PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Each Selling Securityholder, and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their Company securities covered hereby on the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which such securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices.

A Selling Securityholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:

The Selling Securityholders may also sell securities under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus.

Broker dealers engaged by the Selling Securityholders may arrange for other brokers dealers to participate in sales. Broker dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Securityholders (or, if any broker dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2440.

In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the Selling Securityholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The Selling Securityholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The Selling Securityholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

The Selling Securityholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Each Selling Securityholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities. In no event shall any broker-dealer receive fees, commissions and markups which, in the aggregate, would exceed eight percent (8%).

The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the securities. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Securityholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Because Selling Securityholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, they will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act including Rule 172 thereunder. In addition, any securities covered by this prospectus which qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than under this prospectus. The Selling Securityholders have advised us that there is no underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of the resale securities by the Selling Securityholders.

We agreed to keep this prospectus effective for the Selling Securityholders under the Investor Notes and Investor Warrants holders until the earliest of (i) one (1) year from the date the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, (ii) the date on which the securities may be resold by the Selling Securityholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (iii) the date on which all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. We agreed to keep this prospectus effective for the Selling Securityholder under the GEM Agreement until the date as of which such Selling Securityholder may sell all of the shares received as payment for the Commitment Fee, or received upon exercise of the GEM Warrants, without restriction pursuant to Rule 144(b)(1)(i). The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby 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 requirement is available and is complied with.

Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the common stock for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Securityholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of securities of the common stock by the Selling Securityholders or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Securityholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP. Any underwriters or agents will be advised about other issues relating to the offering by counsel to be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, appearing in Ensysce’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-268038), as amended, have been audited by Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report (which report includes an explanatory paragraph regarding the existence of substantial doubt about Ensysce’s ability to continue as a going concern), and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we meanhave been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the potential holdersauthority of the applicable series of securities.such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated herein by reference for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document.

We are currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith filesfile periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and in the “Investors” section of our website at www.ensysce.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:

We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than any filings or portions of such reports that are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act in accordance with the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules, including current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including those made after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus from the date that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.

We will furnish without charge to you, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference, including exhibits to these documents by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number below. You may also access this information on our website at www.ensysce.com by viewing the “SEC Filings” subsection of the “Investors” menu. No additional information is deemed to be part of or incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

Ensysce Biosciences, Inc.

7946 Ivanhoe Avenue, Suite 201

La Jolla, California 92037

(858) 263-4196

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are plans and predictions based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about our industry, our beliefs, and assumptions. We use words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “assume,” and variations of these words and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Statements in this prospectus and the other documents incorporated by reference that are not historical facts are hereby identified as “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the Securities Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described in the section above entitled “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, our subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022 and the risks detailed from time to time on our future reports filed with the SEC.

You should read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. Our business and operations are and will be subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Consequently, actual results and experience may materially differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and experience to differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated herein by reference is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

ABOUT ENSYSCE

Overview

We are a clinical stage pharmaceutical company seeking to develop innovative solutions for severe pain relief while reducing the fear of and the potential for opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose. Prescription opioid abuse presents major burdens to society, resulting in significant costs, illnesses and deaths, many of which we believe could be prevented through the use of our proprietary technologies. We believe the intertwined issues of (1) the widespread abuse of prescription opioids and (2) the resultant reluctance of many prescribers to write prescriptions for opioid analgesics have resulted in the persistent under-treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe pain. Our platforms utilize a novel molecular delivery technology designed to deter prescription opioid abuse at the molecular level. We own numerous patents and applications in the United States and significant commercial markets, such as Europe, China and Japan, relating to our product candidates currently in development, as well as other product candidates that may be developed in the future.

Our current development pipeline includes two new drug platforms: (1) an abuse-resistant opioid prodrug technology – the Trypsin Activated Abuse Protection, or the TAAP platform; and (2) an over-dose protection opioid prodrug technology – the Multi-Pill Abuse Resistant, or the MPAR™ platform. The TAAP platform is designed to seek to improve the care of patients with chronic pain while reducing the human and economic costs associated with prescription opioid drug abuse. The MPAR™ platform when combined with our TAAP prodrugs is designed not only to seek to prevent abuse of prescription drugs but also to reduce overdose occurrences. Each prodrug is intended to be able to be combined with our MPAR™ technology for overdose protection.

