S-3

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

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, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, 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, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until this registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholder may not sell the 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 is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

This prospectus relates solely to the resale or other disposition by the selling stockholder identified in the prospectus of up to 3,420,066 shares of our common stock issued by us to the selling stockholder on October 17, 2014 pursuant to the transactions described in “Description of License Agreement and Stock Issuance Agreement” on page 3.

The selling stockholder, or its pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest, may, from time to time, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any or all of its shares through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices.

We are not selling any common stock under this prospectus, and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares. The selling stockholder will sell the shares in accordance with the “Plan of Distribution” set forth in this prospectus. The selling stockholder will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to the sales of shares. We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the shares.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APRI.” On December 5, 2014, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $1.21.

The selling stockholder and any broker-dealer executing sell orders on behalf of the selling stockholder, may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Commissions received by any broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting commissions under the Securities Act. See “Plan of Distribution.”

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider the risks that we have described in “Risk Factors” on page 3, as updated in any future filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, before investing in our securities.

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

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary description about us and our business highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated in this prospectus by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. You should carefully read this entire prospectus, including each of the documents incorporated herein by reference, before making an investment decision. As used in this prospectus, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Apricus,” “Apricus Bio” and the “Company” mean Apricus Biosciences, Inc. and our subsidiaries and affiliates. We use our registered trademark, Apricus Biosciences, in this prospectus.

ABOUT APRICUS BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Overview

We are a Nevada corporation that was initially formed in 1987. We have operated in the pharmaceutical industry since 1995, with a current primary focus on product development and commercialization of products and product candidates in the areas of specialty urology, rheumatology and women’s health. Our proprietary drug delivery technology is a permeation enhancer called NexACT^® and we have one approved drug, Vitaros^®, which uses the NexACT^® delivery system and is approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (“ED”) in Canada and through the European Decentralized Procedure (“DCP”) in Europe. Vitaros^® was launched by our licensee partners in certain territories in Europe in mid-2014 and we expect that commercial launches of Vitaros^® by our licensee partners will continue to occur throughout 2014 and 2015. We have a second-generation Vitaros^® product candidate (“Room Temperature Vitaros^®”) in development, which is a proprietary stabilized dosage formulation that is expected to be stored at room temperature conditions. RayVa™, our product candidate which also utilizes our proprietary permeation enhancer for the treatment of Raynaud’s Phenomenon, recently received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to begin clinical studies, and we have initiated our Phase 2a trial for RayVa™.

We recently in-licensed fispemifene, a tissue-specific selective estrogen receptor modulator designed to treat secondary hypogonadism, chronic prostatitis and lower urinary tract symptoms in men. We expect to commence a Phase 2b trial with fispemifene during the first half of 2015.

In the area of women’s health, we are seeking to out-license our product candidate, Femprox^®, for female sexual interest / arousal disorder (“FSIAD”), to one or more partners for future development.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are at 11975 El Camino Real, Suite 300, San Diego, California 92130 and our telephone number is (858) 222-8041. Our website is www.apricusbio.com; no portion of our website is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

The Offering

This prospectus relates to the sale by the selling stockholder of shares of our common stock.


Common stock offered by the selling stockholder		3,420,066 shares

Use of proceeds		We will not receive any proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the shares of common stock offered hereby.

Risk Factors		See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus, and any other risk factors described in the documents incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of factors that you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock.

NASDAQ Capital Market symbol		APRI

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein also contain estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other data about our industry. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the markets in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this this prospectus and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

On October 17, 2014, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary NexMed (U.S.A.), Inc., entered into a license agreement with Forendo Pharma Ltd., or Forendo, and a stock issuance agreement with Forendo and Birch & Lake Partners LLC, or B&L, under which we were granted certain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize certain molecules, including fispemifene, a tissue-specific selective estrogen receptor modulator designed to treat secondary hypogonadism, chronic prostatitis and lower urinary tract symptoms in men, or the Licensed Products, in the United States, as further described below.

In partial consideration of the licenses granted under the license agreement, we issued to Forendo and B&L an aggregate of 3,600,070 shares of our common stock and made an upfront cash payment of $5.0 million. We may also be obligated to pay Forendo up to a total of $45 million upon the achievement of clinical and regulatory milestones for the Licensed Products and up to $260 million in commercial milestones.

