As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1 April 21, 20202023

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Registration No. 333- 239134



 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington,WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

Amendment No. 1

to

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Genprex, Inc.GENPREX, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

90-0772347

(State or other jurisdiction
Other Jurisdiction of incorporation

Incorporation or organization)Organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)Number)

 

1601 Trinity Street, Bldg B, Suite 3.312.093300 Bee Cave Road, #650-227

Austin, TX 7871278746

(512)Telephone: (512) 537-7997

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

J. Rodney Varner

Chief Executive Officer

1601 Trinity Street, Bldg B, Suite 3.312.09Genprex, Inc.

3300 Bee Cave Road, #650-227

Austin, TX 7871278746

(512)Telephone: (512) 537-7997

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

 

With copiesCopies of all communications, including communications sent to the agent for service, to:

Alan Wovsaniker, Esq.

Kate Basmagian, Esq.

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

One Lowenstein Drive

Roseland, New Jersey 07068

Tel: (212) 262-6700

 

Richard A. Friedman, Esq.

Stephen A. Cohen, Esq.

Nazia Khan, Esq.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10112

Tel: (212) 653-8700

Fax: (212) 653-8701


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

 

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.box:

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.box:

 

 

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,”company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.

 

Large accelerated filer filer:

Accelerated filer ☐​filer:

Non-accelerated filer filer:

Smaller reporting company ☒​company:

Emerging growth company ☒company:

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☒

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of each class of

securities to be registered

Amount

to be
registered

Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share

Proposed
maximum
aggregate

offering price(3)

Amount of

registration fee(3)

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share
Debt Securities
Warrants
Rights
Units
Total(1)(2)$200,000,000(1)$25,960.00 *

(1)

An indeterminate number of securities or aggregate principal amount, as the case may be, of common stock and preferred stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, such indeterminate number of warrants and rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and such indeterminate number of units, as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $200,000,000. If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate offering price not to exceed $200,000,000, less the aggregate offering price of any securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities issued hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities issued hereunder. The proposed maximum initial offering price per unit will be determined, from time to time, by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder. The securities registered also include such indeterminate amounts and numbers of debt securities, common stock and preferred stock as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, exchange, exercise or settlement of any securities registered hereunder, including under any applicable antidilution provisions. Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall be deemed to cover any additional number of securities as may be offered or issued from time to time upon stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or similar transactions.

(2)

The proposed maximum aggregate offering price per unit will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with the sale and issuance by the Registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of security pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.

(3)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

(4)

The registration fee has been calculated in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

*Previously paid.

 

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

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Genprex, Inc. has previously filed on June 12, 2020, and as amended on July 1, 2020, a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239134) (the “Prior Registration Statement”) to register securities in an aggregate amount of $200,000,000. The Prior Registration Statement is set to expire on July 17, 2023. This registration statement is being filed to replace the Prior Registration Statement and includes $158,914,546.32 of unsold securities (the “Unsold Securities”) previously registered on the Prior Registration Statement.  During the grace period afforded by Rule 415(a)(5) under the Securities Act, we may continue to offer and sell under the Prior Registration Statement the Unsold Securities being registered hereunder. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the offering of Unsold Securities under the Prior Registration Statement will be deemed terminated as of the date of effectiveness of this registration statement.

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. WeA registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy these securitiesbe sold until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we aredoes not solicitingsolicit an offer to buy these securities in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

Subject to completion, dated July 1 April 21, 20202023

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Genprex, Inc.

g01.jpg

$200,000,000

 

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

Warrants

Subscription Rights

Units

 

We may offer, issue and sell from time to time together or separately, in one or more offerings, any combination of (i) our common stock, (ii) our preferred stock, which we may issue in one or more series, (iii) warrants, (iv) senior or subordinated debt securities, (v) subscription rights and (vi) units. The debt securities may consist of debentures, notes, or other types of debt. The debt securities, preferred stock, warrants to purchaseand subscription rights may be convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, common stock,or preferred stock or debtother securities orof ours. The units may consist of any combination of the foregoing, either individually or as units comprised of one or more of the other securities having an aggregate initial offering price not exceeding $200,000,000.listed above.

 

This prospectus provides a general descriptionThe aggregate public offering price of the securities that we may offer.  Eachare offering will not exceed $200,000,000. We will offer the securities in an amount and on terms that market conditions will determine at the time we sell a particular class or series of securities, we will provide specific terms of the securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus.  The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. You should read carefully this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference herein or therein before you invest in any of our securities.

The specific terms of any securities to be offered, and the specific manner in which they may be offered, will be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of any of these securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Before investing, you should carefully read this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement.

offering. Our common stock is presently listed on Thethe Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “GNPX.” On June 30 , 2020, theThe last reported sale price offor our common stock was $ 3.14 per share.  The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable,on April 20, 2023 as to any other listingquoted on Thethe Nasdaq Capital Market or any securities market or other exchange of the securities, if any, covered by the prospectus supplement. Prospective purchasers of our securitieswas $1.10 per share. You are urged to obtain current information as to the market pricesquotations of our common stock. We have no preferred stock, warrants, debt securities, where applicable

Thesesubscription rights or units listed on any market. Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities mayoffered thereby will be sold directly by us, through dealers or agents designated from time to time, to or through underwriters, dealers, or through a combination of these methodslisted on a continuous or delayed basis.  See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. We may also describe the plan of distribution for any particular offering of our securities in a prospectus supplement. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature of our arrangements with them in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from any such sale will also be included in a prospectus supplement.exchange.

 

Investing in our securities involves various risks.  See Risk Factors contained herein for more information on these risks. Additionalrisk. You should carefully consider the risks will be described in the related prospectus supplementsthat we refer you to under the headingsection captioned Risk Factors. You should review that section of the relatedin this prospectus supplements for a discussion of matters that investors inon page 5 before buying our securities should consider.securities.

 

Should we offer any of the securities described in this prospectus, we will provide you with the specific terms of the particular securities being offered in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any supplement, together with additional information described under the headings “Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” carefully before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.


We may sell these securities directly to our stockholders or to other purchasers or through agents on our behalf or through underwriters or dealers as designated from time to time. If any agents or underwriters are involved in the sale of any of these securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will provide the names of the agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy ofdetermined if this prospectus is truthful or any accompanying prospectus supplement.complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is                             , 2020.2023

 

1

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

31

OUR BUSINESSPROSPECTUS SUMMARY

4

2

RISK FACTORS

5

RISK FACTORS

13

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

14

6

USE OF PROCEEDS

15

7

THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

8

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

15

8

DESCRIPTION OF STOCK WARRANTS

13

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

20

15

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

27

DESCRIPTION OFSUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

29

21

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

30

22

LEGAL OWNERSHIPFORMS OF SECURITIES

31

23

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

34

25

LEGAL MATTERS

36

29

EXPERTS

36

29

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MOREADDITIONAL INFORMATION

36

29

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTSCERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

37

29

 

2

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC,(“SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement,process, we may sell from time to time offer and sell, in one or more offerings, of common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and/any or warrants to purchase any of such securities, either individually or as units comprised of a combination of one or moreall of the other securities described in onethis prospectus, separately or more offeringstogether, up to a total dollar amountan aggregate offering price of $200,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of our securities being offered. When we issue the securities we may offer. Each time we sell any type or series of securities underbeing offered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of that offering.

This The prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For a more complete understanding of the offering of the securities, you should refer to the registration statement, including its exhibits. Wesupplement may also add, update or change information contained in athis prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus anytogether with additional information described under the heading “Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

You may only rely on the information contained in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement or in the documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporatedprepared by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relatingor on behalf of us or to the applicable offering. You should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the additional information described under “Where You Can Find More Information,” before buying any of the securities being offered.

which we have referred you to. We have not authorized any dealer, agent or other personanyone to giveprovide you with different information. This prospectus and any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or an accompanying prospectus supplement, or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. This prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, if any, do not constitute an offer to sell or thea solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor dooffered by this prospectus and the accompanyingprospectus supplement. This prospectus and any prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, if any,do not constitute an offer to sell or thea solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to makecircumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Neither the delivery of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement nor any sale made hereunder shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this prospectus or such jurisdiction. You should not assumeprospectus supplement or that the information contained inby reference to this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct onas of any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference (as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date), even though this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a latertime after its date.

 

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement thatGenprex, Inc. is filedreferred to herein as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our securities, unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. To the extent there are inconsistencies between any prospectus supplement, this prospectus and any documents incorporated by reference, the document with the most recent date will control.

             As permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, includes additional information not contained in this prospectus. You may read the registration statement and the other reports we file with the SEC at the SEC's web site or at the SEC's offices described below under the heading "Where You Can Find MoreInformation."

Company References

In this prospectus“Genprex,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Genprex, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries,“our,” unless the context otherwise requires.indicates otherwise.

 

3


 

OUR BUSINESSPROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

Company OverviewThe following summary highlights some information from this prospectus. It is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus, including the “Risk Factors” section on page 5 and the disclosures to which that section refers you, the financial statements and related notes and the other more detailed information appearing elsewhere or incorporated by reference into this prospectus before investing in any of the securities described in this prospectus.

 

Genprex™ isAbout Us

We are a clinical stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing treatmentspioneering the development of gene-based therapies for cancer and diabetes.large patient populations with unmet medical needs. Our cancer therapies are based upononcology platform utilizes our novel proprietary technology platform, including our lead drug candidate, Oncoprex™ immunogene therapy (“Oncoprex”) for non-small cell lung cancer (”NSCLC”). Oncoprex consists of anon-viral ONCOPREX® Nanoparticle Delivery System. Using this system, plasmids containing tumor suppressor gene inserted into a patient’s cells that has immunomodulatory effectsgenes, which are deleted early in the development of cancer, are encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles and administered intravenously to the patient to re-express the deleted tumor suppressor genes. Our diabetes technology is thereby considered an “immunogene therapy.” The gene is one of a series of genes whose therapeutic use is covered by an exclusive worldwide license from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MD Anderson”). We also are developing a pre-clinical gene therapy that is covered by an exclusive license from the University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education that has the potentialdesigned to cure typework in Type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This potential treatment worksdiabetes by transforming alpha cells in the pancreas into functional beta-like cells, which can produce insulin but are distinct enough from beta cells to evade the body’s immune system. In Type 2 diabetes, our technology is believed to work by replenishing and rejuvenating the beta cells that make insulin.

 

Oncology Platform Technologies

 

Our lead oncology platform technologies are designeddrug candidate, REQORSA® Immunogene Therapy (generic name: quaratusugene ozeplasmid), previously referred to administeras GPX-001, is initially being developed in combination with top selling cancer fighting genes by encapsulating them into nanoscale hollow spheres called nanovesicles, which are then administered intravenouslydrugs to treat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (“NSCLC”) and taken up bySmall Cell Lung Cancer (“SCLC”). The active agent in REQORSA is a plasmid that expresses a tumor cells where they express proteins that are missing or found in low quantities. Oncoprexsuppressor gene named TUSC2. REQORSA has a multimodal mechanism of action whereby it interrupts cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, re-establishes pathways for apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in cancer cells, and modulates the immune response against cancer cells. OncoprexREQORSA has also been shown to block mechanismsbe complementary with targeted drugs and immunotherapies. We believe REQORSA’s unique attributes position REQORSA to provide treatment for patients with NSCLC, SCLC, and possibly other cancers, and that create drug resistance.it can improve on current therapies.

