UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 3, 2024

Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-36856	46-2783806
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Identification No.)

399 Thornall Street, First Floor

Edison, NJ 08837

(Address of principal executive offices)

(732) 902-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☒	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered:
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share	HEPA	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

On September 3, 2024, Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), received written notice (the “Notice”) from the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the bid price for the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”), for the last 30 consecutive business days, had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share and, as a result, the Company is not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for the continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The Notice has no effect at this time on the Common Stock, which continues to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “HEPA”.

In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days, or until March 3, 2025, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Common Stock must meet or exceed $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during this 180 day period.

If the Company is not in compliance by March 3, 2025, the Company may qualify for a second 180 calendar day compliance period. If the Company does not qualify for, or fails to regain compliance during the second compliance period, then Nasdaq will notify the Company of its determination to delist its Common Stock, at which point the Company would have an option to appeal the delisting determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel.

The Company intends to actively monitor the closing bid price of its Common Stock and may, if appropriate, consider implementing available options to regain compliance with the minimum bid price under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: September 5, 2024	Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
	By:	/s/ John Brancaccio
		John Brancaccio
		Interim Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer

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