Note 7 - Stockholder's Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Equity [Text Block]

Note 7 - Stockholder's Equity

Class A Preferred Stock

On  September 13, 2016, 2,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock were authorized, of which 250,000 have been designated as Class A Preferred Stock and the remainder are undesignated preferred stock. The Class A Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.0001 per share, is identical to undesignated Common Stock other than as to voting rights, conversion rights, and the Annual Stock Dividend right (as described below). The undesignated Preferred Stock  may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The Company’s Board of Directors is authorized to determine or alter the dividend rights, dividend rate, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions, if any), the redemption price or prices, the liquidation preferences and other designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock, and to fix the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock (but not below the number of shares of any such series then outstanding).

On any matter presented to the stockholders of the Company for their action or consideration at any meeting of stockholders of the Company (or by written consent of stockholders in lieu of meeting), each holder of outstanding shares of Class A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to cast for each share of Class A Preferred Stock held by such holder as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter, the number of votes that is equal to one and one-tenth (1.1) times a fraction, the numerator of which is the sum of (A) the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock and (B) the whole shares of Common Stock in to which the shares of outstanding Class A Preferred Stock are convertible, and the denominator of which is number of shares of outstanding Class A Preferred Stock (the “Class A Preferred Stock Ratio”). Thus, the Class A Preferred Stock will at all times constitute a voting majority.

Each share of Class A Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one fully paid and nonassessable share of Common Stock (the “Conversion Ratio”), subject to certain adjustments. If the Company, at any time effects a subdivision or combination of the outstanding Common Stock (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, reverse stock split or otherwise), the applicable Conversion Ratio in effect immediately before that subdivision is proportionately decreased or increased, as applicable, so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of Class A Preferred Stock shall be increased or decreased, as applicable, in proportion to such increase or decrease in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Additionally, if any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger involving the Company occurs in which the Common Stock (but not the Class A Preferred Stock) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, then each share of Class A Preferred Stock becomes convertible into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company issuable upon conversion of one share of the Class A Preferred Stock immediately prior to such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger would have been entitled to receive pursuant to such transaction. Pursuant to the reverse stock splits by the Company in September 2022 and  April 2024, the Class A Preferred Stock has a Conversion Ratio of 1,125 Class A Preferred to one share of Common Stock.

Common Stock

On  January 9, 2024, the stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding voting power of the Company executed and delivered to the Board of Directors of the Company a written consent approving, among other items, an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized under the Certificate of Incorporation, from 75,000,000 to 200,000,000. On February 20, 2024, the Company filed the Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware effectuating the Authorized Shares Increase.

Holders of the Company's common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. An election of directors by the stockholders is determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as  may be declared by the Company's Board of Directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding preferred stock.

In the event of the Company's liquidation or dissolution, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately all assets available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to, and  may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that the Company  may designate and issue in the future.

Reverse Stock Split

On April 25, 2024, the Company filed an amendment (the “Reverse Split Amendment”) to its Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect the 1-for-75 reverse stock split of the Company's shares of common stock ("Reverse Stock Split"). As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, every 75 shares of common stock outstanding immediately prior to effectiveness of the Reverse Stock Split were combined and converted into one share of common stock without any change in the par value per share. The Reverse Stock Split became effective on April 26, 2024, and the common stock was quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market on a post-split basis at the open of business on April 26, 2024. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders who would have otherwise been entitled to a fraction of one share of common stock as a result of the Reverse Stock Split instead received one whole share of common stock. The Company issued 86,518 shares of common stock to shareholders who had been entitled to a fraction of one share.

All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented, unless otherwise indicated.

Capital Raises

2021 Shelf

On December 7, 2021, the Company filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-261520) on Form S-3, which was declared effective on December 10, 2021 (the "Shelf"). Approximately $24.1 million of securities remain available for sale under the 2021 Shelf as of September 30, 2024.

January 2024 Warrant Inducement and Private Placement

On January 5, 2024, the Company entered into (i) an inducement offer letter agreement (the “January 2023 Investor Inducement Letter”) with a certain investor (the “January 2023 Investor”) in connection with certain outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 25,871 of the Company’s common stock originally issued to the January 2023 Investor on January 31, 2023 (the “January 2023 Warrants”) and (ii) an inducement offer letter agreement (the “November 2023 Investor Inducement Letter Agreement” and, together with the January 2023 Investor Inducement Letter, the “January 2024 Warrant Inducement”) with certain investors (the “November 2023 Investors” and, together with the January 2023 Investor, the “January 2024 Holders”) in connection with certain outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 194,667 shares of common stock, originally issued to the November 2023 Investors on November 2, 2023 (the “November 2023 Warrants” and, together with the January 2023 Warrants, the “Existing Warrants”). The January 2023 Warrants had an exercise price of $116.25 per share, and the November 2023 Warrants had an exercise price of $22.545 per share.