 

With Oncoprex, weAcclaim – 1: We currently are initially targeting NSCLC. Accordingenrolling and treating patients in the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of our Phase 1/2 Acclaim-1 clinical trial. The Acclaim-1 trial uses a combination of REQORSA and AstraZeneca PLC’s Tagrisso® in patients with late-stage NSCLC that has activating epidermal growth factor receptor (“EGFR”) mutations and progression after treatment with Tagrisso. In August 2022, the Acclaim-1 Safety Review Committee (“Acclaim-1 SRC”) approved escalating the dose from 0.06 mg/kg in the first cohort of patients to 0.09 mg/kg in the World Health Organization,second cohort of patients and in 2018 lung cancer wasDecember 2022, the leading causeSRC approved escalating the dose from 0.09 mg/kg in the second cohort to 0.12 mg/kg in the third and final cohort. We are thus enrolling and treating patients at the 0.12 mg/kg dose level. We expect enrollment in the dose escalation portion of cancer deaths worldwide, causing more deaths than colorectal, breast, liver or stomach cancers. In 2018, there were more than 2 million new lung cancer cases and 1.7 million deaths from lung cancer worldwide. In the United States, accordingstudy to be completed within the American Cancer Society, itseveral days following the March 31, 2023 filing of the Company's Annual Report. Once the dose escalation portion of the study is estimated that in 2020 there will be more than 228,000 new cases of lung cancer and more than 135,000 deaths from lung cancer. The American Society of Clinical Oncology reports that NSCLC represents 84 percent of all lung cancers and has a 24 percent five-year relative survival rate. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, 57 percent of lung cancer diagnoses are distant, or have metastasized,complete and the five-year relative survival rate for Stage IV (metastatic) NSCLCmaximum tolerated dose ("MTD") or recommended Phase 2 dose ("RP2D") is approximately 5 percent. We believe that there is a significant unmet medical need for new treatments for NSCLC inestablished, we will proceed into the United States and globally, and we believe that Oncoprex may be suitable for a majoritydose expansion portion of NSCLC patients.

In January 2020, we received a United Statesthe study. The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has granted Fast Track Designation for usethe Acclaim-1 treatment combination of Oncoprex™REQORSA and Tagrisso in combination with epidermal growth factor receptor (“EGFR”) inhibitor osimertinib (AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso®) for the treatment of NSCLC patients who have progressed after Tagrisso treatment.

Acclaim – 2: We currently are enrolling and treating patients in the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of our Phase 1/2 Acclaim-2 clinical trial. The Acclaim-2 trial uses a combination of REQORSA and Merck & Co.’s Keytruda® in patients with EFGR mutationslate-stage NSCLC whose tumorsdisease has progressed after treatment with osimertinib alone. AccordingKeytruda. Patients are currently being treated at the 0.06 mg/kg dose level in the first cohort of patients and, subject to the FLAURAAcclaim-2 Safety Review Committee ("Acclaim-2 SRC") approval, will be treated at successive dose levels of 0.09 mg/kg and 0.12 mg/kg. We expect enrollment in the dose escalation portion of the study sponsoredto be completed by AstraZeneca, the median lengthend of time that2023. We will then evaluate patients are treated with osimertinib before their tumors progress is approximately 18 months.in the dose expansion portion of the study at the MTD or RP2D. The FDA may awardhas granted Fast Track Designation if it determines that a product either alone or in combination with one or more products demonstrates the potential to address an unmet medical need for a serious or life-threatening disease or condition. The Fast Track Designation is intended to facilitate the development of and to expedite the review of products that may treat serious and life-threatening conditions so that such product can reach the market expeditiously. Fast Track drug candidates must show advantages over available therapies, such as superior effectiveness, avoiding serious side effects, improving diagnosis and outcome, decreasing significant toxicity, and the ability to address public health needs. Fast Track Designation recipients may also be eligible for accelerated approval or rolling review of the recipient’s Biologics License Application (“BLA”). In addition, Fast Track product candidates could be eligible for priority review if supported by clinical data at the time of BLA submission.

In 2019, preclinical data was presented by MD Anderson collaborators for the Acclaim-2 treatment combination of TUSC2, the active agentREQORSA and Keytruda in Oncoprex, with pembrolizumab (Merck’s Keytruda®), showing that TUSC2 combined with the checkpoint blockade mechanism of action of pembrolizumab was more effective than pembrolizumab alone in increasing the survival of mice with human immune cells (humanized mice) that had metastatic lung cancer. Also presented in 2019 by MD Anderson was pre-clinical data for the combination of TUSC2, pembrolizumab and chemotherapy for the treatment of some of the most resistant metastatic lung cancers. This study found that the addition of TUSC2, increases the effectiveness of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, and thus, may improve on first-line standard of care for lung cancer. Further, 2019 saw the publication in Nature by independent researchers that the TUSC2 gene may prevent tumor growth in triple-negative breast cancer (“TNBC”), a cancer with very limited therapeutic options. In January 2020, independent researchers reported preclinical data showing that TUSC2 may be a potential target and biomarker for thyroid cancer.NSCLC patients who have progressed after Keytruda treatment.

 

42

 

The dose expansion portion of Acclaim-2 is a Phase 2 study and the dose expansion portion of Acclaim-1 will be considered a Phase 2 study upon the filing with the FDA of an upcoming protocol amendment. The dose expansion provides us the advantage of early insight into drug effectiveness in defined and distinct patient populations at the MTD or RP2D in order to better evaluate efficacy and increase the likelihood of a successful randomized Phase 2 trial which will follow the dose expansion portion of each study.

Acclaim – 3: In November 2022, we filed with the FDA our protocol for our Phase 1/2 Acclaim-3 clinical trial using a combination of REQORSA and Genentech, Inc.’s Tecentriq® as maintenance therapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (“ES-SCLC”) who did not develop tumor progression after receiving Tecentriq and chemotherapy as initial standard treatment. We expect to dose the first patient in Acclaim-3 by the end of the third quarter of 2023. Patients will be treated with REQORSA and Tecentriq until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity is experienced.

The TUSC2 gene is one of a series of genes on the short arm of Chromosome 3 whose therapeutic use is covered by our exclusive worldwide licenses from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ("MD Anderson"). We believe that our platform technologies could allowONCOPREX Nanoparticle Delivery System allows for delivery of a number of cancer fightingcancer-fighting genes, alone or in combination with other cancer therapies, to combat multiple types of cancer. Our research and development pipeline, discussed in “Our Pipeline” below, demonstrates our clinical and preclinical progress to date. We believe that Oncoprex’s combination of pan-kinase inhibition, direct induction of apoptosis, anti-cancer immune modulation and complementary action with targeted drugs and immunotherapies is unique, and positions Oncoprex to provide treatment for patients with NSCLC and possibly other cancers, who are not benefitting from currently offered therapies.

Cancer results from genetic mutations. Mutations that lead to cancer are usually present in two major classes of genes: oncogenes, which are involved in functions such as signal transduction and transcription; and tumor suppressor genes, which play a role in governing cell proliferation by regulating transcription. Transduction is the process by which chemical and physical signals are transmitted through cells. Transcription is the process by which a cell’s DNA sequence is copied to make RNA molecules, which then play a role in protein expression. In normal cells, mutations in oncogenes are discovered and targeted for elimination by tumor suppressor genes. In cancer cells, the oncogene mutations may overwhelm the natural tumor suppression processes, or those tumor suppression processes may be impaired or absent. Functional alterations due to mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes may result in the abnormal and uncontrolled growth patterns characteristic of cancer. These genetic alterations facilitate such malignant growth by affecting signal transduction pathways and transcription, thus inhibiting normal growth signaling in the cell, circumventing the natural process of apoptosis, evading the immune system’s response to cancer and inducing angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels that supply cancer cells.

The most common genetic alterations present in NSCLC are in tumor suppressor genes, against which few targeted small molecule drugs have been developed. Eachearly stages of the two sets of chromosomes in the cell nucleus includes two copies of each gene, called alleles, which may be identical or may show differences.discovery programs to identify early-stage candidates. In most situations, tumor suppressor genes require both alleles of a gene to be deleted or inactivated to impair tumor suppression activity and lead to tumor growth. The replacement of just one functional allele may therefore be enough to restore the normal cellular functions of growth regulation and apoptosis.

Among the genetic conditions associated with lung cancer are the overexpression of EGFRs and mutations of kinases. Kinases are enzymes that play an important role in signal transduction through the modification of proteins by adding or taking away phosphate groups, a process called (de-)phosphorylation, to change the proteins’ function. When two EGFR transmembrane proteins are brought to proximity on the cell membrane surface, or dimerize, either through a ligand, or binding molecule, that binds to the extracellular receptor, or through some other process, the intracellular protein-kinase domains can autophosphorylate, and activate downstream processes, including cell signaling pathways that can lead to either cell cycle arrest or cell growth and proliferation. EGFRs and kinases can act similarly to a switch that turns “on” and “off” when phosphate groups are either added or taken away. Mutated kinases can have a malfunctioning on/off switch, causing the switch to be stuck in the “on” position or failing to turn the switch “off,” leading to the loss of cell control.

A subset of NSCLC patients (approximately 7% of NSCLC patients of North American and European descent and approximately 30% to 50% of NSCLC patients of Asian descent) carry an EGFR mutation that makes their tumors sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (“TKIs”). However, even for these patients, tumor resistance to TKIs frequently develops within two to three years, resulting in eventual disease progression. EGFR TKIs generally do not benefit NSCLC patients who do not have this activating EGFR mutation. However, our clinical and preclinical data have shown that the combination of Oncoprex and erlotinib can increase anti-tumor activity even in cancers without the EGFR mutations, as well as in cancers that have become resistant to erlotinib. For this reason,August 2022, we believe Oncoprex may be suitable for the majority of NSCLC patients.

Cancer can spread when cells’ natural cancer suppression functions are impaired. The tumor suppressor gene called Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2, or TUSC2 (which was formerly known as FUS1) which is the active agent in Oncoprex, has been shown to affect both cell proliferation and apoptosis. TUSC2 is a pan-kinase inhibitor, which means that it has the ability to inhibit multiple kinase receptors, such as EGFR and platelet-derived growth factor receptor, or PDGFR. TUSC2 is frequently inactivated early in the development of lung cancer, and loss of TUSC2 expression in NSCLC is associated with significantly worse overall survival compared to patients with normal TUSC2 expression. Many types of cancer cells, including approximately 80% of NSCLC cells, lack expression of TUSC2.

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Cancer can also spread when the body’s natural immune functions are impaired, including by the cancer cells themselves. PD-1, or Programmed Death-1, is a receptor expressed on the surface of activated T cells, which are part of the body’s immune system. PD-L1, or Programmed Death Ligand-1, is a protein/receptor expressed on the surface of cancer and other cells. The binding of PD-1 to PD-L1 has been speculated to contribute to cancer cells’ ability to evade the body’s immune response. PD-1 and molecules like it are called immune checkpoints, because they can impede the normal immune response, for example by blocking the T cells from attacking the cancer cells. In many cancers, PD-L1 receptors are up-regulated, and substantial research is now being performed in the emerging field of immuno-oncology to discover drugs or antibodies that could block PD-L1 and similar receptors. It is believed that blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction pathway and other similar checkpoints, such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, or CTLA-4, with drugs called checkpoint inhibitors can prevent cancer cells from inactivating T cells.

Our Oncoprex immunogene therapy is designed to interrupt cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, and to target and kill cancer cells via receptor pathways, and also to stimulate the natural immune responses against cancer. Oncoprex combines features of gene therapy and immunotherapy in that it up-regulates TUSC2 expression in the cell, and also increases the anti-tumor immune cell population and down-regulates PD-L1 receptors, thereby potentially boosting the immune response to cancer.