While our principal focus and lead product candidates are geared towards combating abuse and overdose of opioid drugs, we have, over the years of research and development, discovered and recognized qualities and unique features of certain product candidates that may be useful in addressing other treatments. For example, we discovered the ability of nafamostat di-mesylate (“nafamostat”) to inhibit the action of enzymes associated with the COVID-19 infection, and have done preliminary work on the development of an oral and inhalation drug product of nafamostat, for use against coronaviral infections and other pulmonary diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

Corporate Information

We were originally incorporated in the State of Delaware in April 2003 as PharmacoFore, Inc. and, in January 2012, we changed our name from PharmacoFore, Inc. to Signature Therapeutics Inc. (“Signature”). On December 28, 2015, Signature, Signature Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Signature (“SAQ”), and Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. (“EB”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (“EB-ST Agreement”). Pursuant to the EB-ST Agreement, SAQ merged with and into EB with EB surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Signature. As part of the transaction, Signature changed its name to “Ensysce Biosciences, Inc.” (“Former Ensysce”) and changed EB’s name to EBI Operating Inc. On January 31, 2021, LACQ, Former Ensysce, and Merger Sub entered into the Merger Agreement. On June 30, 2021, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Former Ensysce, with Former Ensysce surviving the transaction as a wholly-owned subsidiary of LACQ. As part of the transaction, LACQ changed its name to “Ensysce Biosciences, Inc.” and Former Ensysce changed its name to EBI OpCo, Inc. (the “Merger”).

The mailing address of our principal executive office is 7946 Ivanhoe Avenue, Suite 201, La Jolla, California 92037. Our corporate telephone number is (858) 263-4196. Our website address is www.ensysce.com. Information contained on our website, or connected thereto, does not constitute part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.

RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, 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 and any applicable free writing prospectus 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.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as set forth in any accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise. General corporate purposes may include, and are not limited to, research and development costs, manufacturing costs, the acquisition or licensing of other businesses, products or product candidates, working capital and capital expenditures.

We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including investment grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government, or may hold such proceeds as cash, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our certificate of incorporation, which has been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” For a complete description, you should refer to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock consists of 250,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and 1,500,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share. As of December 30, 2022, there were 6,414,074 shares of common stock and no shares of preferred stock outstanding and no shares of common stock held in treasury. The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and should be reviewed in conjunction with our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Common Stock

All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Unless specified in our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our shares of common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. Our board of directors (the “Board”) is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors or any other matter, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the Board out of funds legally available therefor.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up, our stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors is authorized to issue from time to time, in one or more designated series, any or all of our authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock with dividend, redemption, conversion, exchange, voting and other provisions as may be provided in that particular series. The issuance need not be approved by our common stockholders.

Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws

The third amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions, which are summarized below, discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board, which may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give the Board the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.

Classified Board

Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our Board is classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our Board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings.

Authorized but Unissued Shares

Our authorized but unissued shares of common and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. However, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq, which apply if and so long as our common stock remains listed on the Nasdaq, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of common stock. Additional shares that may be used in the future may be issued for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital, or to facilitate acquisitions. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our Board.

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations

Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice will need to be received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90^th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120^th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders meeting. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.

Amendment of Charter or Bylaws

The third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that certain provisions of the third amended and restated certificate of incorporation, notwithstanding that a lesser percentage may be permitted from time to time by applicable law, and our bylaws may only be amended or repealed by, in addition to any vote required by the third amended and restated certificate of incorporation or by applicable law, the vote of the holders of sixty-five percent of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

Exclusive Forum

Under the our charter, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, subject to certain limitations, the sole and exclusive forum will be the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if such court does not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, or, if the Superior Court of the State of Delaware also does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) for:

For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing provisions of our charter will not apply to any action or proceeding asserting a claim under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. These provisions of our charter could limit the ability of our stockholders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for certain disputes with us or with our current or former directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our current or former directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our charter inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the types of actions or proceedings listed above, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (sometimes referred to as Section 203) regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging, under specified circumstances, in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless:

Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting securities. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors do not approve in advance. We also anticipate that Section 203 may also discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of our common stock held by stockholders.

The provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

Warrants

On September 24, 2021, we entered into a securities purchase agreement, whereby we issued to the other parties thereto warrants to purchase 54,174 shares of the common stock in the aggregate (the “2021 Investor Warrants”). The 2021 Investor Warrants had an exercise price of $152.60, a 30% premium to the conversion price, and are exercisable for five years following issuance. As a result of our entering into a securities purchase agreement in 2022 with the same parties that were signatory to the securities purchase agreement in 2021, the exercise price of the 2021 Prior Warrants was reduced to $15.60.

On June 30, 2022, we entered into a securities purchase agreement, whereby we issued to the other parties signatory thereto warrants (the “2022 Investor Warrants”) to purchase 466,788 shares of the common stock in the aggregate. The 2022 Investor Warrants have been reset to an exercise price of $2.006, and are exercisable for five years following issuance. Our obligations under the 2021 Investor Warrants and 2022 Investor Warrants are secured by all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and are guaranteed jointly and severally by our subsidiaries.

On December 9, 2022, in connection with the sale of shares of our common stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with the SEC, we issued warrants to purchase 6,600,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.40 per share of common stock. These warrants are not traded on any market.

Over time, we have issued, to a number of third parties, warrants that may be exercised for common stock. Some of these warrants are traded on the OTC Pink Open Market under the symbol “ENSCW”.

Convertible Promissory Notes

2021 Secured Convertible Promissory Notes

On September 24, 2021, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “2021 Securities Purchase Agreement”) whereby we issued to the other parties signatory thereto secured convertible promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $15.9 million for an aggregate purchase price of $15 million (the “2021 Notes”). Our obligations under the 2021 Securities Purchase Agreement are secured by all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and are guaranteed jointly and severally by our subsidiaries.

We have registered with the SEC the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2021 Notes, as well as the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the 2021 Investor Warrants. The 2021 Notes were repaid in full in October 2022.

2022 Secured Convertible Promissory Notes

On June 30, 2022, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “2022 Securities Purchase Agreement”) whereby we issued to the other parties signatory thereto secured convertible promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $8.48 million for an aggregate purchase price of $8.0 million (the “2022 Notes”) in two closings under the 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement, the first closing occurring on July 1, 2022 and the second occurring on August 8, 2022. Our obligations under the 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement are secured by all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and are guaranteed jointly and severally by our subsidiaries.

The 2022 Notes, subject to an original issue discount of six percent (6%), have a term of eighteen months and accrue interest at the rate of 6.0% per annum. The 2022 Notes are convertible into the common stock, at a per share conversion price equal to $10.90, a 10% premium to the average price of the common stock for the three trading days prior to the first closing under the 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement. The conversion price is subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments upon (among other triggering events) the occurrence of a change of control transaction and certain dilutive transactions, including subsequent equity issuances, share dividends and splits occurring following the issuance of the promissory note.

Under the 2022 Notes, commencing on September 29, 2022 and continuing monthly on the first day of each month beginning November 1, 2022, we are obligated to redeem one fifteenth (1/15th) of the original principal amount of the applicable 2022 Notes, plus accrued but unpaid interest, liquidated damages and any other amounts then owing to the holder of such 2022 Note. Under the 2022 Notes issued on August 8, 2022, commencing on November 1, 2022 and continuing monthly on the first day of each month beginning December 1, 2022, we are obligated to redeem one fifteenth (1/15th) of the original principal amount under the applicable 2022 Note, plus accrued but unpaid interest, liquidated damages and any other amounts then owing to the holder of such 2022 Note.

