Equillium, Inc S-3, filed Apr 7, 2026
Equillium, Inc. (EQ)
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 7, 2026
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Equillium, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 82-1554746 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
2223 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 105
La Jolla, California 92037
(858) 240-1200
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Bruce D. Steel
Chief Executive Officer Equillium, Inc.
2223 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 105
La Jolla, California 92037
(858) 240-1200
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Thomas A. Coll
Dylan S. Kornbluth
Cooley LLP
10265 Science Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 550-6000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: ☐
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, as amended, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please 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 registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
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 | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||
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. ☐
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 that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholder may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED April 7, 2026
PROSPECTUS
18,878,101 Shares of Common Stock
This prospectus covers the offer and resale by the selling stockholder (the “selling stockholder”) identified in this prospectus of up to an aggregate of 18,878,101 shares of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “common stock”), which includes 17,698,593 shares issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrant. The 1,179,508 shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrant to purchase up to 17,698,593 shares of our common stock were sold to the selling stockholder in a private placement that closed on March 13, 2026 (the “Private Placement”).
We are not selling any shares of common stock under this prospectus and will not receive any proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholder of such shares.
Sales of the shares by the selling stockholder may occur at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The selling stockholder may sell the shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, who may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholder, the purchasers of the shares, or both.
We are paying the cost of registering the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus as well as various related expenses. The selling stockholder is responsible for all selling commissions, transfer taxes and other costs related to the offer and sale of its shares. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about how the selling stockholder may sell or dispose of its shares.
Our common stock is listed on Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EQ.” On April 6, 2026, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $2.01 per share.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, please read the information under “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus and under similar headings in any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or in any filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that is incorporated by reference herein.
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 , 2026
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), using a “shelf” registration process. Under this registration statement, the selling stockholder may sell from time to time in one or more offerings the common stock described in this prospectus.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information other than the information that we have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and your reliance on any unauthorized information or representation is at your own risk. This prospectus may be used only in jurisdictions where offers and sales of these securities are permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus and that any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, or any sale of our common stock. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may have changed since those dates.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference herein and therein, contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements relate to future events or to our future operating or financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “potential” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. As such, our actual results may differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In addition, statements indicating that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date they were made, and while we believe such information formed a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and in the “Risk Factors,” “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections incorporated by reference from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended subsequent to our filing of such Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC.
Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the document containing the applicable statement. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. You should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, together with the documents that we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in the foregoing documents by these cautionary statements.
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This summary highlights certain information about us, the Private Placement (as defined below) and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before making an investment decision. For a more complete understanding of our company, you should read and consider carefully the more detailed information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including the factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus, as well as the information incorporated herein by reference, before making an investment decision.
Unless otherwise stated, all references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Equillium,” the “Company” and similar designations refer to Equillium, Inc.
Company Overview
We are a biotechnology innovator developing novel therapies to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders with the mission to develop life-changing therapeutics for patients. Our primary goal is to advance EQ504, a novel aryl hydrocarbon receptor, or AhR, modulator, into and through clinical development.
EQ504 is a preclinical-stage, novel AhR modulator that in multiple translational models has been shown to have a therapeutically beneficial impact inducing anti-inflammatory cells and cytokines while reducing proinflammatory cells and cytokines and improving intestinal tissue barrier function and repair. We initially intend to develop EQ504 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, or UC, and other gastrointestinal, or GI, diseases with potential indication expansion opportunities for the treatment of inflammatory lung diseases.
Our second program, EQ302, is a preclinical-stage, first-in-class, selective, bi-specific inhibitor of IL-15 and IL-21 formulated for oral delivery. Inhibiting IL-15 and IL-21 is believed to be an effective treatment approach for certain GI indications, including celiac disease. We have conducted preclinical development of EQ302, including in vivo pharmacology studies and formulation development, to further characterize and optimize the product candidate. We are evaluating further advancement of EQ302, including product manufacturing and toxicology studies capable of supporting a potential investigational new drug filing and a first-in-human clinical study.
Our novel and differentiated pipeline of therapeutic candidates has the potential to address unmet medical needs in numerous areas, including gastroenterology, dermatology and pulmonology.
Company Information
We were originally incorporated as Attenuate Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. in Delaware in March 2017 and subsequently changed our name to Equillium, Inc. in May 2017. Our principal executive offices are located at 2223 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 105, La Jolla, CA 92037. We have three wholly-owned subsidiaries, Bioniz Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Ariagen, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Equillium Australia Pty LTD, an Australian proprietary limited corporation. Our telephone number is (858) 240-1200. Our website address is www.equilliumbio.com. Information found on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus, and you should not consider it as part of this prospectus. Our website address is included in this prospectus as an inactive textual reference only.
All brand names or trademarks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress, or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not, imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark or trade dress owners.