Oncoprex consists of a TUSC2 gene encapsulated in a nanovesicle made from lipid molecules with a positive electrical charge. Oncoprex is injected intravenously and can specifically target cancer cells, which generally have a negative electrical charge. Once Oncoprex is taken upentered into a cancer cell, the TUSC2 gene is expressed into a protein that is capable of restoring certain defective functions arising in the cancer cell. Oncoprex nanovesicles are designed to deliver the functioning TUSC2 gene to cancer cells while minimizing their uptake by normal tissue. Tumor biopsy studies conducted at MD Anderson show that, in three patients, the uptake of TUSC2 in tumor cells after Oncoprex treatment was 10 to 25 times the uptake in normal cells. We believe that Oncoprex, unlike other gene therapies, which either need to be delivered directly into tumors or require cells to be removed from the body, re-engineered and then reinserted into the body, is the first systemic gene therapy to be used for cancer in humans.

Clinical data from the evaluation of 25 patients in our Phase I/II clinical trial, as well as our preclinical data, indicate that Oncoprex can be combinedsponsored research agreement with the widely used anti-cancer drug erlotinib (marketed as Tarceva® by Genentech, Inc.) in humans. Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or TKI, which uses a mechanism of action similar to that of pan-kinase inhibitors to block the action of tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases are a type of kinase involved in many cell functions, including cell signaling, growth and division. In addition, MD Anderson researchers have conducted preclinical studies combining Oncoprex with:

the TKI gefitinib (marketed as Iressa® by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals) in animals and in human NSCLC cells;

third generation TKIs such as osimertinib (marketed as Tagrisso® by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals);

MK2206 in animals (MK2206 is an inhibitor of AKT kinases, which affect cell signaling pathways downstream from tyrosine kinases);

an anti-PD-1 antibody equivalent to the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (marketed as Keytruda® by Merck & Co.) in animals;

an anti-PD-1 antibody equivalent to the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (marketed as Opdivo® by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) in animals; and

an anti-CTLA4 antibody equivalent to ipilimumab (marketed as Yervoy® by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) in animals.

The manufacturers of the marketed drugs were not involved in any of our clinical or preclinical studies. In studies involving marketed drugs, the drugs were administered concurrently with Oncoprex without being modified in any way, and the antibodies used in our preclinical studies that did not use the marketed drugs were the non-humanized equivalent to marketed drugs.

Data from these clinical and preclinical studies indicate that combining Oncoprex with these other therapies yields results more favorable than either these therapies or Oncoprex alone, with minimal side effects relative to other lung cancer drugs, thereby potentially making Oncoprex a therapy complementary to these cancer treatments. In addition, based on our clinical and preclinical studies and on preclinical studies conducted by others, we believe that Oncoprex could be combined with other lung cancer drugs that have similar mechanisms of action to the drugs mentioned above, such as nivolumab (marketed as Opdivo® by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) and atezolizumab (marketed as Tecentriq® by Genentech/Roche). We have not conducted preclinical or clinical studies combining Oncoprex with atezolizumab.

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Researchers at MD Anderson have collaborated with other researchers to identify other genes, such as those in the 3p21.3 chromosomal region, that may act as tumor suppressors or have other cancer fighting functions. We hold rights to certain of these genes under license agreements with MD Anderson. Data from preclinical studies performed by MD Anderson researchers and others suggest that product candidates that could be derived from our technology platform could be effective against other types of cancer, including glioblastoma, head and neck, breast (including triple-negative breast cancer), renal cell (kidney), thyroid, and soft tissue sarcoma, as well as NSCLC. Therefore, our platform technologies may allow delivery of a number of cancer fighting genes, alone or in combination with other cancer therapies, to combat multiple types of cancer.

In 2012, MD Anderson researchers completed a Phase I clinical trial of Oncoprex as a monotherapy. The primary objective of this Phase I trial was to assess the toxicity of Oncoprex administered intravenously and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended Phase II dose of Oncoprex alone. Secondary objectives were to assess the expression of TUSC2 following intravenous delivery of Oncoprex in tumor biopsies and also to assess the anticancer activity of Oncoprex. This trial demonstrated that Oncoprex was well tolerated and established the MTD and the therapeutic dosage for Oncoprex at 0.06 mg/kg administered every 21 days. Although this trial was not designed to show changes in outcomes, a halt in cancer growth was observed in a number of patients, and tumor regressions occurred in primary lung tumors and metastatic cancers in the liver, pancreas, and lymph nodes. In addition, pre- and post-treatment patient biopsies demonstrated that intravenous Oncoprex selectively and preferentially targeted patients’ cancer cells, and suggested that clinical anti-cancer activity was mediated by TUSC2. 

MD Anderson researchers have completed the first phase of a Phase I/II clinical trial of Oncoprex in combination with erlotinib in patients with Stage IV (metastatic) or recurrent NSCLC that is not potentially curable by radiotherapy or surgery, whether or not they have received prior chemotherapy, and whether or not they have an activating EGFR mutation. The Phase I portion of the trial was a dose-escalating study with primary endpoints of establishing the safety and tolerability of the combination of Oncoprex and erlotinib, and establishing the MTD. The secondary endpoint of the Phase I portion of the trial was to assess the toxicity of the combination of Oncoprex with erlotinib. In the Phase I portion of the trial, which began in 2014, 18 subjects were treated, and the MTD was determined to be the highest tested dose: 0.06 mg/kg of Oncoprex administered every 21 days and 150 mg of erlotinib per day. Toxicities were found to compare favorably with those of other lung cancer drugs.

The Phase II portion of the trial was designed to include subjects treated with the combination of Oncoprex and erlotinib at the MTD with the primary goal of measuring the response rate, and secondary endpoints of stable disease, time to progression and overall survival. The response rate for cancer therapies is defined under the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, or RECIST, as Complete Response (“CR”) + Partial Response (“PR”); disease control rate is defined under the RECIST criteria as CR + PR + Stable Disease (“SD”) > 8 weeks.

Enrollment criteria for the second phase of the Phase I/II clinical trial were identical to those in the first phase. The Phase II portion of the trial began in June 2015. Of the 39 patients allowed in the protocol for the Phase II portion of this trial, ten were enrolled and nine were evaluable for response under the trial protocol, because they received two or more cycles of treatment. Interim results show that four of the patients had tumor regression and one patient had a Complete Response (CR) under the RECIST criteria. The patient with the CR had disappearance of the lung primary tumor, as well as lung, liver, and lymph node metastases. The median response duration for all patients, which is defined as the median time between when response is first noted to the time when cancer progression is observed, was three months. The response rate for the nine patients evaluated was 11% and the disease control rate for the nine patients was 78%.

The response rate and disease control rate in the Phase II portion of our Phase I/II clinical trial substantially exceeds the response rate of 7% (with no CRs) and disease control rate of 58% reported for a clinical trial of the TKI afatinib (marketed as Gilotrif® by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in a study referred to as the LUX-Lung 1 clinical trial. A total of 585 patients were enrolled in that Phase IIB/III clinical trial, whose primary endpoint was overall survival and whose secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, RECIST response, quality of life and safety. The LUX-Lung 1 clinical trial was a randomized, double blinded Phase IIB/III clinical trial treating subjects with Stage IIIB or IV adenocarcinoma, a type of NSCLC. The Phase II portion of our Phase I/II trial was not blinded, and was designed to treat NSCLC subjects regardless of EGFR status.

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Preliminary analysis of the interim data from the Phase II portion of our Phase I/II trial supported our belief that Oncoprex may provide medical benefit in several subpopulations of NSCLC patients for which there is an unmet medical need, and may provide pathways for accelerated approval by the FDA. Data from our clinical trials, along with our preclinical data, provided the basis for our application for a Fast Track Designation, which was granted by FDA on January 14, 2020. In granting our Fast Track Designation, the FDA found that Oncoprex may provide a benefit over existing therapies for patients whose tumors progress on osimertinib. The FDA Fast Track Designation is for use of the combination of Oncoprex with osimertinib in patients whose tumors progressed on osimertinb.  Our original Phase I/II trial was designed to treat patients with Oncoprex combined with erlotinib rather than with osimertinib. We believe that the Fast Track Designation provides a defined pathway toward FDA approval of the combination of  Oncoprex with osimertinib, thus we decided to allocate our resources toward a new Phase I/II clinical trial of Oncoprex combined with osimertinib, and we will not enroll additional patients in our Phase I/II clinical trial of Oncoprex combined with erlotinib at this time. Instead we plan to open a new Phase I/II clinical trial of Oncoprex combined with osimertinib.

Our Oncoprex immunogene therapy technology was discovered through a lung cancer research consortium from MD Anderson and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center along with the National Cancer Institute. The TUSC2 discovery teams included Jack A. Roth, MD, FACS, chairman of our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. We have assembled a team of experts in clinical and translational research, including laboratory scientists, medical oncologists and biostatisticians, to pursue the development and commercialization of Oncoprex and other potential product candidates.

Our technology discoveries and research and development programs have been the subjects of numerous peer-reviewed publications and have been supported by Small Business Innovation Research grants and grants from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Treasury, and the State of Texas. We hold a worldwide, exclusive license from MD Anderson to patents covering the therapeutic usesupport further pre-clinical studies of TUSC2 and other genes that have been shown to have cancer fighting properties, as well as a number of related technologies, including 33 issued patents. The rights we have obtained pursuant to our license agreement with MD Anderson are made subject to the rights of the U.S. government to the extent that the technology covered by the licensed intellectual property was developed under a funding agreement between MD Anderson and the U.S. government. tumor suppressor genes.

 

Diabetes Gene Therapy

 

Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levelsIn diabetes, we have exclusively licensed from the University of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damagePittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education (“University of Pittsburgh”) multiple technologies relating to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneysdevelopment of a gene therapy product for each of Type 1 and nerves.Type 2 diabetes. The most commonsame general novel approach is typeused in each of Type 1 and Type 2 whereby an adeno-associated virus (“AAV”) vector containing the Pdx1 and MafA genes is administered directly into the pancreatic duct. In humans, this can be done with a routine endoscopy procedure. Our diabetes usuallyproduct candidates are currently being evaluated in adults, which occurs whenpreclinical studies at the body becomes resistant to insulin or does not make enough insulin. InUniversity of Pittsburgh. GPX-002 is being developed for the past three decades the prevalencetreatment of type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically. Type 1 diabetes once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes,and GPX-003 is a chronic condition in whichbeing developed for the pancreas produces little or no insulin by itself. Accordingtreatment of Type 2 diabetes. GPX-002 is designed to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2019 about 463 million people worldwide had diabetes and 4.2 million deaths were attributed to diabetes. Both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades.

Our diabetes gene therapy was developed by lead researcher Dr. George Gittes, at the Rangos Research Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  This potential treatment workswork by transforming alpha cells in the pancreas into functional beta-like cells, which can produce insulin but are distinct enough from beta cells to evade the body’s immune system. GPX-003 is believed to work by replenishing and rejuvenating the beta cells that make insulin. In August 2022, we entered into a one-year sponsored research agreement with the University of Pittsburgh for the use of GPX-003 in a non-human primate (“NHP”) model in Type 2 diabetes and we expect data from this study to be reported by the end of 2023. In February 2023, the Company’s research collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh presented preclinical data in a NHP model of Type 1 diabetes highlighting the therapeutic potential of GPX-002 at the 16th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD 2023) in Berlin, Germany. The therapy utilizes an infusion process in which an endoscopestatistically significant study results showed the treated animals had decreased insulin requirements, increased c-peptide levels, and an adeno-associated virus vectorimproved glucose tolerance compared to deliver Pdx1 and MafA genes to the pancreas.baseline.