We may elect to pay all or part of the redemption amount in cash with a premium of eight percent or in conversion shares of common stock based on a conversion price equal to the lesser of (i) the conversion price and (ii) 92% of the average of the three lowest VWAPs (as defined in the 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement) during the ten (10) consecutive trading days ending on the trading day that is immediately prior to the applicable redemption date, but in no event may we pay the redemption amount in conversion shares of common stock unless the conversion price is at least equal to $2.006 and certain equity conditions are satisfied. We may incur additional dilution from repayment of the 2022 Notes in common stock or re-setting the conversion price of the 2022 Notes if we issue equity at a price below the conversion price of the 2022 Notes. Such issuance occurred in December 2022, re-setting the conversion price of the 2022 Notes to $2.006.

We are obligated to pay additional cash as true-up payments in the event that we pay interest or redemption amounts in shares of common stock that are valued below $2.006. The true-up payments compensate for the difference between the value of a share and $2.006, multiplied by the number of shares paid. The holders of the 2022 Notes may, each month while the 2022 Notes are outstanding, accelerate redemption amounts, resulting in an aggregate of up to four redemption amounts per month. Each accelerated redemption amount, like the monthly redemption amount, is one fifteenth (1/15^th) of the original principal amount. We are required to pay accelerated redemption amounts in additional shares. Therefore, acceleration of redemption amounts accelerates the conversion of the 2022 Notes into shares of common stock. If those conversion shares are valued below $2.006, then we will be required to pay additional cash as true-up payments at a time when we may not have the cash to satisfy any deficiency.

We have registered with the SEC the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2022 Notes as well as the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the 2022 Investor Warrants. The 2022 Notes contain certain covenants, and events of default and triggering events, respectively, which would require repayment of the obligations outstanding pursuant to such instruments. Our obligations under the 2022 Notes are secured by all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and are guaranteed jointly and severally by our subsidiaries.

Options

As of December 31, 2022, we had 328,248 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options, having a weighted average exercise price of $56.80 per share.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. Its telephone number is (212) 509-4000.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.

We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.

The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a third party to be identified therein as trustee. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.

We may offer under this prospectus up to an aggregate principal amount of $75,000,000 in debt securities, or if debt securities are issued at a discount, or in a foreign currency, foreign currency units or composite currency, the principal amount as may be sold for an aggregate initial public offering price of up to $75,000,000. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will represent direct, unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured indebtedness.

General

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.2) We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be issued in one or more series. Unless otherwise set forth in a resolution of our board of directors, a supplemental indenture or an officer’s certificate detailing the adopt of a series of debt securities, all securities in a series shall be identical. Debt securities may differ between series with respect to any term, provided, that all series of debt securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the indenture. (Section 2.1)

The following statements relating to the debt securities and the indenture are summaries, qualified in their entirety by reference to the detailed provisions of the indenture and the final form indenture as may be filed with a future prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement will set forth, to the extent required, the following terms of the debt securities in respect of which the prospectus supplement is delivered:

We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Exchange and/or Conversion Rights

We may issue debt securities which can be exchanged for or converted into shares of our common stock or preferred stock. If we do, we will describe the terms of exchange or conversion in the prospectus supplement relating to these debt securities. (Section 2.2)

Transfer and Exchange

Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a book-entry debt security), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a certificated debt security) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

Certificated Debt Securities

You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities in accordance with the terms of the indenture. (Section 2.4) You will not be charged a service charge for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities but may be required to pay an amount sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with such transfer or exchange. (Section 2.7)

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder. (Section 2.7)

Global Securities

Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”

No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.

Covenants

Unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement, our debt securities may not have the benefit of any covenant that limits or restricts our business or operations, the pledging of our assets or the incurrence by us of indebtedness. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement any material covenants in respect of a series of debt securities. (Article 4)

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person, or a successor person, unless:

Defaults and Notice

Unless otherwise specified in the resolution of our board of directors, supplemental indenture or officer’s certificate establishing a series of debt securities, “Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. (Section 6.2) The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiary outstanding from time to time.

If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture and such rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree. (Section 6.2) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.