Pursuant to the January 2024 Warrant Inducement, (i) the January 2023 Investor agreed to exercise for cash its January 2023 Warrants at a reduced exercise price of $22.545 per share and (ii) the November 2023 Investors agreed to exercise for cash their November 2023 Warrants at the existing exercise price of $22.545 in consideration for the Company’s agreement to issue in a private placement (x) new Series A common stock purchase warrants (the “New Series A Warrants”) to purchase up to 220,538 shares of common stock (the “New Series A Warrants Shares”) and (y) new Series B common stock purchase warrants (the “New Series B Warrants” and, together with the New Series A Warrants, the “January 2024 Warrants”) to purchase up to 220,538 shares of common stock (the “New Series B Warrants Shares”). The New Series A Warrants will expire five years following the issuance date and the New Series B Warrants will expire eighteen months following the issuance date.

The January 2023 Warrants, which were liability classified, were revalued on January 5, 2024 using the Black-Scholes Model to calculate the difference in fair value as a result of the change in exercise price. The difference in fair value of $0.1 million was recorded as a change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (see Note 8). The issuance of the January 2024 Warrants was considered as part of the cost of the inducement and the January 2024 Warrants were valued using the Black-Scholes Model with the fair value being allocated between the January 2023 Warrants and November 2023 Warrants on a weighted basis. The approximately $0.6 million of the January 2024 Warrants fair value was allocated to the January 2023 warrants and recorded as a loss on common stock warrant liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations with a corresponding offset to additional paid-in-capital. Approximately $4.3 million of the January 2024 Warrant fair value was allocated to the November 2023 Warrants and deemed to be a dividend and recorded to additional paid-in-capital because the Company had an accumulated deficit on the exercise date. The deemed dividend was included in net loss attributable to common stockholders in the calculation of net loss per share in the condensed consolidated statements of operations (see Note 2).

The Company received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $4.5 million from the exercise of the Existing Warrants by the January 2024 Holders, after deducting placement agent fees and other expenses payable by the Company.

The Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-276671) with the SEC providing for the resale of the January 2024 Warrant Shares (the “Resale Registration Statement”) on January 24, 2024, which was declared effective on February 1, 2024.

The key inputs for the Black-Scholes Model calculations on January 5, 2024 were as follows:

	January 2023			New Series A			New Series B
	Warrants			Warrants			Warrants
Stock price	$	14.25		$	14.25		$	14.25
Risk-free interest rate		4.40	%		4.02	%		4.40	%
Expected dividend yield		—			—			—
Expected term in years		2.1			5.0			1.5
Expected volatility		185	%		138	%		187	%

May 2024 Warrant Inducement and Private Placement

On April 28, 2024, the Company entered into inducement offer letter agreements (the “May 2024 Warrant Inducement”) with (i) certain investors (the “October 2022 Investors”) that held certain outstanding October 2022 Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 27,271 shares of the Company’s common stock; (ii) certain investors (the “May Inducement November 2023 Investors”) that hold November 2023 Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 221,333 shares of common stock; and (iii) certain investors (the “January 2024 Investors” and, collectively with the October 2022 Investors and May Inducement November 2023 Investors, the “May 2024 Holders”) that hold January 2024 Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 441,076 shares of common stock. We refer to the exercised January 2024 Warrants collectively with the October 2022 Warrants and November 2023 Warrants as the "May 2024 Exercised Warrants"). The October 2022 Warrants had an exercise price of $116.25 per share, the November 2023 Warrants had an exercise price of $22.545 per share, and the January 2024 Warrants had an exercise price of $22.545 per share. Pursuant to the May 2024 Warrant Inducement, the May 2024 Holders agreed to exercise for cash the May 2024 Exercised Warrants at a reduced exercise price of $6.20 per share in partial consideration for the Company’s agreement to issue in a private placement (x) new Series C Common Stock purchase warrants (the “New Series C Warrants”) to purchase up to 689,680 shares of common stock (the “New Series C Warrant Shares”) and (y) new Series D Common Stock Purchase Warrants (the “New Series D Warrants” and, together with the New Series C Warrants, the “May 2024 Warrants”) to purchase up to 689,680 shares of common stock (the “New Series D Warrant Shares” and, together with the New Series C Warrant Shares, the “May 2024 Warrant Shares”). The May 2024 Holders also agreed to pay the Company $0.125 per May 2024 Warrant Share (the “Additional Warrant Consideration”). The closing of the transactions contemplated pursuant to the May 2024 Warrant Inducement occurred on May 1, 2024.