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Private Placement
On March 11, 2026, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with the selling stockholder named in this prospectus, pursuant to which we sold and issued, in a private placement transaction, 1,179,508 shares of common stock and a pre-funded warrant to purchase up to 17,698,593 shares of common stock at the closing on March 13, 2026. Each share of common stock was sold at a price of $1.854 per share and the pre-funded warrant was sold at a price of $1.8539 per pre-funded warrant share. The pre-funded warrant has a per share exercise price of $0.0001. The total purchase price paid by the selling stockholder was approximately $35.0 million. The pre-funded warrant is exercisable at any time and will not expire until exercised in full. The pre-funded warrant may not be exercised if the aggregate number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the holder thereof immediately following such exercise would exceed a specified beneficial ownership limitation. For additional information regarding the Purchase Agreement, refer to the summary included under Item 1.01 of our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2026, which is incorporated by reference herein.
On March 13, 2026, we entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the selling stockholder named in this prospectus, pursuant to which we agreed to prepare and file, within 30 days after the closing of the Private Placement, a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale the shares of our common stock issued at the closing under the Purchase Agreement and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrant, and generally to cause the registration statement to promptly become effective. For additional information regarding the Registration Rights Agreement, refer to the summary included under Item 1.01 of our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2026, which is incorporated by reference herein.
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The Offering
| Common stock offered by the selling stockholder |
18,878,101 shares(1) |
| Terms of the offering |
The selling stockholder will determine when and how it will sell the common stock offered in this prospectus, as described in “Plan of Distribution.” |
| Use of proceeds |
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus. |
| Risk factors |
See “Risk Factors” on page 4 for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. |
| Nasdaq Capital Market symbol |
EQ |
| (1) | Includes 17,698,593 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrant held by the selling stockholder named in this prospectus. |
The selling stockholder named in this prospectus may offer and sell up to 18,878,101 shares of our common stock. Our common stock is currently listed on Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EQ.” Shares of our common stock that may be offered under this prospectus are fully paid and non-assessable. We will not receive any of the proceeds of sales by the selling stockholder of any of the common stock covered by this prospectus. Throughout this prospectus, when we refer to the shares of our common stock being registered on behalf of the selling stockholder for offer and resale, we are referring to the shares of common stock that have been issued to the selling stockholder and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrant issued in the Private Placement as described above. When we refer to the selling stockholder in this prospectus, we are referring to the selling stockholder identified in this prospectus and, as applicable, its permitted transferees or other successors-in-interest that may be identified in a supplement to this prospectus or, if required, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, as well as any amendments or updates to our risk factors reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, including any applicable prospectus supplement. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks mentioned elsewhere in this prospectus. For more information, see the section entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” Please also read carefully the section entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
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We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of shares of our common stock held by the selling stockholder pursuant to this prospectus. We will bear the out-of-pocket costs, expenses and fees incurred in connection with the registration of shares of our common stock to be sold by the selling stockholder pursuant to this prospectus. Other than registration expenses, the selling stockholder will bear underwriting discounts, commissions, placement agent fees or other similar expenses payable with respect to sales of shares of our common stock.
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The selling stockholder may sell some, all or none of its shares. We do not know how long the selling stockholder will hold the shares before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the selling stockholder regarding the sale or other disposition of any of the shares. The shares covered hereby may be offered from time to time by the selling stockholder. As a result, we cannot estimate the number of shares of common stock the selling stockholder will beneficially own after termination of sales under this prospectus. In addition, the selling stockholder may have sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of all or a portion of its shares of common stock since the date on which it provided information for the table below.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to our common stock. Generally, a person “beneficially owns” shares of our common stock if the person has or shares with others the right to vote those shares or to dispose of them, or if the person has the right to acquire voting or disposition rights within 60 days.
The information in the table below and the footnotes thereto regarding shares of common stock to be beneficially owned after the offering assumes the sale of all shares being offered by the selling stockholder under this prospectus. This information has been obtained from the selling stockholder or in Schedules 13G or 13D and other public documents filed with the SEC. The percentage of shares owned after the offering is based on 63,226,556 shares outstanding as of March 20, 2026 and for the selling stockholder who is selling shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrant, the percentage of shares owned after the offering is based on 63,226,556 shares outstanding as of March 20, 2026 plus the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrant held by the selling stockholder.
| Before Offering | After Offering | |||||||||||||||
| Name |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Number of Shares Offered |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned |
||||||||||||
| RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P.(1) |
6,606,983 | 18,878,101 | 1,916,828 | 2.37 | % | |||||||||||
| (1) | Consists of 3,096,336 shares of common stock and 3,510,647 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrant held by RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P. (the “Fund”). Due to a beneficial ownership blocker in the pre-funded warrant, the number of shares beneficially owned before the offering excludes 14,187,946 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrant held by the Fund. The number of shares offered consists of 1,179,508 shares of common stock and 17,698,593 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrant held by the Fund. RA Capital Management, L.P. serves as an investment manager for the Fund. The general partner of RA Capital Management, L.P. is RA Capital Management GP, LLC, of which Peter Kolchinsky and Rajeev Shah are the controlling persons. Each such person or entity, as the case may be, has shared voting and/or investment power over the securities held by the Fund and may be deemed the beneficial owner of such shares, and each such person or entity, as the case may be, disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities except to the extent of their respective pecuniary interest therein and other than for purposes of determining their obligations under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. The principal business address of the persons and entities listed above is 200 Berkeley Street, 18th Floor, Boston, MA 02116. |
Relationship with Selling Stockholder
As discussed in greater detail above under the section “Prospectus Summary—Private Placement,” on March 11, 2026, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with the selling stockholder pursuant to which we sold shares of common stock and a pre-funded warrant to the selling stockholder and, pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, agreed with the selling stockholder to file a registration statement to enable the resale of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus. Neither the selling stockholder nor any persons having control over the selling stockholder has held any position or office with us or our affiliates within the last three years or has had a material relationship with us or any of our predecessors or affiliates within the past three years, other than as a result of the ownership of our shares or other securities.