Under the license agreement, Forendo and B&L have agreed to limit selling of shares on any given day to not more than ten percent of our average trading volume for the previous five trading days. We are filing the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part of pursuant to the terms of the license agreement, which require us to file a registration statement on Form S-3 with respect to the resale of shares of common stock issued pursuant to the stock issuance agreement within 60 days following the date of the license agreement and to use reasonable commercial efforts to have such registration statement declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, as promptly as practicable. B&L has waived all current and future registration rights of its shares of common stock issued pursuant to the stock issuance agreement.

We are registering the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus pursuant to registration rights granted to the selling stockholder in the license agreement. We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the shares covered hereby.

We have agreed to pay all costs relating to the registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus.

We have prepared this prospectus to allow the selling stockholder or its pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest to sell or otherwise dispose of, from time to time, up to an aggregate of 3,420,066 shares of our common stock. The table below presents information regarding the selling stockholder, the shares of common stock beneficially owned by it, the shares of common stock that it may sell or otherwise dispose of from time to time under this prospectus and the number and percentage of our common stock the selling stockholder will own assuming all of the shares covered by this prospectus are sold by the selling stockholder.

We do not know whether, when or in what amounts the selling stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of common stock covered hereby. The selling stockholder might not sell or dispose of any or all of the shares covered by this prospectus or may sell or dispose of some or all of the shares other than pursuant to this prospectus. However, under the license agreement, the selling stockholder has agreed to limit selling of shares on any given day to not more than ten percent of our average trading volume for the previous five trading days. Because the selling stockholder may not sell or otherwise dispose of some or all of the shares covered by this prospectus and because there are currently no agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to the sale or other disposition of any of the shares, we cannot estimate the number of the shares that will be held by the selling stockholder after completion of the offering. However, for purposes of this table, we have assumed that all of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus will be sold by the selling stockholder and that any other shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder will continue to be beneficially owned.

The information in the table is based on 44,330,006 shares outstanding as of December 2, 2014 and was prepared based on information supplied to us by the selling stockholder. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and generally includes voting or investment power with

respect to securities and including any securities that grant the selling stockholder the right to acquire shares of common stock within 60 days of December 2, 2014. Other than the transactions referred to herein and in documents filed by us with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the selling stockholder has not within the past three years had any position, office or other material relationship with us or any of our subsidiaries other than as a holder of our securities.

The selling stockholder, including its pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest, may from time to time offer some or all of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus, subject to the agreement by the selling stockholder to limit selling of shares on any given day to not more than ten percent of our average trading volume for the previous five trading days. See “Description of License Agreement and Stock Issuance Agreement.” To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended and supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution.

The selling stockholder will not pay any of the costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the shares covered by this prospectus, but it will pay any and all underwriting discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes, if any, attributable to sales of the shares. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of our common stock covered hereby.

The selling stockholder may sell the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus from time to time, and may also decide not to sell all or any of the shares of common stock that it is allowed to sell under this prospectus. However, under the license agreement, the selling stockholder has agreed to limit selling of shares on any given day to not more than ten percent of our average trading volume for the previous five trading days. The selling stockholder will act independently of us in making decisions regarding the timing, manner and size of each sale. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at privately negotiated prices. Sales may be made by the selling stockholder in one or more types of transactions, which may include:

The selling stockholder may also resell all or a portion of its common stock in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act provided it meets the criteria and conforms to the requirements of Rule 144.

The selling stockholder may enter into sale, forward-sale and derivative transactions with third parties, or may sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those sale, forward-sale or derivative transactions, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions and by issuing securities that are not covered by this prospectus but are exchangeable for or represent beneficial interests in the common stock. The third parties also may use shares received under those sale, forward-sale or derivative arrangements or shares pledged by the selling stockholder or borrowed from the selling stockholder or others to settle such third-party sales or to close out any related open borrowings of common stock. The third parties may deliver this prospectus in connection with any such transactions. Any third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part).