 

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as the term is used in The diabetes gene therapy has been tested in vivo in miceJumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ("JOBS Act"), and nonhuman primates. In studiestherefore, we may take advantage of diabetic mice,certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements, including:

●         a requirement to only have two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data and management’s discussion and analysis;

●         exemption from the gene therapy approach restored normal blood glucose levels for an extended periodauditor attestation requirement on the effectiveness of time, typically around four months. According to Dr. Gittes,our internal controls over financial reporting;

●         reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and

●         exemptions from the durationrequirements of restored blood glucose levels in mice could translate to decades in humans. If successful, this gene therapy could eliminate the need for insulin replacement therapy for diabetic patients.holding a nonbinding advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments.

 

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Recent DevelopmentsWe expect that our eligibility to qualify as an “emerging growth company” will end on December 31, 2023, the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of our initial public offering. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available benefits of the JOBS Act. We have taken advantage of some of the reduced reporting requirements in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained or incorporated by reference herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

New Corporate InformationLicense Agreement with MD Anderson

 

On May 4, 2020 (the “Effective Date”),We were incorporated in Delaware in April 2009. Our principal executive offices are located at 3300 Bee Cave Road, #650-227, Austin, TX 78746, and our telephone number is (877) 774-4679. Our website address is www.genprex.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and are not considered part of, this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase our securities.


RISK FACTORS

Before purchasing any of the securities you should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference in this prospectus from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent updates described in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as the risks, uncertainties and additional information set forth in our SEC reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in the other documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. For a description of these reports and documents, and information about where you can find them, see “Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference.” Additional risks not presently known or that we entered into a Patentpresently consider to be immaterial could subsequently materially and Technology License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with MD Anderson pursuant to which MD Anderson granted us a worldwide, exclusive, sublicensable license to certain Licensed IP (asadversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects.


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the License Agreement) relatedfederal securities laws. The events described in forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, may not occur. Generally, these statements relate to our business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of our plans or strategies, financing plans, projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions that we may make, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings or other aspects of our operating results or financial position, and the treatmentoutcome of cancer using Oncoprex immunogene therapy in combination with certain immunotherapies. The useany contingencies. Any such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of chemotherapy in combination with Oncoprex and immunotherapy is alsomanagement. We intend for these forward-looking statements to be covered by the Licensed IP. In considerationsafe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” and “continue,” and their opposites and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are beyond our control that may influence the accuracy of the statements and the projections upon which the statements are based. Factors that may affect our results include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed in the “Risk Factors” section on page 5 of this prospectus, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the license,fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 or in other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Any one or more of these uncertainties, risks and other influences could materially affect our results of operations and whether forward-looking statements made by us ultimately prove to be accurate. Our actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether from new information, future events or otherwise.

You should rely only on the information in this prospectus. We have agreednot authorized any other person to pay MD Anderson, among other things, an up-front license fee, annual maintenance fees, annual royalty payments which range from low single digits to low double digits, minimum annual royalties, and milestone paymentsprovide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely upon it. 


USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we inform you otherwise in the aggregate amountprospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of $4,150,000. In addition,securities, we have agreed to reimburse MD Andersonwill use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus and the exercise price from the exercise of any convertible securities, if any, for certain patent expenses. The License Agreement will terminate on the last to occur of: (a) the expiration of all patents subject to the License Agreement, or (b) thirty years after the Effective Date, subject to earlier termination by the partiesworking capital and general corporate purposes, which could include, without limitation, application towards purposes and uses such as set forth in the License Agreement.

Our Pipeline

Our technologies are designed to administer disease-fighting genes to provide new treatment options for large patient populations with cancer and diabetes who currently have limited treatment options. We are developing our lead product candidate to be administered with targeted therapies and with immunotherapies for NSCLC. We have conducted a Phase I/II targeted therapy clinical trial evaluating Oncoprex in combination with EGFR inhibitor erlotinib. We have conducted preclinical research evaluating Oncoprex in combination with EGFR inhibitor osimertinib as well as Oncoprex in combination with checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. We continue to conduct preclinical research to explore how Oncoprex may be administered with targeted therapies and immunotherapies in other solid tumors. Additionally, we are researching how other tumor suppressor genes can be applied using our unique, nanoparticle delivery platform. We also are developing our pre-clinical diabetes candidate. Ourcapital expenditures, research and development pipeline is shown below:expenditures, regulatory affairs expenditures, clinical trial expenditures, acquisitions of new technologies and investments, business combinations and the repayment, refinancing, redemption or repurchase of indebtedness or capital stock.

When particular securities are offered, the prospectus supplement relating to that offering will set forth our intended use of the net proceeds received from the sale of those securities we sell. Pending the application of the net proceeds for these purposes, we expect to invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing instruments or other investment-grade securities.

 


 

Our StrategyTHE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

General

The descriptions of the securities contained in this prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplements, summarize all of the material terms and provisions of the various types of securities that we may offer. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any securities the particular terms of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, the terms of the securities may differ from the terms we have summarized below. We may also include in the prospectus supplement information about material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities, and the securities exchange, if any, on which the securities will be listed.

 

We intendmay sell from time to develop and commercialize treatments for cancer based on our proprietary gene therapy platform, alonetime, in one or in combination with other cancer therapies. We also intend to develop and commercialize our licensed gene therapy for diabetes. Key elements of our strategy include:more offerings:

Conduct Clinical Trials with Oncoprex for Cancer. We plan to conduct clinical trials of Oncoprex immunogene therapy in combination with EGFR TKIs, such as osimertinib, and/or in combination with immunotherapies, such as pembrolizumab, for treatment of NSCLC, while exploring pathways to accelerated FDA approval of these combinations in NSCLC patients. We also may pursue clinical trials using multi-drug combinations of Oncoprex with additional targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Osimertinib is now considered a new standard of care in the United States for NSCLC patients with an EGFR mutation. Given this and receipt of FDA’s Fast Track Designation for use of Oncoprex combined with osimertinib in patients whose tumors progress on osimertinib, we have decided to prioritize this drug combination and patient population. Therefore, we plan to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial of Oncoprex combined with osimertinib in early 2021 and do not intend to reopen enrollment in the current Phase I/II trial using the combination of Oncoprex and erlotinib at this time. 

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Investigate the Effectiveness of Oncoprex in Other Cancers We may also explore the combination of Oncoprex and other therapies in other cancers such as soft tissue, kidney, head and neck, thyroid, and/or breast cancer. We may also pursue development of additional proprietary cancer-fighting genes, alone or in combination with EGFR TKIs such as erlotinib or osimertinib and/or with immunotherapies.common stock;

 

Prepare to Commercialize Oncoprex. We plan to continue to develop the manufacturing, process development and other capabilities needed to commercialize Oncoprex.preferred stock;

 

Pursue Strategic Partnerships. We plan to pursue strategic partnerships with other developers and providers of anti-cancer drugs to investigate possible therapeutic combinations of Oncoprex with drugs manufactured by others, to accelerate the development of our current and potential product candidates through co-development and to increase the commercial opportunities for our current and potential product candidates.debt securities;

 

Develop Our Platform Technology. We plansubscription rights to investigate the applicabilitypurchase shares of our platform technology with additional anti-cancer drugs.common stock, preferred stock or debt securities;

 

Acquire Additional Technologies. We are investigating other technologies for possible acquisition,warrants to purchase shares of common stock or preferred stock; and plan to add additional technologies to our pipeline should we have the opportunity to do so on acceptable financial terms.

units consisting of any combination of the securities listed above.

In this prospectus, we refer to the common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights, warrants and units collectively as “securities.” The Securities We May Offertotal dollar amount of all securities that we may sell will not exceed $200,000,000.

 

We may offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and warrants or rights to purchase any of such securities, either individually or in units, from time to time under this prospectus, together with any applicable prospectus supplement and related free writing prospectus, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering. If we issue any debt securities at a discount from their original stated principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the total dollar amount of all securities issued under this prospectus, we will treat the initial offering price of the debt securities as the total original principal amount of the debt securities. Each time we offer securities under this prospectus, we will provide offerees with a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities being offered, including, to the extent applicable:

designation or classification;

aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price;

maturity, if applicable;

original issue discount, if any;

rates and times of payment of interest or dividends, if any;

redemption, conversion, exchange or sinking fund terms, if any;

conversion or exchange prices or rates, if any, and, if applicable, any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the conversion or exchange prices or rates and in the securities or other property receivable upon conversion or exchange;

ranking;

restrictive covenants, if any;

voting or other rights, if any; and

important United States federal income tax considerations.

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A prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated by reference. However, no prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

WeThis prospectus may sell the securitiesnot be used to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers. We, as well as any agents acting on our behalf, reserve the sole right to accept and to reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of securities. Each prospectus supplement will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents involved in theconsummate a sale of securities describedunless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of:

200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share; and

10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

As of close of business on March 15, 2023, 51,974,078 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding and no shares of our preferred stock were issued and outstanding.

The additional shares of our authorized capital stock available for issuance may be issued at times and under circumstances so as to have a dilutive effect on earnings per share and on the equity ownership of the holders of our common stock. The ability of our board of directors to issue additional shares of stock could enhance the board’s ability to negotiate on behalf of the stockholders in that prospectus supplementa takeover situation but could also be used by the board to make a change-in-control more difficult, thereby denying stockholders the potential to sell their shares at a premium and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them, details regarding any over-allotment option granted to them, and net proceeds to us.entrenching current management. The following description is a summary of the securities we may offer with this prospectus.

Common Stock

We currently have authorized 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of June 30 , 2020, 38,629,229 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. We may offer sharesmaterial provisions of our common stock either alone or underlying other registered securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock. Holders of our common stock are entitled to such dividends as our board of directors (the “Board of Directors” or “Board”) may declare from time to time out of legally available funds, subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that are outstanding or that we may issue in the future. Currently, we do not pay any dividends on our common stock. Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote per share. In this prospectus, we provide a general description of, among other things, the rights and restrictions that apply to holders of our common stock.

Preferred Stock

We currently have authorized 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. There are currently no shares of preferred stock outstanding. Any authorized and undesignated shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more additional series pursuant to a resolution or resolutions providing for such issue duly adopted by our Board of Directors (authority to do so being hereby expressly vested in the Board of Directors). The Board of Directors is further authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by law, to fix by resolution or resolutions the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of any wholly unissued series of preferred stock, including without limitation authority to fix by resolution or resolutions the dividend rights, dividend rate, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions), redemption price or prices, and liquidation preferences of any such series, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, or any of the foregoing.

The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any series of preferred stock that we offer and sell under this prospectus and applicable prospectus supplements will be set forth in a certificate of designation relating to the series. We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of any certificate of designation that describes the terms of the series of preferred stock we are offering before the issuance of shares of that series of preferredcapital stock. You should read any prospectus supplementrefer to our amended and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of preferred stock being offered, as well as the completerestated certificate of designation that contains the terms of the applicable series of preferred stock.