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The selling stockholder, which as used herein includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock received after the date of this prospectus from the selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer, may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of its shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices.
The selling stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of shares or interests therein:
| • | distributions to members, partners, stockholders or other equityholders of the selling stockholder; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| • | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| • | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
| • | privately negotiated transactions; |
| • | short sales and settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part; |
| • | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| • | broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholder to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; |
| • | a combination of any such methods of sale; and |
| • | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The selling stockholder may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by it and, if it defaults in the performance of its secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act, amending the selling stockholder list to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as a selling stockholder under this prospectus. The selling stockholder may also transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling stockholder for purposes of this prospectus.
In connection with the sale of our common stock or interests therein, the selling stockholder may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholder may also sell shares of our common stock short and deliver these securities to close out its short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholder may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
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The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholder from the sale of the common stock offered by it will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. The selling stockholder reserves the right to accept and, together with its agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering. Upon any exercise of the pre-funded warrant by payment of cash, however, we will receive the nominal exercise price of the pre-funded warrant.
The selling stockholder may also resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, provided that it meets the criteria and conforms to the requirements of that rule, or another available exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act.
The selling stockholder and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of the common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act (it being understood that the selling stockholder shall not be deemed to be an underwriter solely as a result of its participation in this offering). Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit it earns on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. If the Selling stockholder is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, then it will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.
To the extent required, the shares of our common stock to be sold, the name of the selling stockholder, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agent, dealer or underwriter, and any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.
In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the common stock may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the common stock may not be sold unless it has been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.
We have advised the selling stockholder that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholder and its affiliates. In addition, to the extent applicable, we will make copies of this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling stockholder for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The selling stockholder may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholder against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the shares offered by this prospectus.
We have agreed with the selling stockholder to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part to become effective and to remain continuously effective until the earlier of: (i) the date on which the selling stockholder shall have resold or otherwise disposed of all the shares covered by this prospectus and (ii) the date on which the shares covered by this prospectus no longer constitute “Registrable Securities” as such term is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement, such that they may be resold by the selling stockholder without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect.
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The consolidated financial statements of Equillium, Inc. as of December 31, 2025 and for the year then ended incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of Crowe LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
The consolidated financial statements of Equillium, Inc. as of December 31, 2024 and for the one-year period ended December 31, 2024, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
Certain legal matters, including the validity of the shares of common stock offered pursuant to this registration statement, will be passed upon for us by Cooley LLP, San Diego, California.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We must comply with the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and we are required to file reports and proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, which contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers like us that file electronically with the SEC. We maintain a website at www.equilliumbio.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference herein and is not part of this prospectus.
Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete, and in each instance we refer you to the copy of the contract or document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information 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 an important 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, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus the documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC (in each case, other than current reports or portions thereof furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items and other portions of documents that are furnished, but not filed, or are otherwise not incorporated into registration statements pursuant to applicable rules promulgated by the SEC) that are filed by us with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (i) after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement, and (ii) after the effectiveness of the registration statement but prior to the termination of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 25, 2026; |
| • | our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2026; and |
| • | the description of our common stock filed as Exhibit 4.4 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 26, 2020. |
We will furnish without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any document incorporated by reference at no cost. Requests should be addressed to 2223 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 105, La Jolla, CA 92037, Attn: Chief Executive Officer or may be made telephonically at (858) 240-1200.
In accordance with Rule 412 of the Securities Act, any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following is a statement of the estimated expenses to be incurred by us in connection with the registration of the securities under this registration statement, all of which will be borne by us. All the amounts shown are estimates, except for the SEC registration fee.
| SEC Registration Fee |
$ | 5,006 | ||
| Legal Fees and Expenses |
$ | 40,000 | ||
| Accounting Fees and Expenses |
$ | 42,500 | ||
| Miscellaneous |
$ | 7,500 | ||
| Total |
$ | 95,006 |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and executive officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement for expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act. Our certificate of incorporation permits indemnification of our directors, officers, employees and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL, and our bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and executive officers and permit us to indemnify our employees and other agents, in each case to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, whereby we have agreed to indemnify our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by law, including indemnification against expenses and liabilities incurred in legal proceedings to which the director or executive officer was, or is threatened to be made, a party by reason of the fact that such director or executive officer is or was a director, executive officer, employee, or agent of ours, provided that such director or executive officer acted in good faith and in a manner that the director or executive officer reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interest.
At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving a director or executive officer of ours regarding which indemnification is sought, nor is the registrant aware of any threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification.