In addition, the selling stockholder may engage in hedging transactions with broker-dealers in connection with distributions of common stock or otherwise. In those transactions, broker-dealers may engage in short sales of securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume with the selling stockholder. The selling stockholder may also sell securities short and redeliver securities to close out such short positions. The selling stockholder may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers which require the delivery of securities to the broker-dealer. The broker-dealer may then resell or otherwise transfer such securities pursuant to this prospectus. The selling stockholder also may loan or pledge shares, and the borrower or pledgee may sell or otherwise transfer the common stock so loaned or pledged pursuant to this prospectus. Such borrower or pledgee also may transfer those shares of common stock to investors in our securities or the selling stockholder’s securities or in connection with the offering of other securities not covered by this prospectus.

To the extent necessary, we may amend or supplement this prospectus from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. We will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, upon being notified by the selling stockholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of shares through a block trade, offering or a purchase by a broker or dealer. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the specific terms of the offering of securities, including:

In connection with sales of common stock covered hereby, the selling stockholder and any underwriter, broker-dealer or agent and any other participating broker-dealer that executes sales for the selling stockholder may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Accordingly, any profits realized by the selling stockholder and any compensation earned by such underwriter, broker-dealer or agent may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. Because the selling stockholder may be deemed to be “underwriters” under the Securities Act, the selling stockholder must deliver this prospectus and any prospectus supplement in the manner required by the Securities Act. This prospectus delivery requirement may be satisfied through the facilities of The NASDAQ Capital Market in accordance with Rule 153 under the Securities Act.

We or the selling stockholder may agree to indemnify any underwriters, broker-dealers and agents against or contribute to any payments the underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may be required to make with respect to, civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Underwriters, broker-dealers and agents and their affiliates are permitted to be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us and our affiliates or the selling stockholder or its affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

The selling stockholder will be subject to applicable provisions of Regulation M of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, which provisions may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the common stock by the selling stockholder. Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to the common stock. These restrictions may affect the marketability of such common stock.

In order to comply with applicable securities laws of some states, the common stock may be sold in those jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states the common stock may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirements is available. In addition, any common stock of a selling stockholder covered by this prospectus that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold in open market transactions under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.

The validity of the shares offered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The financial statements as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) as of December 31, 2013 incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

The consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of Apricus Biosciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2011 have been audited by EisnerAmper LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, which reports (i) express an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and include a paragraph that the 2011 consolidated financial statements were restated for the presentation of discontinued operations and (ii) express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance on the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement.

We incorporate by reference our documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act” in this prospectus, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed below or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including our Compensation Committee report and performance graph or any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus (other than exhibits, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference in the documents) by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Information filed with the SEC by us can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at prescribed rates. Further information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.

Our web site address is www.apricusbio.com. The information on our web site, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.

This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. or through the SEC’s website, as provided above.

The following table sets forth an itemization of the various expenses, all of which we will pay, in connection with the issuance and distribution of the common stock being registered. All of the amounts shown are estimated except the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee:

Our officers and directors are indemnified under Nevada law, our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our fourth amended and restated bylaws against certain liabilities. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation require us to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Nevada in effect from time to time.

Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, none of our directors or officers shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for (1) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law or (2) the payment of dividends in violation of the applicable statutes of Nevada. Further, our amended and restated articles of incorporation provide that if Nevada law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, the liability of a director or officer of the corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law, as so amended from time to time. However, Nevada Revised Statutes Section 78.138 currently provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Nevada Revised Statutes, a director or officer shall not be individually liable to us or our stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a director or officer unless it is proven that (i) the director’s or officer’s acts or omissions constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer and (ii) such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of the law.

Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, we shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of our company or is serving at our request as a director or officer of another entity or enterprise or by reason of actions alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity or in any other capacity while serving as a director or officer, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, against any and all loss, liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, costs, damages, judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and ERISA excise taxes or penalties, actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, including any appeal. This right to indemnification shall continue for any person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, next of kin, executors, administrators and legal representatives.

Our amended and restated articles of incorporation also provide that we shall pay the expenses of directors and officers incurred as a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, as they are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, but, if applicable law so requires, only upon receipt by us of an undertaking from the director or officer to repay the advanced amounts in the event it is ultimately determined by a final decision, order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses.