Debt Securities

We may offer general debt obligations, which may be secured or unsecured, senior or subordinated,incorporation and convertible into shares of our common stock. In this prospectus, we refer to the senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities together as the “debt securities.” We may issue debt securities under a note purchase agreement or under an indenture to be entered between us and a trustee and forms of the senior and subordinated indentures are included as an exhibit to the registration statementbylaws, both of which this prospectus is a part. The indentures do not limitare on file with the amount of securities that may be issued under it and provides that debt securities may be issued in one or more series. The senior debt securities will have the same rank as all of our other indebtedness that is not subordinated. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to our senior debt on terms set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, the subordinated debt securities will be effectively subordinated to creditors and preferred stockholders of our subsidiaries. Our Board of Directors will determine the terms of each series of debt securities being offered. This prospectus contains only general terms and provisions of the debt securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of the debt securities offered thereby. 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 debt securities being offered, as well as the complete note agreements and/or indentures that contain the terms of the debt securities. Forms of indentures have been filedSEC as exhibits to the registration statementprevious SEC filings, for additional information. The summary below is qualified by provisions of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of debt securities being offered will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.applicable law.

 

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Warrants

We may offer warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue the warrants by themselves or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Any warrants issued under this prospectus may be evidenced by warrant certificates.  Warrants may be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. Our Board of Directors will determine the terms of the warrants. This prospectus contains only general terms and provisions of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of the warrants being offered thereby. 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 warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements that contain the terms of the warrants. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.

Rights

We may issue rights to our stockholders to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or the other securities described in this prospectus. We may offer rights separately or together with one or more additional rights, debt securities, preferred stock, common stock or warrants, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the rights of the series of certificates and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the rights to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of the rights to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions may apply to the rights so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the rights, rights agreement or rights certificates described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described below, then the terms described below will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement. Specific rights agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.

Units

We may offer units consisting of our common stock or preferred stock, debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of these securities 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. This prospectus contains only a summary of certain general features of the units. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the particular features of the units being offered thereby. 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 will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in April 2009. Our principal executive offices are located at 1601 Trinity Street, Bldg. B, Suite 3.312.09, Austin, TX 78712, and our telephone number is (512) 537-7997. Our corporate website address is www.genprex.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our securities.

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RISK FACTORSCommon Stock

 

An investment in our securities involves a high degreeDescription of risk. This prospectus contains, and the prospectus supplement applicable to each offering of our securities will contain, a discussionCommon Stock

The following description of the risks applicableCompany’s Common Stock is a summary and does not purport to an investmentbe complete. It is subject to and qualified in our securities. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information contained or incorporatedits entirety by reference into the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2020, and any updates described in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, and may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future and any prospectus supplement related to a particular offering. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. The occurrence of any of these known or unknown risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

OurCompany’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation  (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws contain an exclusive forum provision(the “Bylaws” and together with respect to certain actions which may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable and discourage lawsuits against us or our current or former directors or officers and/or stockholders in such capacity.

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws and Amended and Restatedthe Certificate of Incorporation, provide that, unless the Company consents in writing“Charter Documents”), each of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the selectionAnnual Report on Form 10-K. The Company encourages you to read its Certificate of an alternative forum,Incorporation, Bylaws, and the following actions must be brought solely and exclusively in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer or other employee of the Company arising pursuant to any provisionapplicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law the Company’s certificate of incorporation or the Company’s bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer or other employee of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim(the “DGCL”), for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.  This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against the Company and its directors, officers or other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, the Company may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition. 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSinformation.

 

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Any statements in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” and “would.” For example, statements concerning financial condition, possible or assumed future results of operations, growth opportunities, industry ranking, plans and objectives of management, markets for our common stock and future management and organizational structure are all forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement.

Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed throughout this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. Some of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in the forward-looking statements include but are not limited to:

our business strategies;

the timing of regulatory submissions;

our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our existing product candidates and any other product candidates we may develop, and the labeling under any approval we may obtain;

risks relating to the timing and costs of clinical trials, the timing and costs of other expenses;

the ultimate impact of the current coronavirus pandemic, or any other health epidemic, on our business, our clinical trials, our research programs, healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole;

risks related to market acceptance of products;

intellectual property risks;

risks associated with our reliance on third party organizations;

our competitive position;

our industry environment;

our anticipated financial and operating results, including anticipated sources of revenues;

assumptions regarding the size of the available market, benefits of our products, product pricing, timing of product launches;

management’s expectation with respect to future acquisitions;

statements regarding our goals, intensions, plans and expectations, including the introduction of new products and markets; and

our cash needs and financing plans.

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The foregoing list sets forth some, but not all, of the factors that could affect our ability to achieve results described in any forward-looking statements. You should read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents that we reference herein and therein and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.  You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus or such prospectus supplement only.  Because the risk factors referred to on page 13 of this prospectus and incorporated herein by reference, 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, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.  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.  We qualify all of the information presented in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, and particularly our forward-looking statements, by these cautionary statements.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as described in any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus in connection with a specific offering, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered under this prospectus for research and development and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. We may also use the net proceeds to repay any debts and/or invest in or acquire additional businesses, products, or technologies on an opportunistic basis, although we have no current commitments with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for the foregoing purposes. As a result, our management will have broad discretion in the allocation of the net proceeds and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the proceeds of any sale of the securities. Pending use of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.

Each time we offer securities under this prospectus, we will describe the intended use of the net proceeds from that offering in the applicable prospectus supplement. The actual amount of net proceeds we spend on a particular use will depend on many factors, including, our future capital expenditures, the amount of cash required by our operations, and our future revenue growth, if any. Therefore, we will retain broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

GeneralAuthorized Capital Shares

 

The following description of our capital stock, together with any additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, summarizes the material terms and provisions of our common stock and the preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future common stock or preferred stock that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any class or series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. For the complete terms of our common stock and preferred stock, please refer to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and restated (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and our bylaws, as amended and restated (the “Bylaws”) that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or may be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of these securities may also be affected by Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The summary below and that contained in any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus are qualified in their entirety by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws.

As of the date of this prospectus, ourCompany’s authorized capital stock consistedshares consist of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share,Common Stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value $0.001 per share. Our Board may establish the rights and preferences of the preferred stock from time to time.share (“Preferred Stock”). As of June 30 , 2020,March 15, 2023, there were 38,629,22951,974,078 shares of our common stockCommon Stock issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stockPreferred Stock issued and outstanding.

 

Common StockVoting Rights

 

We are authorized to issue up to a total of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. Holders of our common stockthe Company’s Common Stock are entitled to one vote forper share on each share held on all mattersmatter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their vote; provided, however, that except as otherwise required by law, that holders of Common Stock are not entitled to vote on any amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation relating solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series of Preferred Stock are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other series of Preferred Stock to vote thereon by law or pursuant to the Certificate of our stockholders. Incorporation. The Company’s Charter Documents do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors.

Dividend Rights

Holders of our common stock have no cumulative voting rights. Allthe Company’s Common Stock are entitled, subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to any other class of shares ranking in priority to the Common Stock, to receive any dividend declared by the Company’s board of directors out of the Company’s assets which are legally available. Such dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of commonthe Company’s capital stock, offered hereby will, when issued, be fully paidsubject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and nonassessable, including shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of common stock warrants or subscription rights, if any.applicable law.

 

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The Company has never declared or paid cash dividends on its capital stock.  The Company currently intends to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of its business and does not anticipate paying any dividends on the Company's Common Stock in the foreseeable future.  Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of the Company's board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, the Company's financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, general business conditions and other factors that the Company's board of directors may deem relevant.

 

Further, holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. Liquidation Rights

Upon ourthe Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, holders of our common stockthe Company’s Common Stock are entitled to share in all assets remaining after payment of all liabilities and the liquidation preferences of any of ourthe Company’s outstanding shares of preferred stock. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding sharesPreferred Stock. 

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Preemptive, Conversion and Subscription Rights

Holders of preferred stock, holdersthe Company’s Common Stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights. 

Anti-takeover effects of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors out of our assets which are legally available. Such dividends, if any, are payable in cash, in property or in shares of capital stock.Charter Documents and Delaware law

 

        The holders ofSet forth below is a majoritysummary of the shares of our capital stock, represented in person or by proxy, are necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. If a quorum is present, an action by stockholders entitled to vote on a matter is approved if the number of votes cast in favorprovisions of the action exceedsCompany’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the number of votes cast in opposition to the action, with the exception of the election of directors, which requires a plurality of the votes cast. 

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional, or special rights as well as the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of the preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of the common stock. Our board of directors, without stockholder approval, can issue convertible preferred stock with voting, conversion, or other rightsDGCL that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of common stock. Preferred stock could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change of control or make removal of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock, and may adversely affect the voting and other rightsdelaying or preventing a change in control of the holders of common stock. At present, we have no plansCompany. The following description is only a summary, and it is qualified by reference to issue any shares of preferred stock following this offering.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Ourthe Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware Lawrelevant provisions of the DGCL.

 

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

We areThe Company is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL (“Section 203,203”) which generally prohibits a publicpublicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” transaction with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

 

prior to such timethe date of the transaction the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (1) by persons who are directors and also officers and (2) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

 

at or subsequent to such time,the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

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Section 203 defines a business combination"business combination" to include:

 

 

any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, transfer, pledge or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) involving the interested stockholder of assets of the corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the corporation;

 

subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.

 

In general, Section 203 defines an “interested stockholder” a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, owned 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting securities.

 

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Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

 

ProvisionsBoard of ourDirectors Vacancies

The Company’s Charter Documents provide that, except as otherwise required by law, and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, all vacancies, and any newly created directorships, unless the Board of Directors determines that any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by the stockholders, shall,  be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum. Further, the Company’s directors may only be removed with cause and by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of all of the Company’s then outstanding capital stock. In addition, pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors constituting the Company’s board of directors may be changed only by resolution of the Company’s board of directors.

Limits on Ability of Stockholders to Act by Written Consent or Call a Special Meeting

The Company’s Charter Documents require that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not be taken by written consent. In addition, pursuant to the Company’s Bylaws, special meetings of the Company’s stockholders may be called only by the chairman of the board, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or by the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors.

Stockholder Proposals

The Company’s Bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice.  These advance notice procedures may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed and may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempt to obtain control of our company.

Staggered Board

The Company’s Charter Documents provide that the Company’s board of directors shall be divided into three classes and that directors shall be elected for a term of three years.  Our classified board of directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

Issuance of Undesignated Preferred Stock

As discussed above, our board of directors has the ability to designate and issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could deter hostile takeovers or delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential changechanges in our control or changemanagement.

No Cumulative Voting

The DGCL provides that stockholders are not entitled to the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless our management, including transactionscertificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our Charter Documents do not expressly provide for cumulative voting. Without cumulative voting, a minority stockholder may not be able to gain as many seats on our board of directors as the stockholder would be able to gain if cumulative voting were permitted. The absence of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for a minority stockholder to gain a seat on our board of directors to influence our board of directors’ decision regarding a takeover.

Exclusive Forum

The Company’s Charter Documents provide that unless the Company consents in whichwriting to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii)  any action asserting a claim for breach of any fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, might otherwise receive(iii) any action  asserting a premium for their sharesclaim against the Company or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deemany director or officer or other employee of the Company arising pursuant to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely affectany provision of the price of our common stock. Among other things, ourDGCL or the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws:

permit our board of directors to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may designate (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control);

provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors;

provide that the board of directors or any individual director may only be removed with cause and the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of all of our then outstanding capital stock;

provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;

divide our board of directors into three classes;

require that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not be taken by written consent;

provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice;

do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose);

provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairman of the board, our Chief Executive Officer or by the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors; and

provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors or officers to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any of ouror Bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any of the Company’s directors, officers or other employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

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Transfer Agent and Registrar

The Company’s transfer agent and registrar is VStock Transfer, LLC whose address is 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.