We maintain insurance policies that indemnify our directors and officers against various liabilities arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, that might be incurred by any director or officer in his capacity as such. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted for directors, executive officers or persons controlling us, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
The indemnification agreements also set forth certain procedures, presumptions and remedies that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification thereunder.
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Item 16. Exhibit Index.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| * | Schedules and exhibits to the agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule and/or exhibit will be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. |
| † | Certain information in this exhibit has been omitted pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K. |
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(a) (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;
(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.
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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 SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) 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; and
(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 the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(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 SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or are contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, 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 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. 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 effective date, 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 effective date.
(b) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) 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.
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(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities 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 of the registrant 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of La Jolla, State of California, on April 7, 2026.
| Equillium, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Bruce D. Steel | |
| Bruce D. Steel, CFA | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Bruce D. Steel and Christine Zedelmayer, and each of them, as his/her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him/her and in his/her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement on Form S-3, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his/her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Bruce D. Steel Bruce D. Steel, CFA |
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer) | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Penny Tom Penny Tom, CPA |
Senior Vice President, Finance (Principal Accounting Officer) | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Daniel M. Bradbury Daniel M. Bradbury |
Chair of the Board of Directors | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Martha J. Demski Martha J. Demski |
Director | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Charles McDermott Charles McDermott |
Director | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Mark Pruzanski, M.D. Mark Pruzanski, M.D. |
Director | April 7, 2026 | ||
| /s/ Barbara Troupin, M.D. Barbara Troupin, M.D. |
Director | April 7, 2026 | ||
Exhibit 4.3
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of March 13, 2026, is entered into by and among Equillium, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the several investors signatory hereto (individually as an “Investor” and collectively together with their respective permitted assigns, the “Investors”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the parties hereto, dated as of the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement”).
WHEREAS:
A. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to the Investors, and the Investors have agreed to purchase, severally and not jointly, (x) shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and (y) pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”). The Shares and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, without giving effect to any limitations on exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, and assuming all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised for cash, are collectively referred to herein as the “Shares.”
B. To induce the Investors to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and applicable state securities laws.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Investors hereby agree as follows:
| 1. | DEFINITIONS. |
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or any other entity or organization.
(b) “Prospectus” means (i) the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and (ii) any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, relating to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities.
(c) “Register,” “Registered,” and “Registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more registration statements of the Company in compliance with the Securities Act and providing for offering securities on a continuous basis, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement(s) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
(d) “Registrable Securities” means the Shares and any Common Stock issued or issuable with respect to the Shares as a result of any stock split or subdivision, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event. Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities upon the earliest to occur of (i) the date on which the Investors shall have resold all the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement, (ii) such Registerable Securities have been previously sold in accordance with Rule 144 and (iii) such securities become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144.
(e) “Registration Expenses” means all registration and filing fee expenses incurred by the Company in effecting any registration pursuant to this Agreement, including (i) all registration, qualification, and filing fees, printing expenses, and any other fees and expenses associated with filings required to be made with the SEC, FINRA or any other regulatory authority, (ii) all fees and expenses in connection with compliance with or clearing the Registrable Securities for sale under any securities or “Blue Sky” laws, (iii) all printing, duplicating, word processing, messenger, telephone, facsimile and delivery expenses, and (iv) all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of all independent certified public accountants of the Company (including the expenses of any special audit and cold comfort letters required by or incident to such performance); provided, that in no event shall the Company be responsible for any underwriting, broker or similar fees or commissions of any Investor or, except to the extent provided for in the Purchase Agreement, any legal fees of the Investors.
(f) “Registration Statement” means any registration statement of the Company filed with, or to be filed with, the SEC under the Securities Act, that Registers Registrable Securities, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including pre- and post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with applicable securities laws. “Registration Statement” shall also include a New Registration Statement (as defined below), as amended when each became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus subsequently filed with the SEC.
(g) “Required Investors” means the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities outstanding from time to time (determined as if all of the Pre-Funded Warrants then outstanding have been exercised without regard to any limitations on the exercise of such Pre-Funded Warrants).
(h) “SEC Guidance” means (i) any publicly available written or oral guidance of the SEC staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the SEC staff (whether or not publicly available); provided, that any such oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests are reduced to writing by the SEC (and shared with the Investors if not publicly available) and (ii) the Securities Act.
(i) “Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and all similar fees and commissions relating to the Investors’ disposition of the Registrable Securities.
| 2. | REGISTRATION. |
(a) Mandatory Registrations.
i. The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable and in any event no later than 30 days after the Closing Date (the “Filing Deadline”), prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement (the “Registration Statement”) covering the resale of all Registrable Securities issued in respect of the Closing.