The trustee is entitled to be indemnified by holders of debt securities before proceeding to exercise any trust or power under the indenture at the request of such holders. (Section 6.6) The holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceedings for any remedy available to the trustee for such series, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon the trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series. (Section 6.5) However, the trustee may decline to follow any such direction that conflicts with law or the indenture, or that the trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the holders of the debt securities of such series not joining in such direction. (Section 6.5)

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding or pursue any remedy, with respect to the indenture or a series of debt securities, unless:

No holder of debt securities under the indenture may use the indenture to prejudice the rights of another holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another holder of debt securities. (Section 6.6)

Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment. (Section 6.7)

The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.4) If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default (except if such Default or Event of Default has been validly cured or waived before the trustee gives such notice). The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.5)

Modification of the Indenture

We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:

We may also modify or supplement the indenture with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or supplement. The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each such series affected by the modifications or supplement may waive compliance by us in a particular instance with any provision of the indenture or the debt securities of such affected series of debt securities without notice to any holder of our debt securities. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series (Section 6.4); provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration. (Section 6.2)

Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances

Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.

This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred. (Section 9.2)

Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:

This is referred to as covenant defeasance. The conditions include:

No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Shareholders

None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or shareholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy. (Section 10.9)

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York. (Section 10.8)

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series together with other securities or separately, as described in each applicable prospectus supplement. Below is a description of certain general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer. Particular terms of the warrants will be described in the applicable warrant agreements and the applicable prospectus supplement for the warrants.

The applicable prospectus supplement will contain, where applicable, the following terms of and other information relating to the warrants:

Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled:

Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.

Prospective purchasers of warrants should be aware that special United States federal income tax, accounting and other considerations may be applicable to instruments such as warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe such considerations, to the extent they are material, as they apply generally to purchasers of such warrants.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.

The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.

If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:

The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Capital Stock,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Warrants” will apply to the securities included in each unit, to the extent relevant and as may be updated in any prospectus supplements.

DESCRIPTION OF OUR SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

We may issue subscription rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities. These subscription rights may be offered independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the stockholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.

The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:

The descriptions of the subscription rights in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement are summaries of the material provisions of the applicable subscription right agreements. These descriptions do not restate those subscription right agreements in their entirety and may not contain all the information that you may find useful. We urge you to read the applicable subscription right agreements because they, and not the summaries, define your rights as holders of the subscription rights. For more information, please review the forms of the relevant subscription right agreements, which will be filed with the SEC promptly after the offering of subscription rights and will be available as described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Where You Can Find More Information.”

GLOBAL SECURITIES

Book-Entry, Delivery and Form

Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

DTC has advised us that it is:

DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.

Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under Its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.

So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.

Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.

As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:

we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.

Euroclear and Clearstream

If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A., which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.

Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.

Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.

Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.

Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.

Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.

Other

The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities being offered by this prospectus separately or together:

In addition, we may issue the securities being offered by this prospectus as a dividend or distribution. We may effect the distribution of the securities from time to time in one or more transactions

For example, we may engage in at-the-market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. We may also sell securities through a rights offering, forward contracts or similar arrangements. In any distribution of subscription rights to stockholders, if all of the underlying securities are not subscribed for, we may then sell the unsubscribed securities directly to third parties or may engage the services of one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, including standby underwriters, to sell the unsubscribed securities to third parties.

The securities issued and sold under this prospectus will have no established trading market, other than our common stock, which is listed on Nasdaq. We previously issued warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, which warrants are traded on the OTC Pink Open Market. Any shares of our common stock sold pursuant to this prospectus will be eligible for listing and trading on Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The securities, other than our common stock, may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange or other trading market.

We will set forth in a prospectus supplement:

If we sell directly to institutional investors or others, they may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, if we sell through an agent, such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any agent may be deemed to be an “underwriter” of the securities as that term is defined in the Securities Act. If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities, we or an underwriter will sell securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

To the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, in connection with an offering an underwriter may engage in over-allotments, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids. Over-allotments involve sales in excess of the offering size, which creates a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be otherwise. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any time.