Listing

The Company’s Common Stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “GNPX.”

Description of Preferred Stock

We are authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, all of which are undesignated. Our board of directors has the authority, within the limitations and restrictions prescribed by law and without stockholder approval, to provide by resolution for the issuance of shares of preferred stock, and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference and the number of shares constituting any series of the designation of such series, by delivering an appropriate certificate of amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to the Delaware Secretary of State pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock, impeding or delaying a possible takeover and adversely affecting the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock.

Transfer Agent and Registrar for Preferred Stock

The transfer agent and registrar for any series or class of preferred stock will be set forth in each applicable prospectus supplement.


DESCRIPTION OF STOCK WARRANTS

We summarize below some of the provisions that will apply to the warrants unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise. This summary may not contain all information that is important to you. The complete terms of the warrants will be contained in the applicable warrant certificate and warrant agreement. These documents have been or will be included or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You should read the warrant certificate and the warrant agreement. You should also read the prospectus supplement, which will contain additional information and which may update or change some of the information below.

General

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank, trust company or other financial institution, as warrant agent, or we may issue warrants directly to investors. A description of the terms and material provisions of any warrants we may issue will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms of any warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:

the title of such warrants;

the aggregate number of such warrants;

the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued;

the currency or currencies in which the price of such warrants will be payable;

the securities or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing, purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;

the price at which and the currency or currencies in which the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of such warrants may be purchased;

the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;

if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;

provision for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price of such warrants, if any;

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security;

if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

13

if applicable, a discussion of any material United States Federal income tax or foreign income tax considerations; and

any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar, if any, for any warrants will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.


DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This prospectus describes certain general terms and provisions of debt securities that we may offer. The debt securities may be issued pursuant to, in the case of senior debt securities, a senior indenture, and in the case of subordinated debt securities, a subordinated indenture, in each case in the forms filed as exhibits to this registration statement, which we refer to as the “indentures.” The indentures will be entered into between us and a trustee to be named prior to the issuance of any debt securities, which we refer to as the “trustee.” The indentures will not limit the amount of debt securities that can be issued thereunder and will provide that the debt securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series pursuant to the terms of one or more securities resolutions or supplemental indentures creating such series.

We have summarized below the material provisions of the indentures and the debt securities or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement for any offering of debt securities. These descriptions are only summaries, and you should refer to the relevant indenture for the particular offering of debt securities itself which will describe completely the terms and definitions of the offered debt securities and contain additional information about the debt securities.

Terms

When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the securities in a prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will set forth the following terms, as applicable, of the debt securities offered thereby:

the designation, aggregate principal amount, currency or composite currency and denominations;

the price at which such debt securities will be issued and, if an index formula or other method is used, the method for determining amounts of principal or interest;

the maturity date and other dates, if any, on which principal will be payable;

whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;

whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination;

the interest rate (which may be fixed or variable), if any;

the date or dates from which interest will accrue and on which interest will be payable, and the record dates for the payment of interest;

the manner of paying principal and interest;

the place or places where principal and interest will be payable;

the terms of any mandatory or optional redemption by us or any third party including any sinking fund;

the terms of any conversion or exchange;

the terms of any redemption at the option of holders or put by the holders;

any tax indemnity provisions;

if the debt securities provide that payments of principal or interest may be made in a currency other than that in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner for determining such payments;

15

the portion of principal payable upon acceleration of a Discounted Debt Security (as defined below);

whether and upon what terms debt securities may be defeased;

any events of default or covenants in addition to or in lieu of those set forth in the indentures;

provisions for electronic issuance of debt securities or for the issuance of debt securities in uncertificated form; and

any additional provisions or other special terms not inconsistent with the provisions of the indentures, including any terms that may be required or advisable under United States or other applicable laws or regulations, or advisable in connection with the marketing of the debt securities.

Debt securities of any series may be issued as registered debt securities or uncertificated debt securities, in such denominations as specified in the terms of the series.

Securities may be issued under the indentures as Discounted Debt Securities to be offered and sold at a substantial discount from the principal amount thereof. Special United States federal income tax and other considerations applicable thereto will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such Discounted Debt Securities. “Discounted Debt Security” means a security where the amount of principal due upon acceleration is less than the stated principal amount.

We are not obligated to issue all debt securities of one series at the same time and, unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, we may reopen a series, without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of that series, for the issuance of additional debt securities of that series. Additional debt securities of a particular series will have the same terms and conditions as outstanding debt securities of such series, except for the date of original issuance and the offering price, and will be consolidated with, and form a single series with, such outstanding debt securities.

Ranking

The senior debt securities will rank equally with all of our other senior and unsubordinated debt. Our secured debt, if any, will be effectively senior to the senior debt securities to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to all of our present and future senior indebtedness to the extent and in the manner described in the prospectus supplement and as set forth in the board resolution, officer’s certificate or supplemental indenture relating to such offering.

We have only a stockholder’s claim on the assets of our subsidiaries. This stockholder’s claim is junior to the claims that creditors of our subsidiaries have against our subsidiaries. Holders of our debt securities will be our creditors and not creditors of any of our subsidiaries. As a result, all the existing and future liabilities of our subsidiaries, including any claims of their creditors, will effectively be senior to the debt securities with respect to the assets of our subsidiaries. In addition, to the extent that we issue any secured debt, the debt securities will be effectively subordinated to such secured debt to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured debt.

The debt securities will be obligations exclusively of Genprex, Inc. To the extent that our ability to service our debt, including the debt securities, may be dependent upon the earnings of our subsidiaries, our ability to do so will be dependent on the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute those earnings to us as dividends, loans or other payments.

Certain Covenants

Any covenants that may apply to a particular series of debt securities will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto.

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Successor Obligor

The indentures provide that, unless otherwise specified in the securities resolution or supplemental indenture establishing a series of debt securities, we shall not consolidate with or merge into, or transfer all or substantially all of our assets to, any person in any transaction in which we are not the survivor, unless:

the person is organized under the laws of the United States or a jurisdiction within the United States;

the person assumes by supplemental indenture all of our obligations under the relevant indenture, the debt securities and any coupons;

immediately after the transaction no Default (as defined below) exists; and

we deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel stating that the transaction complies with the foregoing requirements and that all conditions precedent provided for in the indenture relating to the transaction have been complied with.

In such event, the successor will be substituted for us, and thereafter all of our obligations under the relevant indenture, the debt securities and any coupons will terminate.

The indentures provide that these limitations shall not apply if our board of directors makes a good faith determination that the principal purpose of the transaction is to change our state of incorporation.

Exchange of Debt Securities

Registered debt securities may be exchanged for an equal aggregate principal amount of registered debt securities of the same series and date of maturity in such authorized denominations as may be requested upon surrender of the registered debt securities at an agency of the Company maintained for such purpose and upon fulfillment of all other requirements of such agent.

Default and Remedies

Unless the securities resolution or supplemental indenture establishing the series otherwise provides (in which event the prospectus supplement will so state), an “Event of Default” with respect to a series of debt securities will occur if:

(1)

we default in any payment of interest on any debt securities of such series when the same becomes due and payable and the default continues for a period of 30 days;

(2)

we default in the payment of all or any part of the principal and premium, if any, of any debt securities of such series when the same becomes due and payable at maturity or upon redemption, acceleration or otherwise and such default shall continue for five or more days;

(3)

we default in the performance of any of our other agreements applicable to the series and the default continues for 30 days after the notice specified below;

(4)

a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law (as defined below) that:

(A)

is for relief against us in an involuntary case,

(B)

appoints a Custodian (as defined below) for us or for any substantial part of our property, or

(C)

orders the winding up or liquidation of us, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 consecutive days;

 

17

 

(5)

we, pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A)

commence a voluntary case,

(B)

consent to the entry of an order for relief against us in an involuntary case,

(C)

consent to the appointment of a Custodian for us or for any substantial part of our property, or

(D)

make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors; or

(6)

there occurs any other Event of Default provided for in such series.

The amendment of any of these provisions, with the exceptionterm “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the abilityUnited States Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of our boarddebtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or a similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of directors to issue sharestime would be, an Event of preferred stock and designate any rights, preferences and privileges thereto, would require approval byDefault. A Default under subparagraph (3) above is not an Event of Default until the trustee or the holders of at least 66-2/3%25% in principal amount of our then-outstanding capital stock.

Limitations on Liability, Indemnificationthe series notify us of Officersthe Default and Directors and Insurancewe do not cure the Default within the time specified after receipt of the notice.

 

The Company is incorporated undertrustee may require indemnity satisfactory to it before it enforces the lawsindentures or the debt securities of the Stateseries. Subject to certain limitations, holders of Delaware. Section 145a majority in principal amount of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who were, are, or are threatened to be made, parties 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 reasondebt securities of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agentseries may direct the trustee in its exercise of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,any trust 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 such action, suit or proceeding, provided that 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 and,power with respect to such series. Except in the case of Default in payment on a series, the trustee may withhold from securityholders of such series notice of any criminal actioncontinuing Default if the trustee determines that withholding notice is in the interest of such securityholders. We are required to furnish the trustee annually a brief certificate as to our compliance with all conditions and covenants under the indentures.

The indentures do not have cross-default provisions. Thus, a default by us on any other debt, including any other series of debt securities, would not constitute an Event of Default.

Amendments and Waivers

The indentures and the debt securities or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Furthermore, pursuant to Section 145any coupons of the DGCL, a Delaware corporationseries may indemnifybe amended, and any persons who were, are,Default may be waived as follows:

Unless the securities resolution or are threatened tosupplemental indenture otherwise provides (in which event the applicable prospectus supplement will so state), the debt securities and the indentures may be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or inamended with the rightconsent of the corporation by reasonholders of a majority in principal amount of the fact that such person isdebt securities of all series affected voting as one class. Unless the securities resolution or wassupplemental indenture otherwise provides (in which event the applicable prospectus supplement will so state), a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation asDefault other than a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or enterprise. The indemnityDefault in payment on a particular series may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connectionbe waived 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, except that no indemnification is permitted  in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstancesconsent of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Courtholders of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwisea majority in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred.

In addition, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for the indemnification of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL.

Section 102(b)(7)principal amount of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a directordebt securities of the corporation shall not be personally liable toseries. However, without the corporationconsent of each securityholder affected, no amendment or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:waiver may:

 

 

transaction from whichchange the director derives an improper personal benefit;fixed maturity of or the time for payment of interest on any debt security;

 

 

actreduce the principal, premium or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;interest payable with respect to any debt security;

 

 

unlawfulchange the place of payment of dividendsa debt security or redemption of shares;the currency in which the principal or interest on a debt security is payable;

 

 

breach of a director’s duty of loyaltychange the provisions for calculating any redemption or repurchase price with respect to the corporation or its stockholders.any debt security;

 

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation provides that the liability of a director of the Company shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The Company’s Bylaws provide that expenses incurred by any officer or director in defending any such action, suit or proceeding in advance of its final disposition shall be paid by the Company upon delivery to it of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company.

adversely affect any holder’s right to receive payment of principal and interest or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment;

 

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 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 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.

reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment or waiver;

 

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As permitted by the DGCL, the Company has entered into indemnity agreements with each of its directors and executive officers (each an “indemnitee”), that require the Company to indemnify such persons against any and all costs and expenses (including attorneys’, witness or other professional fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such persons in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (including derivative actions), whether actual or threatened, to which any such person may be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Company or an agent of the Company or is or was, at the request of the Company, acting or serving as an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or another enterprise. Under these agreements, the Company is not required to provide indemnification for certain matters, including:

 

indemnification beyondmake any change that permitted by law;materially adversely affects the right to convert any debt security;

 

 

indemnification forwaive any proceeding with respect to the unlawfulDefault in payment of remuneration to the indemnitee;principal of or interest on a debt security; or

 

 

indemnificationadversely affect any holder’s rights with respect to redemption or repurchase of a debt security.