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ii. Before filing the Registration Statement, the Company shall furnish to the Investors a copy of the Registration Statement. The Investors and their respective counsel shall have at least three Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of the Registration Statement to review and comment upon such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement and any related Prospectus, prior to its filing with the SEC. Subject to any SEC comments, the Registration Statement shall include the plan of distribution substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Registration Statement also shall cover, to the extent allowable under the 1933 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities. The Registration Statement shall not include any shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of any other holder of securities of the Company without the prior written consent of the Required Investors. The Company shall (a) consider in good faith any comments as the Investor or its counsel reasonably proposed by the Investor to such document prior to being so filed with the SEC, and (b) not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto containing information regarding the Investor to which Investor reasonably objects, unless such information is required (in the opinion of the Company) to comply with any applicable law or regulation or SEC Guidance. The Investors shall furnish all information reasonably requested by the Company and as shall be reasonably required in connection with any registration referred to in this Agreement.
(b) Effectiveness. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Registration Statement and any applicable amendment declared effective by the SEC at the earliest possible date but no later than the earlier of the (a) seventy-fifth (75th) calendar day following the initial filing date of such Registration Statement if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” such Registration Statement and (b) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that such Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the “Effectiveness Deadline”). The Company shall notify the Investor by e-mail as promptly as practicable, and in any event within 24 hours, after the Registration Statement is declared effective or is supplemented and shall provide the Investor with copies of any Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act and available for the resale by the Investors of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby at all times until the earliest to occur of the following events: (i) the date on which the Investors shall have resold all the Registrable Securities covered thereby; and (ii) the date on which the Registrable Securities may be resold by the Investors without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect (the “Registration Period”). Each Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. In the event the number of shares available under any Registration Statement at any time is insufficient to cover the Registrable Securities, the Company shall, to the extent necessary and permissible, amend such Registration Statement or file a new registration statement (together with any prospectuses or prospectus supplements thereunder, a “New Registration Statement”), so as to cover all of such Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event not later than ten Business Days after the necessity therefor arises (the “New Registration Filing Deadline”). The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such
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amendment and/or New Registration Statement become effective as soon as reasonably practicable following the filing thereof but no later than the earlier of (a) the seventy-fifth (75th) calendar day following the initial filing date of the New Registration Statement if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the New Registration Statement and (b) the fifth Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the New Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the earlier of such dates, the “New Registration Effectiveness Deadline”). The provisions of Section 2(a) and (b) shall apply to the New Registration Statement, except as modified hereby.
(d) Liquidated Damages. If (i) the Registration Statement has not been filed by the Filing Deadline, (ii) the Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Effectiveness Deadline, (iii) the New Registration Statement has not been filed by the New Registration Filing Deadline, (iv) the New Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the New Registration Effectiveness Deadline or (v) after any Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Company’s failure to update such Registration Statement), but excluding any Allowed Delay (as defined below), then the Company will make pro rata payments to each Investor then holding Registrable Securities, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 0.5% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof during which the failure continues (the “Blackout Period”). Such payments shall constitute the Investors’ exclusive monetary remedy for such events, but shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. The amounts payable as liquidated damages pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid in cash no later than five Business Days after each such 30-day period following the commencement of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period (the “Blackout Period Payment Date”). Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1.0% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Blackout Period Payment Date until such amount is paid in full. Notwithstanding the above, in no event shall the aggregate amount of liquidated damages (or interest thereon) paid under this Agreement to any Investor exceed, in the aggregate, 5.0% of the aggregate purchase price of the Shares purchased by such Investor under the Purchase Agreement and the Pre-Funded Warrants. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2(d) to the contrary, during any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities because any Investor fails to furnish information required to be provided pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 4(a) within three Business Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that would otherwise accrue as to such Investor only shall be tolled until such information is delivered to the Company.
(e) Allowable Delays. On no more than two occasions and for not more than forty-five (45) consecutive days or for a total of not more than seventy-five (75) days in any 12 month period, the Company may delay the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or suspend the use of any Prospectus, in the event that the Company reasonably determines in good faith that such delay or suspension is necessary to (A) delay the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company, the disclosure of which at the time is not, in the good faith opinion of the Company, in the best interests of the Company or (B) amend or supplement the affected Registration Statement or the related Prospectus so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (an “Allowed Delay”); provided, that the Company shall promptly (a) notify each Investor in writing of the commencement of an Allowed Delay, but shall not (without the prior written consent of an Investor) disclose to such Investor any material non-public information giving rise to an Allowed Delay, (b) advise the Investors in writing to cease all sales under the applicable Registration Statement until the end of the Allowed Delay and (c) use commercially reasonable efforts to terminate an Allowed Delay as promptly as practicable.
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(f) Rule 415; Cutback. If at any time the SEC takes the position that the offering of some or all of the applicable Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to advocate with the SEC for the registration of all of the applicable Registrable Securities) or requires any Investor to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall (i) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof and (ii) make commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the SEC that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an “underwriter.” The Investors shall have the right to select one legal counsel, which counsel shall be selected by the Required Investors and be at the Investors’ expense, to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2(e), including to comment on any written submission made to the SEC with respect thereto. In the event that, despite the Company’s commercially reasonable efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(e), the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (i) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Cut Back Shares”) and/or (ii) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415 (collectively, the “SEC Restrictions”); provided, however, that the Company shall not name any Investor as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor (provided that, in the event an Investor withholds such consent, the Company shall have no obligation hereunder to include any Registrable Securities of such Investor in any Registration Statement covering the resale thereof until such time as the SEC no longer requires such Investor to be named as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement or such Investor otherwise consents in writing to being so named). Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2(e) shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of an Investor that the SEC has indicated cannot be included or must be limited in the number of Registerable Securities that can be included, and thereafter to all other Investors as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide or the Investors otherwise agree.
| 3. | RELATED COMPANY OBLIGATIONS. |
With respect to the Registration Statement and whenever any Registrable Securities are to be Registered pursuant to Section 2, including on the applicable Registration Statement or on any New Registration Statement, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:
(a) Notifications. The Company will promptly notify the Investors promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the SEC and/or has become effective or where a receipt has been issued therefor or any subsequent supplement to a Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the SEC for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus or for additional information.
