BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Celyad Oncology SA has entered into a subscription agreement with an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group for the private placement of 6.5 million ordinary shares for gross proceeds of USD 32.5 million (about EUR 28.7 million).
The subscription will take place within the framework of the authorized capital and it is expected to close on or about December 8, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Pursuant to the terms of the private placement, Celyad Oncology will issue the ordinary shares at a price of USD 5.00 (about EUR 4.42) per share, which represents a 18.5% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average price.
The Company intends to use net proceeds from the private placement to fund research and development expenses, including the clinical development of its allogeneic CAR T candidates CYAD-101 and CYAD-211, to advance the current pipeline of preclinical CAR T candidates, to discover and develop additional preclinical product candidates using its proprietary non-gene edited short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology platform, as well as for working capital, other general corporate purposes, and the enhancement of the Company’s intellectual property.
As a result of the transaction, Fortress will hold 28.8% of the Company’s shares.
Filippo Petti, CEO of Celyad Oncology, commented, “This transformative investment provides an important springboard for the Company and further strengthens our corporate initiatives to advance our novel allogeneic CAR T product candidates.
In addition, Fortress’s expertise in the intellectual property domain further validates our robust patent portfolio and emphasizes our position within the allogeneic CAR T field. The growth financing will be essential for us to expand our current allogeneic CAR T pipeline by continuing to exploit our differentiated, non-gene edited technologies and armored CAR T franchise.”
“Celyad Oncology offers a unique optionality around its technology and intellectual property,” said Christopher LiPuma, Director at Fortress. “In particular, the Company’s strong IP position around allogeneic CAR T stands out as a key asset that we believe will provide the foundation for the Company to strategically develop both novel cell therapy candidates and potential partnerships within the exciting off-the-shelf cell therapy landscape.”
SVB Leerink acted as the exclusive placement agent for the private placement, Goodwin Procter LLP and Harvest acted as legal counsel to the Company. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Eubelius acted as legal counsel to Fortress.
The Company believes that following the close of the private placement, its existing cash and cash equivalents combined with access to the equity purchase agreement established with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC should be sufficient, based on the current scope of activities, to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the first half of 2023.