Without the consent of any securityholder, the indentures or the debt securities may be amended to:

provide for certain proceedings involvingassumption of our obligations to securityholders in the event of a final judgment thatmerger or consolidation requiring such assumption;

cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

conform the indemnitee is required to disgorge profits from the purchase or saleterms of the Company’sdebt securities to the description thereof in the prospectus and prospectus supplement offering such debt securities;

 

 

indemnification for proceedings involvingcreate a final judgment or other final adjudication that the indemnitee’s conduct was in bad faith, knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or constituted willful misconduct or a breach of the indemnitee’s duty of loyalty, but only to the extent of such specific determination;series and establish its terms;

 

 

indemnification for proceedings or claims brought by an indemnitee against the Company, or the Company or its subsidiary’s current or former directors, officers, employees or agents, or anyone that is or was serving, at the request of orprovide for the convenienceacceptance of appointment by a successor trustee or representingto facilitate the interestsadministration of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise except for (i) claims to establish or enforce a right of indemnification or advancement pursuant to the indemnification agreement or under any other agreement, provision of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or (ii) proceedings initiatedtrusts by the indemnitee that are either approved by the Company’s board of directors or the indemnitee’s participation is required by law;more than one trustee;

 

 

indemnificationprovide for settlements the indemnitee enters into without the Company’s written consent; uncertificated or unregistered securities;

 

 

indemnification in violationmake any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any undertaking required by the Securities Act or in any registration statement filed by the Company;securityholder;

add to our covenants; or

 

 

indemnification or advancement of expenses for which payment has actually been mademake any other change to or on behalf of the indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under such insurance or indemnity policy.indentures so long as no debt securities are outstanding.

 

Conversion Rights

Any securities resolution or supplemental indenture establishing a series of debt securities may provide that the debt securities of such series will be convertible at the option of the holders thereof into or for our common stock or other equity or debt instruments. The indemnification agreements alsosecurities resolution or supplemental indenture may establish, among other things, (1) the number or amount of shares of common stock or other equity or debt instruments for which $1,000 aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of the series is convertible, as may be adjusted pursuant to the terms of the relevant indenture and the securities resolution; and (2) provisions for adjustments to the conversion rate and limitations upon exercise of the conversion right. The indentures provide that we will not be required to make an adjustment in the conversion rate unless the adjustment would require a cumulative change of at least 1% in the conversion rate. However, we will carry forward any adjustments that are less than 1% of the conversion rate and take them into account in any subsequent adjustment of the conversion rate.

Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

Debt securities of a series may be defeased in accordance with their terms and, unless the securities resolution or supplemental indenture establishing the terms of the series otherwise provides, as set forth below. We at any time may terminate as to a series all of our obligations (except for certain procedures that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification thereunder.

The Company has insurance policies in place that cover its officers and directorsobligations, including obligations with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act,defeasance trust and obligations to register the transfer or otherwise.exchange of a debt security, to replace destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and coupons and to maintain paying agencies in respect of the debt securities) with respect to the debt securities of the series and any related coupons and the relevant indenture, which we refer to as legal defeasance. We at any time may terminate as to a series our obligations with respect to any restrictive covenants which may be applicable to a particular series, which we refer to as covenant defeasance.

 

Our Bylaws expressly authorize usWe may exercise our legal defeasance option notwithstanding our prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option. If we exercise our legal defeasance option, a series may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default. If we exercise our covenant defeasance option, a series may not be accelerated by reference to carry directors’ and officers’ insurance to protect us, our directors, officers and certain employees for some liabilities. The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. However, these provisions do not limit or eliminate our rights, or those of any stockholder, to seek non-monetary relief such as injunction or rescission in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care. These provisions will not alter the liability of directors under federal securities laws. In addition, your investmentcovenant which may be adversely affectedapplicable to the extent that, in a class action or direct suit, we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. There is currently no pending material litigation or proceeding against any of our directors, officers or employees for which indemnification is sought.series.

 

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ListingTo exercise either defeasance option as to a series, we must (1) irrevocably deposit in trust with the trustee (or another trustee) money or U.S. Government Obligations (as defined below), deliver a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of principal and interest when due on the deposited U.S. Government Obligations, without reinvestment, plus any deposited money without investment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will be sufficient to pay the principal and interest when due on all debt securities of such series to maturity or redemption, as the case may be; and (2) comply with certain other conditions. In particular, we must obtain an opinion of tax counsel that the defeasance will not result in recognition of any gain or loss to holders for federal income tax purposes.

 

Our common stock“U.S. Government Obligations” means direct obligations of the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States, the payment of which is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market underunconditionally guaranteed by the trading symbol “GNPX.”United States, which, in either case, have the full faith and credit of the United States pledged for payment and which are not callable at the issuer’s option, or certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations.

 

Transfer Agent and RegistrarRegarding the Trustee

 

The Transfer Agent and Registrar for our common stock is VStock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description, together with the additional information we includeUnless otherwise indicated in any applicable prospectus supplements or free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. We may issue debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. The terms of any debt securities we offer under a prospectus supplement, may differ from the terms we describe below. However, no prospectus supplement shall fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no outstanding registered debt securities. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the “indentures,” we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.

We will issue any senior debt securities under the senior indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the senior indenture. We will issue any subordinated debt securities under the subordinated indenturealso act as depository of funds, transfer agent, paying agent and any supplemental indentures that we will enter into with the trustee named in the subordinated indenture. We have filed forms of these documentsconversion agent, as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.

The indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). We use the term “trustee” to refer to either the trustee under the senior indenture or the trustee under the subordinated indenture, as applicable.

The following summaries of material provisions of the senior debt securities, the subordinated debt securities and the indentures are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture and any supplemental indentures applicable, to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indentures that contains the terms of the debt securities. Except as we may otherwise indicate, the terms of the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are identical.

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 an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. Debt securities may be issued in separate series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. We may specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the debt securities of any series. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:

the title;

the principal amount being offered, and if a series, the total amount authorized and the total amount outstanding;

any limit on the amount that may be issued;

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whether or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form, and, if so, the terms and who the depositary will be;

the maturity date;

whether and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional amounts on any debt securities held by a person who is not a United States person for tax purposes, and whether we can redeem the debt securities if we have to pay such additional amounts;

the annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;

whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;

the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt;

the place where payments will be made;

restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any;

our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;

the date, if any, after which, and the price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;

provisions for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund, if any, including the date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant thereto or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option, to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable;

whether the indenture will restrict our ability or the ability of our subsidiaries, if any, to:

o

incur additional indebtedness;

o

issue additional securities;

o

create liens;

o

pay dividends or make distributions in respect of our capital stock or the capital stock of our subsidiaries;

o

redeem capital stock;

o

place restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets;

o

make investments or other restricted payments;

o

sell or otherwise dispose of assets;

o

enter into sale-leaseback transactions;

o

engage in transactions with stockholders or affiliates;

o

issue or sell stock of our subsidiaries; or

o

effect a consolidation or merger;

21

whether the indenture will require us to maintain any interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based, asset-based or other financial ratios;

a discussion of certain material or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities;

information describing any book-entry features;

the applicability of the provisions in the indenture on discharge;

whether the debt securities are to be offered at a price such that they will be deemed to be offered at an “original issue discount” as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 1273 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; and

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, including any additional events of default or covenants provided with respect to the debt securities, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms under which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third party). We will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock, our preferred stock or other securities (including securities of a third party) that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

Unlesssecurities. In certain circumstances, we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indentures will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the indentures or the debt securities, as appropriate. If the debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for our other securities or securities of other entities, the person with whom we consolidate or merge or to whom we sell all of our property must make provisions for the conversion of the debt securities into securities that the holders of the debt securities would have received if they had converted the debt securities before the consolidation, merger or sale.

Events of Default under the Indenture

Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities that wesecurityholders may issue:

if we fail to pay interest when due and payable and our failure continues for 90 days and the time for payment has not been extended;

if we fail to pay the principal, premium or sinking fund payment, if any, when due and payable at maturity, upon redemption or repurchase or otherwise, and the time for payment has not been extended;

if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant contained in the debt securities or the indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive notice from the trustee or we and the trustee receive notice from the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and

if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur.

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We will describe in each applicable prospectus supplement any additional events of default relating to the relevant series of debt securities.

If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default arises due to the occurrence of certain specified bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization events, the unpaid principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.

Subject to the terms of the indentures, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:

the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and

subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding.

The indentures will provide that if an event of default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee will be required in the exercise of its powers to use the degree of care that a prudent person would use in the conduct of its own affairs. The trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or the indenture, or that the trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other holder of the relevant series of debt securities, or that would involve the trustee in personal liability. Prior to taking any action under the indentures, the trustee will be entitled to indemnification against all costs, expenses and liabilities that would be incurred by taking or not taking such action.

A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:

the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;

the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made a written request and such holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense or to be incurred in compliance with instituting the proceeding as trustee; and

the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer.

These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities, or other defaults that may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indentures.

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The indentures will provide that if a default occurs and is continuing and is actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee must mail to each holder notice of the default within the earlier of 90 days after it occurs and 30 days after it is known by a responsible officer of the trustee or written notice of it is received by the trustee, unless such default has been cured or waived. Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal or premium of, or interest on, any debt security or certain other defaults specified in an indenture, the trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Board of Directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors, or responsible officers of the trustee, in good faith determine that withholding notice is in the best interests of holders of the relevant series of debt securities.

Modification of Indenture; Waiver

Subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue, we and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to the following specific matters:

to fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture;

to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities — Consolidation, Merger or Sale;”

to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture;

to provide for the issuance of, and establish the form and terms and conditions of, the debt securities of any series as provided under “Description of Debt Securities — General,” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities;

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee;

to provide for uncertificated debt securities and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose;

to add such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred to us in the indenture; or

to change anything that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect.

In addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, subject to the terms of the indenture for any series of debt securities that we may issue or otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may only make the following changes with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:

extending the stated maturity of the series of debt securities;

reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption or repurchase of any debt securities; or

reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver.

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Discharge

Each indenture provides that, subject to the terms of the indenture and any limitation otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we may elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:

register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series;

replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series;

maintain paying agencies;

hold monies for payment in trust;

recover excess money held by the trustee;

compensate and indemnify the trustee; and

appoint any successor trustee.

In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we will deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.

Form, Exchange and Transfer

We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indentures will provide that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company or another depositary named by us and identified in a prospectus supplement with respect to that series. See “Legal Ownership of Securities” below for a further description of the terms relating to any book-entry securities.

At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

Subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.

We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.

If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:

issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or

register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part.

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Information Concerning the Trustee

The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture and is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indentures at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur. However, upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs.

Payment and Paying Agents

Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest payment.

We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office ofremove the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.

All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaidunder a given indenture. The indenture trustee may also provide additional unrelated services to us as a depository of funds, registrar, trustee and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.similar services.