Our fourth amended and restated bylaws provide that we shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Nevada, each of director or officer of the corporation who was or is a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to, or is otherwise involved in, any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and including, without limitation, an action, suit or proceeding by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the corporation or is or was serving in any capacity at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent, partner, member, manager or fiduciary of, or in any other capacity for, another corporation or any partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or other enterprise. Such indemnification shall be against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that such director or officer either is not liable pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes 78.138 or acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with respect to any such action, suit or proceeding that is criminal in nature, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. No such indemnification shall be made to or on behalf of any such director or officer if a final adjudication establishes that his or her acts or omissions involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law and was material to the cause of action, or for any expenses of such director or officer incurred in his or her capacity as a stockholder. Our fourth amended and restated bylaws also require that the expenses of such directors and officers must be paid by the corporation (or through insurance maintained, or other financial arrangements made, by the corporation) as such expenses are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation. Any indemnification of directors and officers under our fourth amended and restated bylaws shall inure to the benefit of their respective heirs, executors and administrators.

Section 78.7502 of the Nevada Revised Statutes permits a corporation to indemnify a present or former director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or of another entity or enterprise for which such person is or was serving in such capacity at the request of the corporation, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, except an action by or in the right of the corporation, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith, arising by reason of such person’s service in such capacity if such person (i) is not liable pursuant to Section 78.138 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or (ii) acted in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to a criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. In the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, however, no indemnification may be made for any claim, issue or matter as to which such person has been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of all appeals therefrom, to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction determines upon application that in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper.

Section 78.751 of the Nevada Revised Statutes permits any discretionary indemnification under Section 78.7502 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, unless ordered by a court or advanced to a director or officer by the corporation in accordance with the Nevada Revised Statutes, to be made by a corporation only as authorized in each specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances. Such determination must be made (1) by the stockholders, (2) by the board of directors by majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding, (3) if a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding so orders, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) if a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding cannot be obtained, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

A list of exhibits filed with this registration statement on Form S-3 is set forth on the Exhibit Index and is incorporated herein by reference.

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or any decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) 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 paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed 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 the 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 of 1933 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 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) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, 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 San Diego, State of California, on the 8^th day of December, 2014.

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints, jointly and severally, Richard W. Pascoe and Steve Martin, and each one of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all post-effective amendments thereto, 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, and each of them 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 might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on the dates indicated.


Large accelerated filer	¨	Accelerated filer	x
Non-accelerated filer	¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company	¨



Title of Class of Securities to be Registered	Number of Shares to be Registered⁽¹⁾	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share⁽²⁾	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Amount of Registration Fee
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share	3,420,066	$1.16	$3,967,277	$461


	Page
Prospectus Summary		1
About Apricus Biosciences		1
Risk Factors		3
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements		3
Description of License Agreement and Stock Issuance Agreement		3
Use of Proceeds		4
Selling Stockholder		4
Plan of Distribution		5
Legal Matters		8
Experts		8
Incorporation of Documents by Reference		8
Where You Can Find More Information		9


Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee	$	461
Printing expenses		10,000
Legal fees and expenses		30,000
Accounting fees and expenses		25,600

Total	$	66,061


APRICUS BIOSCIENCES, INC.

By:		/s/ Richard W. Pascoe
		Name: Richard W. Pascoe
		Title: Chief Executive Officer

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Signature	Title	Date

/s/ Richard W. Pascoe	Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	December 8, 2014
Richard W. Pascoe

/s/ Steve Martin	Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)	December 8, 2014
Steve Martin

/s/ Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos	Chairman and Director	December 8, 2014
Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D.

/s/ Russell Ray	Director	December 8, 2014
Russell Ray

/s/ Deirdre Y. Gillespie, M.D.	Director	December 8, 2014
Deirdre Y. Gillespie, M.D.


Exhibit Number		Description

4.1		Form of Warrant, dated September 17, 2010 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 of Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-169132) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 28, 2010).

4.2		Form of Warrant Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.7 of Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-169132) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 28, 2010).

4.3		Form of Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2011).

4.4		Form of Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on From 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2013).

4.5		Form of Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on From 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2013).

4.6		Form of Warrant, dated October 17, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2014).

4.7		Form of Warrant, dated October 17, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2014).

5.1		Opinion of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

23.1		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

23.2		Consent of EisnerAmper LLP

23.3		Consent of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1		Form of Power of Attorney (contained on signature page)