To the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, any underwriters who are qualified market makers on Nasdaq may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on Nasdaq during the business day prior to the pricing of an offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

No securities may be sold under this prospectus without delivery, in paper format or in electronic format, or both, of the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. As appropriate, legal counsel representing the underwriters, dealers or agents will be named in the accompanying prospectus supplement and may opine to certain legal matters.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, appearing in Ensysce’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-268038), as amended, have been audited by Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report (which report includes an explanatory paragraph regarding the existence of substantial doubt about Ensysce’s ability to continue as a going concern), and have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing, in giving said reports.

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following is an estimatea statement of theestimated expenses (all of which are to be paidpayable by the registrant) that we may incurregistrant in connection with the securities being registered hereby, other thanoffering described in this registration statement. All amounts are estimates except the SEC registration fee.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”(the “DGCL”) permitsallows a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation will not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached the duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. The registrant’s third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for this limitation of liability.

Section 145 of the DGCL, provides, among other things, that a Delaware corporation may indemnify its directors and officers againstany person who was, is or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with a pending or completedsuch action, suit or proceeding, if the officer or directorprovided such person acted in good faith and in a manner the officerhe or directorshe reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who were or are a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation.

Our certificatecorporation by reason of incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or as may be amended from time to time, our directors shall not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of our directors shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

In addition, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws obligate us to indemnify our directors and officers against expenses and other amounts reasonably incurred in connection with any proceeding arising from the fact that such person is or was ana director, officer, employee or agent of ours. Our bylaws also obligate usanother corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests, provided further that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer, director, employee or agent is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred.

Section 145 further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of our directorsthe corporation or officersis or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against any liability asserted against thatsuch person and incurred by such person in thatany such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not wethe corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify thatsuch person under the provisions of the DGCL. We have enteredSection 145.

The registrant’s amended and expectrestated bylaws provide that it must indemnify and advance expenses to continue to enter into agreements to indemnify ourits directors and officers as determinedto the full extent authorized by our board of directors. These agreements provide for indemnification of related expenses including attorneys’ fees and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.the DGCL.

The limitationregistrant entered into indemnification agreements with each of liabilityits directors and executive officers. Such agreements require the registrant, among other things, to advance expenses and otherwise indemnify its executive officers and directors against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as executive officers or directors, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The indemnification provisions in ourrights set forth above shall not be exclusive of any other right which an indemnified person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, any provision of the registrant’s third amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the registrant’s amended and restated bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the registrant shall not be obligated to indemnify a director or officer in respect of a proceeding (or part thereof) instituted by such director or officer, unless such proceeding (or part thereof) has been authorized by the board of directors pursuant to the applicable procedure outlined in the registrant’s amended and restated bylaws.

Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director, who willfully or negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption, may be held jointly and severally liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered in the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time such action occurred or immediately after such absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

The registrant maintains and expects to maintain standard policies of insurance that provide coverage (1) to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (2) to the registrant with respect to indemnification payments that the registrant may make to such directors and officers.

These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against ourthe registrant’s directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. TheyThese provisions also may also reducehave the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit usthe registrant and otherits stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we paythe registrant pays the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors and officers as required bypursuant to these indemnification provisions.

Insofar asThe registrant believes that these provisions, the provisions of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws provide for indemnification of directors orinsurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.directors.

Item 16. Exhibits.

EXHIBIT INDEX

* To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of the securities.

‡ To be filed in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(25) of Regulation S-K.

Item 17. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(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 decrease in the 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 SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent 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 (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the 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.

(5) 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 a 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 that 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 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.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(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.

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, 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 Securities 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(j) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (the “Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, of 1933, as amended, 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 La Jolla,San Diego, State of California, on January 6,30, 2023.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officersEach person whose signature appears below constitutes and directorsappoints each of Ensysce, Inc., hereby severally constitute and appointDr. Lynn Kirkpatrick ourand David Humphrey, acting alone or together with another attorney-in-fact, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in him for himsuch person and in his or her name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any andor all further amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement (and any additional registration statement related hereto permitted by Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933 (and all further amendments, including post- effective amendments, thereto)), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-factattorneys-in-fact and agentagents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite orand necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fullfully to all intents and purposes as she or he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or herhis or hisher 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 andindicated on the dates indicated.January 30, 2023.