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Background
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Background  
Background

1. Background

        AveXis, Inc. was formed on March 8, 2010 in the state of Delaware as Biolife Cell Bank, LLC. In January 2012, the Company converted from a limited liability company to a corporation, Biolife Cell Bank, Inc. In January 2014, the Company amended and restated its Certificate of Incorporation to change its name to AveXis, Inc. ("AveXis" or "the Company").

        The Company is a clinical-stage gene therapy company dedicated to developing and commercializing gene therapy treatments for patients suffering from rare and life-threatening neurological genetic diseases. The Company's initial product candidate, AVXS-101, is a gene therapy product candidate currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, ("SMA"), Type 1, the leading genetic cause of infant mortality.

Liquidity and Risks

        As of December 31, 2016, the Company generated an accumulated deficit of $141,562,324 since inception and had cash and cash equivalents of $240,429,839. The Company believes its cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2016, are sufficient cash resources to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through the first half of 2019. As the Company continues to incur losses, transition to profitability is dependent upon the successful manufacturing, development, approval, and commercialization of its product candidate and achieving a level of revenues adequate to support the Company's cost structure. The Company may never achieve profitability, and unless and until it does, the Company will continue to need to raise additional capital. Management intends to fund future operations through additional private or public debt or equity offerings and may seek additional capital through arrangements with strategic partners or from other sources.

        The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the biotechnology industry, including, but not limited to, development by the Company or its competitors of technological innovations, risks of failure of clinical studies, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations, and ability to transition from preclinical manufacturing to commercial production of products.

Initial Public Offering

        On February 10, 2016, the Company completed an initial public offering ("IPO"), which resulted in the issuance and sale of 4,750,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $20.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $88,350,000 after deducting underwriting discounts. Upon the closing of the IPO, the 3,278,938 shares of Class B-1 preferred stock, 326,557 shares of Class B-2 preferred stock, 2,365,020 shares of Class C preferred stock and 3,105,000 of Class D preferred stock were automatically converted into shares of the Company's common stock.

        On March 3, 2016, the underwriters of the Company's IPO exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 527,941 shares of the Company's common stock at the initial public offering price of $20.00 per share, resulting in additional net proceeds of approximately $9,800,000 after deducting underwriting discounts.

Follow-On Public Offering

        On September 13, 2016, the Company completed an underwritten public offering (the "Follow-On Offering") of 4,887,500 shares of its common stock, 4,597,645 shares of which were issued and sold by the Company, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase 637,500 shares from the Company, and 289,855 shares of which were sold by PBM Capital Investments, LLC ("PBM"), an existing stockholder of the Company, each at a public offering price of $34.50 per share. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions, the net proceeds to the Company were approximately $149.1 million. The Company did not receive proceeds from the sale of the common stock by PBM.