common stock and which could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaw Provisions
Our articles of incorporation and bylaws include a number of anti-takeover provisions that may have the effect of encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include:
Advance Notice Requirements. Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely and given in writing to our corporate Secretary. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not fewer than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary date on which our notice of meeting and related proxy statement were mailed to stockholders in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting of stockholders. The notice must contain the information required by the bylaws, including information regarding the proposal and the proponent.
Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by only the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the board of directors, or in their absence or disability, by any vice president.
No Written Consent of Stockholders. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such stockholders.
Amendment of Bylaws. Our stockholders may amend any provisions of our bylaws by obtaining the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of each class of issued and outstanding shares of our voting securities, at a meeting called for the purpose of amending and/or restating our bylaws.
Preferred Stock. Our articles of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to create and issue rights entitling our stockholders to purchase shares of our stock or other securities. The ability of our board to establish the rights and issue substantial amounts of preferred stock without the need for stockholder approval may delay or deter a change in control of us. See “Preferred Stock” above.
Nevada Takeover Statute
The Nevada Revised Statutes contain provisions governing the acquisition of a controlling interest in certain Nevada corporations. Nevada’s “acquisition of controlling interest” statutes (NRS 78.378 through 78.3793, inclusive) contain provisions governing the acquisition of a controlling interest in certain Nevada corporations. These “control share” laws provide generally that any person that acquires a “controlling interest” in certain Nevada corporations may be denied voting rights, unless a majority of the disinterested stockholders of the corporation elects to restore such voting rights. These laws will apply to us if we were to have 200 or more stockholders of record (at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on our stock ledger) and do business in the State of Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation, unless our articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect on the tenth day after the acquisition of a controlling interest provide otherwise. These laws provide that a person acquires a “controlling interest” whenever a person acquires shares of a subject corporation that, but for the application of these provisions of the NRS, would enable that person to exercise (1) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third, (2) one-third or more, but less than a majority or (3) a majority or more, of all of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors. Once an acquirer crosses one of these thresholds, shares which it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold and within the 90 days immediately preceding the date when the acquiring person acquired or offered to acquire a controlling interest become “control shares” to which the voting restrictions described above apply. These laws may have a chilling effect on certain transactions if our amended and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws are not amended to provide that these provisions do not apply to us or to an acquisition of a controlling interest, or if our disinterested stockholders do not confer voting rights in the control shares.
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Nevada’s “combinations with interested stockholders” statutes (NRS 78.411 through 78.444, inclusive) provide that specified types of business “combinations” between certain Nevada corporations and any person deemed to be an “interested stockholder” of the corporation are prohibited for two years after such person first becomes an “interested stockholder” unless the corporation’s board of directors approves the combination (or the transaction by which such person becomes an “interested stockholder”) in advance, or unless the combination is approved by the board of directors and 60% of the corporation’s voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, its affiliates and associates. Furthermore, in the absence of prior approval certain restrictions may apply even after such two-year period. For purposes of these statutes, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (1) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, or (2) an affiliate or associate of the corporation and at any time within the two previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term “combination” is sufficiently broad to cover most significant transactions between a corporation and an “interested stockholder”. These laws generally apply to Nevada corporations with 200 or more stockholders of record. However, a Nevada corporation may elect in its articles of incorporation not to be governed by these particular laws, but if such election is not made in the corporation’s original articles of incorporation, the amendment (1) must be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of stock representing a majority of the outstanding voting power of the corporation not beneficially owned by interested stockholders or their affiliates and associates, and (2) is not effective until 18 months after the vote approving the amendment and does not apply to any combination with a person who first became an interested stockholder on or before the effective date of the amendment. We have not made such an election in our original articles of incorporation or in our amended and restated articles of incorporation.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our articles of incorporation and bylaws limit the liability of our officers and directors and provide that we will indemnify our officers and directors, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by the Nevada Revised Statutes.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CNSP”.
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer and Trust.
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The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Schiff Hardin LLP, Washington, DC.
The financial statements of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 and for the years then ended, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, have been audited by MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:
• our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020;
• our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2020 and March 31, 2020;
• our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 16, 2020 (the second Form 8-K filed on such date); March 26, 2020; May 18, 2020; May 27, 2020; May 28, 2020; June 9, 2020; June 11, 2020; September 4, 2020 and September 21, 2020 in each case to the extent the information in such reports is filed and not furnished;
• our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on April 24, 2020; and
• the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on November 5, 2019, including any amendments or reports filed for the purposes of updating this description.
Additionally, all documents filed by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after (i) the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement, and (ii) the date of this prospectus and before the termination or completion of any offering hereunder, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus from the respective dates of filing of such documents, except that we do not incorporate any document or portion of a document that is “furnished” to the SEC, but not deemed “filed.”
We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any requests for documents to CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027.