(b) Amendments. The Company will prepare and file with the SEC any amendments, post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, as applicable, that, (a) as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the Registration Period and to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) with respect to the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby, or (b) in the reasonable opinion of the Investors and the Company, as may be necessary or advisable in connection with any acquisition or sale of Registrable Securities by the Investors.
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(c) Investor Review. The Company will not file any amendment or supplement to a Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Investors, the Registrable Securities or the transactions contemplated hereby unless (A) the Investors and their counsel shall have been advised and afforded the opportunity to review and comment thereon at least three (3) Business Days prior to filing with the SEC and (B) the Company shall have given reasonable due consideration to any comments thereon received from the Investors or their counsel.
(d) Copies Available. The Company will furnish to any Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement and its counsel copies of any such Registration Statement, any Prospectus thereunder (including all documents incorporated by reference therein), any Prospectus supplement thereunder, any New Registration Statement and all amendments to such Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement that are filed with the SEC during the Registration Period (including all documents filed with or furnished to the SEC during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment) and such other documents as Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by Investor that are covered by such Registration Statement, in each case as soon as reasonably practicable upon such Investor’s request and in such quantities as such Investor may from time to time reasonably request; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document to the Investor to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(e) Notification of Stop Orders; Material Changes. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order as soon as practicable. The Company shall advise the Investors promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) and shall confirm such advice in writing, in each case: (i) of the Company’s receipt of notice of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus or for any additional information; (ii) of the Company’s receipt of notice of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, or any New Registration Statement, or of the Company’s receipt of any notification of the suspension of qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or contemplated initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iii) of the Company becoming aware of the happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes to the statements then made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Securities Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements then made therein (in the case of any Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or of the necessity to amend any Registration Statement or any Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other law. The Company shall not be required to disclose to the Investors the substance of specific reasons of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence (each, a “Suspension Event”), but rather, shall only be required to disclose that the event has occurred. If at any time the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority shall issue any stop
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order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest practicable time. The Company shall furnish to the Investors, without charge, a copy of any correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority to the Company or its representatives relating to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, or Prospectus supplement as the case may be. In the event of a Suspension Event set forth in clause (iii) of the first sentence of this Section 3(e), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to publicly disclose such event as soon as reasonably practicable, or otherwise resolve the matter such that sales under Registration Statements may resume; provided, however, that if the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public, the Company may suspend the use of all Registration Statements for up to sixty (60) consecutive calendar days; provided, further, that the Company may not suspend the use of all Registration Statements more than twice, or for more than ninety (90) total calendar days, in each case during any twelve-month period.
(f) Confirmation of Effectiveness. If reasonably requested by an Investor at any time in respect of any Registration Statement, the Company shall deliver to such Investor a written confirmation (email being sufficient) from Company’s counsel of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) and whether or not such Registration Statement is currently effective and available to the Company for sale of Registrable Securities.
(g) Listing. The Company shall use best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
(h) Compliance. The Company shall otherwise use best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the Securities Act, file any final prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, promptly inform the Investor in writing if, at any time during the Registration Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Investor is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve (12) months, beginning after the effective date of each Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, including Rule 158 promulgated thereunder (for the purpose of this subsection 3(h), “Availability Date” means the forty-fifth (45th) day following the end of the fourth fiscal quarter that includes the effective date of such Registration Statement, except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the ninetieth (90th) day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter).
(i) Blue-Sky. The Company shall register or qualify or cooperate with the Investor and their counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities for the offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions reasonably requested by the Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (i) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(i), (ii) subject itself to general taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be so subject but for this Section 3(i), or (iii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
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(j) Rule 144. With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell shares of Common Stock to the public without registration, the Company covenants and agrees to: (i) make and keep adequate current public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until the earlier of (A) six months after such date as all of the Registrable Securities may be sold without restriction by the holders thereof pursuant to Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (B) such date as there are no longer Registrable Securities; and (ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act; (iii) furnish electronically to each Investor upon request, as long as such Investor owns any Registrable Securities, (A) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, (B) a copy of or electronic access to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested in order to avail such Investor of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such Registrable Securities without registration.