The October 2022 Warrants, which were liability classified, were revalued on May 1, 2024 using the Black-Scholes Model to calculate the difference in fair value as a result of the change in exercise price. The difference in fair value of $0.1 million was recorded as a change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (see Note 8). The issuance of the May 2024 Warrants was considered as part of the cost of the inducement and the May 2024 Warrants were valued using the Black-Scholes Model with the fair value being allocated between the October 2022 Warrants, November 2023 Warrants and January 2024 Warrants on a weighted basis. The approximately $0.2 million of the May 2024 Warrants fair value was allocated to the October 2022 warrants and recorded as a loss on common stock warrant liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations with a corresponding offset to additional paid-in-capital. Approximately $4.5 million of the May 2024 Warrant fair value was allocated to the November 2023 Warrants and January 2024 Warrants and deemed to be a dividend and recorded to additional paid-in-capital because the Company had an accumulated deficit on the exercise date. The deemed dividend was included in net loss attributable to common stockholders in the calculation of net loss per share in the condensed consolidated statements of operations (see Note 2).

The Company received net proceeds of approximately $3.7 million from the exercise of the May 2024 Exercised Warrants by the May 2024 Holders and the payment of the Additional Warrant Consideration, after deducting placement agent fees and other expenses payable by the Company.

The Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-279125) with the SEC providing for the resale of the May 2024 New Warrant Shares (the “May 2024 Resale Registration Statement”) on May 6, 2024, which was declared effective on May 10, 2024.

The key inputs for the Black-Scholes Model calculations on May 1, 2024 were as follows:

	October 2022			Series C			Series D			Placement Agent
	Warrants			Warrants			Warrants			Warrants
Stock price	$	4.76		$	4.76		$	4.76		$	4.76
Risk-free interest rate		5	%		4.64	%		4.96	%		4.64	%
Expected dividend yield		—			—			—			—
Expected term in years		3.4			5.0			1.5			5.0
Expected volatility		160	%		141	%		132	%		141	%

ATM Facility

On May 10, 2024, the Company entered into an At the Market Offering Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC (the “ATM Manager”) under which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time at its sole discretion, shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, through or to the ATM Manager. The offer and sale of the shares will be made pursuant to a previously filed shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-261520), originally filed with the SEC on December 7, 2021 and declared effective by the SEC on December 10, 2021, and the related prospectus supplement dated May 10, 2024 (including such replacement registration statement as may be filed with the SEC, the “ATM Registration Statement”) and filed with the SEC on such date pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As a result of the limitations of General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, the Company may currently sell up to a maximum of $3,850,000 of its shares pursuant to the ATM Agreement.

Under the ATM Agreement, the ATM Manager may sell shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. The ATM Manager will use commercially reasonable efforts to sell the shares from time to time, based upon instructions from the Company (including any price, time or size limits or other customary parameters or conditions the Company may impose). The Company agreed to pay the ATM Manager a commission of 3.0% of the gross proceeds from the sales of shares sold through the ATM Manager under the ATM Agreement and has provided the ATM Manager with customary indemnification and contribution rights. The Company also agreed to reimburse the ATM Manager for certain expenses incurred in connection with the ATM Agreement. The Company and the ATM Manager may each terminate the ATM Agreement at any time upon specified prior written notice.

For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company sold an aggregate of 160,934 shares and 245,617 shares of its common stock pursuant to the ATM Agreement, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $0.6 million and $0.9 million, respectively, after deducting underwriting discounts

Equity Incentive Plan

The Company has in effect the Avenue Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2015 Incentive Plan"). The 2015 Incentive Plan was adopted in January 2015 by the Company's stockholders and, in December 2021, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable to 3,556 shares. On January 30, 2023, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the 2015 Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable to 70,223 shares. On June 24, 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the 2015 Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable to 5,070,223 shares, which extended the term of the 2015 Incentive Plan to June 24, 2034, to increase the limit of shares that may be issued upon exercise of incentive stock options by 5,000,000 shares, and to increase the annual share limit awards for non-employee directors to 500,000. Under the 2015 Incentive Plan, the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors is authorized to grant stock-based awards to directors, officers, employees and consultants. The 2015 Incentive Plan authorizes grants to issue up to 5,070,223 shares of authorized but unissued common stock and expires 10 years from adoption and limits the term of each option to no more than 10 years from the date of grant.