You also may access these filings on our website at www.cnspharma.com. We do not incorporate the information on our website into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus (other than those filings with the SEC that we specifically incorporate by reference into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus).
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed modified, superseded or replaced for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies, supersedes or replaces such statement.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act for the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which is part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement and the exhibits. For further information about us and the common stock offered by this prospectus, you should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits. References in this prospectus to any of our contracts or other documents are not necessarily complete, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract or document. You may read and copy any document that we file at the SEC’s public reference room located at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference rooms. SEC filings are also available to the public at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We are subject to the reporting and information requirements of the Exchange Act and, as a result, we file periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. We make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC, available, free of charge, through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Additionally, these periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and website of the SEC referred to above.
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2,100,000 Shares
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Common Stock
Prospectus
_______, 2020
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the estimated costs and expenses to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Registrant”) which are registered under this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (this “Registration Statement”), other than underwriting discounts and commissions. All amounts are estimates except the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. filing fee.
The following expenses will be borne solely by the Registrant.
| Amount to be Paid | ||||
| SEC Registration fee | $ | 511.09 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses | 15,000 | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | 15,000 | |||
| Miscellaneous fees and expenses | 5,000 | |||
| Total | $ | 35,511.09 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 78.138 of the Nevada Revised Statute provides that a director or officer is not individually liable to the corporation or its stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his capacity as a director or officer unless it is proven that (1) his act or failure to act constituted a breach of his fiduciary duties as a director or officer and (2) his breach of those duties involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law.
This provision is intended to afford directors and officers protection against and to limit their potential liability for monetary damages resulting from suits alleging a breach of the duty of care by a director or officer. As a consequence of this provision, stockholders of our company will be unable to recover monetary damages against directors or officers for action taken by them that may constitute negligence or gross negligence in performance of their duties unless such conduct falls within one of the foregoing exceptions. The provision, however, does not alter the applicable standards governing a director’s or officer’s fiduciary duty and does not eliminate or limit the right of our company or any stockholder to obtain an injunction or any other type of non-monetary relief in the event of a breach of fiduciary duty.
The Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws provide for indemnification of directors, officers, employees or agents of the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law (as amended from time to time). Section 78.7502 of the Nevada Revised Statute provides that such indemnification may only be provided if the person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the Registrant and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to behave his conduct was unlawful.
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Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
Except as set forth below, in the three years preceding the filing of this Registration Statement, the Registrant has not issued any securities that were not registered under the Securities Act:
Upon the formation of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for services rendered the Registrant issued 8,829,000 shares of common stock to entities controlled by the Registrant’s founder, Dr. Waldemar Priebe.
In July 2017, the Registrant entered into a consulting agreement with an entity controlled by Matthew Lourie pursuant to which Mr. Lourie agreed to serve as the Registrant’s Chief Financial Officer. In connection with the consulting agreement, the Registrant agreed that Mr. Lourie would purchase 15,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $0.001 per share; provided that if Mr. Lourie terminates his services with the Registrant, the Registrant has certain repurchase rights. In November 2017, the Registrant issued an additional 15,000 shares of common stock to Mr. Lourie for services. These shares are subject to same buyback provision as discussed above.
In September 2017, in connection with John Climaco’s employment agreement, the Registrant agreed that Mr. Climaco would purchase 900,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $0.001 per share; provided that if Mr. Climaco’s employment with the Registrant is terminated the Registrant has certain repurchase rights.
In August 2017, the Registrant issued 10% convertible notes in an aggregate of $975 in principal amount of convertible notes. The note holders also received in the aggregate warrants to purchase 289,575 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $11.00 per share. In August 2017, the Registrant also issued 10% convertible notes in an aggregate of $23,450 in principal amount of convertible notes. The note holders also received in the aggregate warrants to purchase 504,644 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $11.00 per share. In September 2017, the Registrant issued 10% convertible notes in an aggregate of $62,400 in principal amount of convertible notes. The note holders also received in the aggregate warrants to purchase 411,840 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $11.00 per share. On December 31, 2018, the Company amended the 2017 convertible notes to allow the notes to be converted prior to the Company’s IPO at the holder’s option. Certain debtholders then exercised their right to convert the outstanding principal and accrued interest of their outstanding notes on December 31, 2018. A total of $38,670 of outstanding principal and $3,128 of accrued interest was converted into 2,158,500 shares of common stock. Additionally, certain note holders entered into settlement agreements to extinguish their remaining principal balance of $48,155 and remaining accrued interest of $8,434 in exchange for 2,454,071 warrants to purchase common stock at an exercise price of $0.70 per share for a term of five years.
In December 2017, the Registrant obtained the rights to a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing, license to the chemical compound commonly known as Berubicin from Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In license agreement, the Registrant agreed to issued Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 200,000 shares of common stock.
Between December 2017 and March 2018, the Registrant sold 327,004 shares of common stock at $1.50 per share in a private placement.