(k) Cooperation. The Company shall cooperate with the holders of the Registrable Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or uncertificated shares representing the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such Registration Statement or Rule 144 free of any restrictive legends and representing such number of shares of Common Stock and registered in such names as the holders of the Registrable Securities may reasonably request to the extent permitted by such Registration Statement or Rule 144 to effect sales of Registrable Securities; for the avoidance of doubt, the Company may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of The Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System.
| 4. | OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS. |
(a) Investor Information. Each Investor shall provide a completed Investor Questionnaire in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, or such other form of questionnaire or information reasonably required by the Company in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities no later than the end of the third Business Day following the date on which such Investor receives draft materials in accordance with Section 2(a) (the “Information Deadline”). If the Company has not received such completed Investor Questionnaire from an Investor by the Information Deadline, the Company may file the Registration Statement without including such Investor’s Registrable Securities.
(b) Suspension of Sales. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the existence of an Allowed Delay as set forth in Section 2(d) or Suspension Event as set forth in Section 3(e), the Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company confirming the resolution of such Allowed Delay or Suspension Event and that such dispositions may again be made; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Investor to sell or otherwise dispose of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144 or any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or to settle a transaction pursuant to a Registration Statement as to which a contract for such sale was entered into prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event. The Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with any sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event.
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(c) Investor Cooperation. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement or New Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
| 5. | EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION. |
All Registration Expenses incurred in connection with registrations pursuant to this Agreement shall be borne by the Company. All Selling Expenses relating to securities registered on behalf of the Investors shall be borne by the Investors pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities so registered.
| 6. | INDEMNIFICATION. |
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Investors, each Person, if any, who controls the Investors, the members, the directors, officers, partners, employees, members, managers, agents, representatives and advisors of the Investors and each Person, if any, who controls the Investors within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any losses, obligation, claims, damages, liabilities, contingencies, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs (including, without limitation, court costs and costs of preparation), reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees, amounts paid in settlement or reasonable and documented expenses, (collectively, “Claims”) reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency or body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is or may be a party thereto (“Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any other state securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company or its agents and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with such registration of the Registrable Securities (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being, collectively, “Violations”). The Company shall reimburse each Indemnified Person promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any reasonable out-of-pocket legal fees or other reasonable and documented expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (A) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Investors or such Indemnified Person specifically for use in such Registration Statement or prospectus and was reviewed and approved in writing by such Investor or such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto, if such in each case if the foregoing was timely made available by the Company; (B) with respect to any superseded prospectus, shall not inure to the benefit of any such Person from whom the Person asserting any such Claim purchased the Registrable Securities that are the subject thereof (or to the benefit of any other Indemnified Person) if the untrue statement or omission of material fact contained in the superseded prospectus was corrected in the revised prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, and the Indemnified Person was promptly advised in writing not to use the outdated, defective or incorrect prospectus prior to the use giving rise to a Violation; (C) shall
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not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(b) In connection with each Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any prospectus, the Investors, severally and not jointly, agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend, the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed such Registration Statement or signs any New Registration Statement, each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from any Violation, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information about an Investor furnished in writing by such Investor to the Company expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto. In no event shall the liability of an Investor be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expense paid by such Investor in connection with any claim relating to this Section 6 and the amount of any damages such Investor has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission) received by such Investor upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by any Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the case may be, and upon such notice, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (together with all other Indemnified Persons and Indemnified Parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the reasonable fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person shall cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person fully apprised as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term
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thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person in respect to or arising out of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.
(d) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred. Any Person receiving a payment pursuant to this Section 6 which Person is later determined to not be entitled to such payment shall return such payment (including reimbursement of expenses) to the Person making it.
(e) The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.
| 7. | CONTRIBUTION. |
To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 7 and the amount of any damages such holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission) received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.
| 8. | ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. |
The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Required Investors; provided, however, that in any transaction, whether by merger, reorganization, restructuring, consolidation, financing or otherwise, whereby the Company is a party and in which the Registrable Securities are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term “Company” shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term “Registrable Securities” shall be deemed to include the securities received by the Investor in connection with such transaction unless such securities are otherwise freely tradable by the Investor after giving effect to such transaction, and the prior written consent of the Required Investors shall not be required for such transaction.
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An Investor may transfer or assign its rights hereunder, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more Persons in connection with the transfer of not fewer than 1,750,000 (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization) Registrable Securities (including Registrable Securities issuable upon exercise of Warrants) by such Investor to such Person, provided that such Investor complies with all laws applicable thereto, and the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, and provides written notice of assignment to the Company promptly after such assignment is effected, and such Person agrees in writing to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein.
The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investor and its successors and permitted assigns.
| 9. | AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS. |
The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may be amended, modified or supplemented, or waived only by a written instrument executed by (i) the Company and (ii) the Required Investors, provided that any party may give a waiver as to itself and provided further that any amendment, modification, supplement or waiver that disproportionately and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Investor relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Investors shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Investor or each Investor, as applicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of one or more Investors and that does not adversely directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Investors may be given by the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities (determined as if all the Pre-Funded Warrants then outstanding have been exercised without regard to any limitation on the exercise of such Pre-Funded Warrants) to which such waiver or consent relates.
| 10. | MISCELLANEOUS. |
(a) Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be given (a) when delivered if personally delivered to the party for whom it is intended, (b) when delivered, if sent by electronic mail during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next business day, provided no rejection or undeliverable notice is received, (c) three (3) days after having been sent by certified or registered mail, return-receipt requested and postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) business day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt:
i. If to the Company, addressed as follows:
Equillium, Inc.