Total shares available for the issuance of stock-based awards under the Company’s 2015 Incentive Plan was 4,575,701 shares at September 30, 2024.

Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Awards

The following table summarizes the restricted stock unit and award activity during the nine months ended  September 30, 2024:

	Number of			Weighted
	Units and			Average Grant
	Awards			Date Fair Value
Unvested balance at December 31, 2023		1,311		$	196.21
Granted		—			—
Forfeited		—			—
Vested		(283	)		85.50
Unvested balance at March 31, 2024		1,028		$	226.69
Unvested balance at June 30, 2024		1,028		$	226.69
Granted		235,000			2.46
Forfeited		—			—
Vested		—			—
Unvested balance at September 30, 2024		236,028		$	3.44

At September 30, 2024, the Company had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock units and restricted stock awards of $0.5 million, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 1.1 years. This amount does not include, as of September 30, 2024, 45 shares of restricted stock outstanding which are performance-based and vest upon achievement of certain corporate milestones. The expense is recognized over the vesting period of the award. Stock-based compensation for awards containing performance conditions will be measured as of the grant date and recorded if and when it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.

The Company offers certain executives and key employees the opportunity to defer settlement of vested restricted stock units as part of our nonqualified deferred compensation plan. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had 235,000 outstanding deferred restricted stock units.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes stock option activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

					Weighted
					Average
			Weighted		Remaining		Aggregate
	Number		Average		Contractual		Intrinsic Value
	of Options		Exercise Price		Term (years)		(in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2023		22,474	$	85.50		9.5	$	—
Granted		234,000	$	2.46			$	—
Exercised		—	$	—			$	—
Cancelled/forfeited		—	$	—			$	—
Expired		—	$	—			$	—
Outstanding at Balance at September 30, 2024		256,474	$	9.74		9.9	$	—
Expected to vest		246,802	$	6.77		9.9	$	—
Exercisable		9,672	$	85.50		8.7	$	—

There were 234,000 options granted in the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was $2.15 and $85.50, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of options is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying options and the fair value of the Company's common stock for those options that had exercise prices lower than the fair value of the Company's common stock. As of September 30, 2024, the total compensation cost related to non-vested options awards not yet recognized is approximately $0.9 million with a weighted average remaining vesting period of 1.3 years.

The Company estimated the fair value of stock options granted in the periods presented utilizing a Black-Scholes option-pricing model utilizing the following assumptions:

	For the Nine Months Ended
	September 30,
	2024	2023
Volatility	135%	124.9 - 125.7%
Expected term (in years)	5.64	5.8 - 5.9
Risk-free rate	3.6%	4.1%
Expected dividend yield	—%	—%

Stock-based compensation expense has been reported in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations as follows:

	For the Three Months Ended				For the Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Research and development	$	89	$	144	$	179	$	150
General and administrative		242		417		535		449
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	331	$	561	$	714	$	599

Stock Warrants

The following table summarizes the warrant activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

				Weighted
				Average		Aggregate
				Exercise		Intrinsic Value
	Warrants			Price		(in thousands)
Outstanding, December 31, 2023		524,601		$	32.42	$	—
Granted		441,076			6.20
Exercised		(220,538	)		22.55
Outstanding, March 31, 2024		745,139		$	29.50	$	—
Granted		1,420,741			6.25
Exercised		(689,680	)		6.20
Outstanding, June 30, 2024		1,476,200		$	8.64	$	—
Outstanding, September 30, 2024		1,476,200		$	8.64	$	—

Upon the exercise of warrants, the Company will issue new shares of its common stock.

InvaGen Share Repurchase

Under the Share Repurchase Agreement, the Company agreed to pay InvaGen an additional amount as a contingent fee, payable in the form of seven and a half percent (7.5%) of the proceeds of future financings, up to $4.0 million. In connection with the closing of the  January 2024 Warrant Inducement, the May 2024 Warrant Inducement, and common share sales pursuant to the ATM Agreement, the Company made payments totaling approximately $0.7 million to InvaGen during the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Payments to InvaGen are recorded in general and administrative expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.