In March 2018, the Registrant commenced an offering pursuant to Regulation CF of the Securities Act pursuant to which it offered units of SAFE securities. The offering was terminated on June 11, 2018 and the Registrant issued $628,558 of SAFE securities to investors and $12,571 of SAFE securities as commission fee to a vendor. Pursuant to the terms of the SAFE securities, if the Registrant completes this offering and becomes listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the purchaser of the SAFE security will automatically receive a number of shares of common stock equal to the purchase amount divided by the product of (a) 84% multiplied by (b) the public offering price per share in this offering.
On June 15, 2018, the Registrant entered into an agreement to issue 10% convertible notes in an aggregate of $300,000 in principal amount of convertible notes, which principal and accrued interest will automatically convert into shares of common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion rate of $1.50 per share.
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In June and July 2019, the Registrant sold 817,500 shares of common stock at $2.00 per share in a private placement.
On September 15, 2020, the Registrant entered into a Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, or Lincoln Park, which provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the agreement, Lincoln Park is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $15.0 million shares of the Registrant’s common stock over the 36-month term of the agreement. The Registrant issued 201,991 shares of its common stock to Lincoln Park in consideration for entering into the agreement.
All of the securities above were issued in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, other than the SAFE securities which were issued pursuant to Regulation CF of the Securities Act.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) Exhibits:
| ** | Management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement. |
| + | Pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC, certain portions of this exhibit have been redacted. The Company hereby agrees to furnish supplementally to the SEC, upon its request, an unredacted copy of this exhibit. |
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(b) Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules: All schedules are omitted because the required information is inapplicable or the information is presented in the consolidated financial statements and the related notes.
Item 17. Undertakings
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (§ 230.424(b) of this chapter) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that: paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (ii), and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Houston, Texas, on September 25, 2020.
|
CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (Registrant) | ||
| By: | /s/ John Climaco | |
|
John Climaco Director and Chief Executive Officer | ||
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints John Climaco and Christopher Downs, and each and either of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to (i) act on, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (ii) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (iii) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iv) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||
| /s/ John Climaco | ||||
| John Climaco |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
September 25, 2020 | ||
| /s/ Christopher Downs | ||||
| Christopher Downs |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
September 25, 2020 | ||
| /s/ Jerzy (George) Gumulka | ||||
| Jerzy (George) Gumulka | Director | September 25, 2020 | ||
| /s/ Carl Evans | ||||
| Carl Evans | Director | September 25, 2020 | ||
| /s/ Jeffry Keyes | ||||
| Jeffry Keyes | Director | September 25, 2020 | ||
| /s/ Andrzej Andraczke | ||||
| Andrzej Andraczke | Director | September 25, 2020 |
| 32 |
Exhibit 5.1
September 25, 2020
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2100 West Loop South, Suite 900
Houston, Texas 77027
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”), registering the resale of a total of 2,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), of which (i) 201,991 shares (the “Commitment Shares”) have been issued to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”) and (ii) 31,898,009 shares (the “Purchase Shares” and together with the Commitment Shares, the “Shares”) are reserved for issuance pursuant to a purchase agreement between the Company and Lincoln Park, dated as of September 15, 2020 (the “Purchase Agreement”)..
In rendering this opinion, we have examined: (i) the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, as filed in the Registration Statement; (ii) the Registration Statement; (iii) the Purchase Agreement, and (iii) such statutory provisions, certificates and other documents as we have deemed appropriate or necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed. We have also examined such other documents and considered such legal matters as we have deemed necessary and relevant as the basis for the opinion set forth below. With respect to such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as reproduced or certified copies, and the authenticity of the originals of those latter documents.
Based on the foregoing and the assumption that no Purchase Shares will be sold at a price which is less than the Floor Price (as defined in the Purchase Agreement), we are of the opinion that: (i) the Commitment Shares are duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and (ii) the Purchase Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company in the manner described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
This opinion is limited to the Federal law of the United States and Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (including the statutory provisions and all applicable provisions of the Nevada Constitution and the reported judicial cases interpreting those laws currently in effect), and we express no opinion as to the laws of any other jurisdiction. This opinion is rendered pursuant to Item 601(b)(5)(i) of Regulation S-K under the Act. The opinions expressed in this opinion letter are as of the date of this opinion letter only and as to laws covered hereby only as they are in effect on that date, and we assume no obligation to update or supplement such opinions to reflect any facts or circumstances that may come to our attention after that date or any changes in law that may occur or become effective after that date. The opinions herein are limited to the matters expressly set forth in this opinion letter, and no opinion or representation is given or may be inferred beyond the opinions expressly set forth in this opinion letter.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference made to this firm in the Registration Statement under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Schiff Hardin LLP |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated March 12, 2020 with respect to the audited financial statements of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019.
We also consent to the references to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ MaloneBailey, LLP
www.malonebailey.com
Houston, Texas
September 25, 2020