223 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 105
La Joll, California 92037
Attention: Bruce D. Steel, CFA
Email: bsteel@equilliumbio.com
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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice):
Cooley LLP
10265 Science Center Drive
San Diego, California 92121
Attention: Thomas A. Coll; Dylan S. Kornbluth
Email: collta@cooley.com; dkornbluth@cooley.com
ii. If to any Investor, at its e-mail address or address set forth on its signature page to the Purchase Agreement or to such e-mail address, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 10.
Any Person may change the address to which notices and communications to it are to be addressed by notification as provided for herein.
(b) Waiver. No waiver of any term, provision or condition of this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be, or be construed as, a further or continuing waiver of any such term, provision or condition or as a waiver of any other term, provision or condition of this Agreement.
(c) Governing Law. The provisions of Section 8.4 of the Purchase Agreement are incorporated by reference herein mutatis mutandis.
(d) Headings. The titles, subtitles and headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
(e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf signature including any electronic signatures complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature.
(f) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(g) Contract Interpretation. This Agreement is the joint product of each Investor and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(h) No Third Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the parties to this Agreement any rights, remedies, claims, benefits, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, and no Person that is not a party to this Agreement (including, without limitation, any partner, member, shareholder, director, officer, employee or other beneficial owner of any party to this Agreement, in its own capacity as such or in bringing a derivative action on behalf of a party to this Agreement) shall have any standing as a third party beneficiary with respect to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
(i) Severability. If any part or provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
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(j) Non-Recourse. Notwithstanding anything that may be expressed or implied in this Agreement, the Company covenants, agrees and acknowledges that no recourse under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement shall be had against any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any affiliates or assignees thereof, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding, or by virtue of any statute, regulation or other applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any affiliates or assignees thereof, as such for any obligation of the Investors under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.
(k) Specific Performance. In addition to any and all other remedies that may be available at law in the event of any breach of this Agreement, each Investor shall be entitled to specific performance of the agreements and obligations of the Company hereunder and to such other injunction or other equitable relief as may be granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(l) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| Equillium, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Bruce D. Steel | |
| Name: Bruce D. Steel, CFA | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| INVESTOR: | ||
| RA CAPITAL HEALTHCARE FUND, L.P. | ||
| By: | RA Capital Healthcare Fund GP, LLC | |
| Its: | General Partner | |
| By: | /s/ Rajeev Shah | |
| Name: | Rajeev Shah | |
| Title: | Manager | |
Exhibit 5.1
Thomas A. Coll
+1 858 550 6013
collta@cooley.com
April 7, 2026
Equillium, Inc.
2223 Avenida De La Playa, Suite 105
La Jolla, CA, 92037
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Equillium, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including a related prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”), covering the registration for resale of up to 18,878,101 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, (the “Common Stock”), consisting of (i) 1,179,508 shares (the “Shares”) of Common Stock currently outstanding and (ii) up to 17,698,593 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants”). The Shares and the Warrants were issued by the Company pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) dated March 11, 2026.
In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Agreement, the Warrants, the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as currently in effect, and such other records, documents, opinions, certificates, memoranda and instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by all persons other than the Company. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.
Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.
With respect to the Warrant Shares, we express no opinion to the extent that future issuances of securities of the Company, adjustments to outstanding securities of the Company or other matters cause the Warrants to be exercisable for more shares of Common Stock than the number available for issuance by the Company or that the consideration paid upon exercise of the Warrants is below the par value per share of the Common Stock.
On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, and subject to the assumption, qualifications, limitations and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that (i) the Shares are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and (ii) the Warrant Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
COOLEY LLP 10265 SCIENCE CENTER DRIVE SAN DIEGO, CA 92121-1117
T: +1 858 550-6000 F: +1 858 550-6420 COOLEY.COM
Equillium, Inc.
April 7, 2026
Page Two
Our opinion is limited to the matters expressly set forth in this letter, and no opinion has been or should be implied, or may be inferred, beyond the matters expressly stated. This opinion speaks only as to law and facts in effect or existing as of the date hereof, and we have no obligation or responsibility to update or supplement this letter to reflect any facts or circumstances that may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in law that may hereafter occur.
We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consents, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| COOLEY LLP | ||
| By: | /s/ Thomas A. Coll | |
| Thomas A. Coll | ||
COOLEY LLP 10265 SCIENCE CENTER DRIVE SAN DIEGO, CA 92121-1117
T: +1 858 550-6000 F: +1 858 550-6420 COOLEY.COM
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Equillium, Inc. of our report dated March 25, 2026 relating to the consolidated balance sheet of Equillium, Inc. as of December 31, 2025 and the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2025, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Equillium, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2025, and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.
/s/ Crowe LLP
Costa Mesa, California
April 7, 2026
Exhibit 23.2
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the use of our report dated March 27, 2025, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Equillium, Inc. and subsidiaries, incorporated herein by reference, and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.
/s/ KPMG LLP
San Diego, California
April 7, 2026