 

Governing Law

 

The indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York law, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is applicable.

 

Ranking Debt Securities

The subordinated debt securities will be unsecured and will be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to certain other indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement. The subordinated indenture does not limit the amount of subordinated debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.

The senior debt securities will be unsecured and will rank equally in right of payment to all our other senior unsecured debt. The senior indenture does not limit the amount of senior debt securities that we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTSSUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

 

The following description, together with the additional information weWe may include in any applicable prospectus supplements and free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, which may consist of warrantsissue subscription rights to purchase common stock, preferred stockour equity or debt securities and may be issued in one or more series. Warrantssecurities. These subscription rights may be offered independently or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securitiesany other security offered by any prospectus supplement,hereby and may or may not be attached to or separate from those securities. Whiletransferable by the terms we have summarized below will apply generally tostockholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any warrants thatoffering of subscription rights, we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness.

We may issue the warrants under a warrant agreement that we will enter into with a warrant agent to be selected by us. If selected, the warrant agent will act solely as an agent of ours in connection with the warrants and will not act as an agent for the holders or beneficial owners of the warrants. If applicable, we will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a Current Report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, the form of warrant agreement, including a form of warrant certificate, that describes the terms of the particular series of warrants we are offering before the issuance of the related series of warrants. The following summaries of material provisions of the warrants and the warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus related to the particular series of warrants that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.

General

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms relating to a series of warrants, including:

the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreements and the warrants;

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

the manner in which the warrant agreements and warrants may be modified;

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United States federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe 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.

Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the warrant agent in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate and in the applicable prospectus supplement the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to us or the warrant agent as applicable.

Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.

Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants

If selected, each warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.

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DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS

General

We may issue rights to our stockholders to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or the other securities described in this prospectus. We may offer rights separately or togetherstandby arrangement with one or more additionalunderwriters 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 debt securities, preferred stock, common stock or warrants, orwe offer, if any, combination of those securities inwill, to the form of units, as described in theextent applicable, prospectus supplement. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificatesinclude specific terms relating to the rights of the series of certificates and will not assume any obligationoffering, including some or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the rights to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of the rights to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions may apply to the rights so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the rights, rights agreement or rights certificates described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described below, then the terms described below will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement. We encourage you to read the applicable rights agreement and rights certificate for additional information before you decide whether to purchase any of our rights. We will provide in a prospectus supplement the following terms of the rights being issued:

the date of determining the stockholders entitled to the rights distribution;

the aggregate number of shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights;

the exercise price;

the aggregate number of rights issued;

whether the rights are transferrable and the date, if any, on and after which the rights may be separately transferred;

the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence, and the date on which the right to exercise the rights will expire;

the method by which holders of rights will be entitled to exercise;

the conditions to the completion of the offering, if any;

the withdrawal, termination and cancellation rights, if any;

whether there are any backstop or standby purchaser or purchasers and the terms of their commitment, if any;

whether stockholders are entitled to oversubscription rights, if any;

any applicable material U.S. federal income tax considerations; and

any other terms of the rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the distribution, exchange and exercise of the rights, as applicable.

Each right will entitle the holder of rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities at the exercise price provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Holders may exercise rights as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of payment and the rights certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities, as applicable, purchasable upon exercise of the rights. If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.following:

 

Rights Agent

the price, if any, for the subscription rights;

 

the exercise price payable for our equity or debt securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;

The rights agent for any rights we offer will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. 

the number of subscription rights to be issued to each stockholder;

the number and terms of our equity or debt securities which may be purchased per each subscription right;

the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable;

any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights;

the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire;

the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities or an over-allotment privilege to the extent the securities are fully subscribed; and

if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement which may be entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements and free writing prospectuses, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus.

While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any units that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of units in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any units offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness.

We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a Current Report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement that describes the terms of the series of units we are offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of the related series of units. The following summaries of material terms and provisions of the units are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the unit agreement and any supplemental agreements applicable to a particular series of units. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements related to the particular series of units that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that contain the terms of the units.

General

 

We may issue units comprised of one or more debtof the other securities shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock and warrantsdescribed in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security.security (but, to the extent convertible securities are included in the units, the holder of the units will be deemed the holder of the convertible securities and not the holder of the underlying securities). The unit agreement under which a unit is issued, if any, may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:

 

the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

We will describe

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units;

the terms of the unit agreement governing the units;

United States federal income tax considerations relevant to the units; and

whether the units will be issued in fully registered global form.

This summary of certain general terms of units and any summary description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of units, including:

the designationdo not purport to be complete and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

anyare qualified in their entirety by reference to all provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below; and

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units.

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 each unit and to any common stock, preferred stock, debt security or warrant included in each unit, respectively.

Unit Agent

The name and address of the unit agent, if any, for any units we offer will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Issuance in Series

We may issue units in such amounts and in numerous distinct series as we determine.

Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Units

Each unit agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depositary arrangements relating to such units. The forms of the unit agreements and other documents relating to a particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you.


FORMS OF SECURITIES

Each debt security and, to the extent applicable, warrant, subscription right and unit, will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities or warrants represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

Global Securities

Registered Global Securities. We may issue the registered debt securities and, to the extent applicable, warrants, subscription rights and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not assumebe transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any obligationsuccessors of the depositary or relationshipthose nominees.

If not described below, any specific terms of agencythe depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or trustpersons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with anythe respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of any unit. A single bank or trust company may act as unit agentthe securities represented by the registered global security for more than one series of units. A unit agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by usall purposes under the applicable unit agreementindenture or unit, includingwarrant agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture or warrant agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holderrights of a unit may, without the consent of the related unit agent or the holder of any other unit, enforce by appropriate legal action its rights as holder under the applicable indenture or warrant agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security included indesires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the unit.applicable indenture or warrant agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

 

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We, the unit agentsPrincipal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities and any of their agents may treat the registered holder of any unit certificate as an absolute owner of the units evidenced by that certificate for any purpose and as the person entitledpayments to exercise the rights attachingholders with respect to the units so requested, despite any notice to the contrary. See “Legal Ownership of Securities.”

LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

We can issue securities in registered form or in the form of one or more global securities. We describe global securities in greater detail below. We refer to those persons who have securities registered in their own names on the books that we or any applicable trustee or depositary or warrant agent maintain for this purpose as the “holders” of those securities. These persons are the legal holders of the securities. We refer to those persons who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in securities that are not registered in their own names, as “indirect holders” of those securities. As we discuss below, indirect holders are not legal holders, and investors in securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect holders.

Book-Entry Holders

We may issue securities in book-entry form only, as we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement. This means securities may bewarrants represented by one or morea registered global securitiessecurity registered in the name of a financial institution that holds themdepositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as depositarythe case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of the Company, the trustees, the warrant agents or any other agent of the Company, agent of the trustees or agent of the warrant will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on behalfaccount of other financial institutions that participatebeneficial ownership interests in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, which are referredregistered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to as participants,those beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in turn, holdamounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities on behalfheld for the accounts of themselvescustomers in bearer form or their customers.registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

 

OnlyIf the person in whose namedepositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is recognized asnot appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the holder ofregistered global security that security. Globalhad been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name ofor names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee or its participants. Consequently, for global securities, wewarrant agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will recognize onlybe based upon directions received by the depositary as the holderfrom participants with respect to ownership of the securities, and we will make all payments on the securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the securities.

As a result, investors in a global security will not own securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in athe registered global security through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through a participant. As long as the securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect holders, and not legal holders, of the securities.

Street Name Holders

We may terminate a global security or issue securities that are not issued in global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their securities in their own names or in “street name.” Securitieshad been held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.

For securities held in street name, we or any applicable trustee or depositary will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the securities are registered as the holders of those securities, and we or any such trustee or depositary will make all payments on those securities to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold securities in street name will be indirect holders, not legal holders, of those securities.

Legal Holders

Our obligations, as well as the obligations of any applicable trustee or third party employed by us or a trustee, run only to the legal holders of the securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect holder of a security or has no choice because we are issuing the securities only in global form.depositary.

 

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For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with its participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, we may want to obtain the approval of the holders to amend an indenture, to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of an indenture, or for other purposes. In such an event, we would seek approval only from the legal holders, and not the indirect holders, of the securities. Whether and how the legal holders contact the indirect holders is up to the legal holders.

Special Considerations for Indirect Holders

If you hold securities through a bank, broker or other financial institution, either in book-entry form because the securities are represented by one or more global securities or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:

how it handles securities payments and notices;

whether it imposes fees or charges;

how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever required;

whether and how you can instruct it to send you securities registered in your own name so you can be a legal holder, if that is permitted in the future;

how it would exercise rights under the securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and

if the securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s rules and procedures will affect these matters.

Global Securities

A global security is a security that represents one or any other number of individual securities held by a depositary. Generally, all securities represented by the same global securities will have the same terms.

Each security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we issue to, deposit with and register in the name of a financial institution or its nominee that we select. The financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, The Depository Trust Company, New York, NY, known as DTC, will be the depositary for all securities issued in book-entry form.

A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary, its nominee or a successor depositary, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under — Special Situations When A Global Security Will Be Terminated.” As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and legal holder of all securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a legal holder of the security, but only an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global security.

If the prospectus supplement for a particular security indicates that the security will be issued as a global security, then the security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. If termination occurs, we may issue the securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.

Special Considerations For Global Securities

As an indirect holder, an investor’s rights relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize an indirect holder as a holder of securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.

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If securities are issued only as global securities, an investor should be aware of the following:

an investor cannot cause the securities to be registered in his or her name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the securities, except in the special situations we describe below;

an investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the securities, as we describe above;

an investor may not be able to sell interests in the securities to some insurance companies and to other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form;

an investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in the global security in circumstances where certificates representing the securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective;

the depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in the global security. We and any applicable trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions or for its records of ownership interests in the global security. We and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way;

the depositary may, and we understand that DTC will, require that those who purchase and sell interests in the global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds, and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and

financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest in the global security, may also have their own policies affecting payments, notices and other matters relating to the securities. There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries

Special Situations When A Global Security Will Be Terminated

In a few special situations described below, a global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing those interests. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in securities transferred to their own names, so that they will be direct holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above.

A global security will terminate when the following special situations occur:

if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as depositary for that global security and we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days;

if we notify any applicable trustee that we wish to terminate that global security; or

if an event of default has occurred with regard to securities represented by that global security and has not been cured or waived.

The applicable prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of securities covered by the prospectus supplement. When a global security terminates, the depositary, and neither we, nor any applicable trustee, is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct holders.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

WeInitial Offering and Sale of Securities

Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus, we may sell the securities being offered hereby, infrom time to time, by one or more of the following ways from time to time:methods:

 

to or through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters;

through agents

through one or more underwriters without a syndicate for them to offer and sell to the public;

through dealers or agents; and

to investors directly in negotiated sales or in competitively bid transactions.

Offerings of securities covered by this prospectus also may be made into an existing trading market for those securities in transactions at other than a fixed price, either:

on or through the facilities of the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other securities exchange or quotation or trading service on which those securities may be listed, quoted, or traded at the time of sale; and/or

to or through a market maker other than on the securities exchanges or quotation or trading services set forth above.

Those at-the-market offerings, if any, will be conducted by underwriters acting as principal or agent of the Company, who may also be third-party sellers of securities as described above. The prospectus supplement with respect to the public or to investors;offered securities will set forth the terms of the offering of the offered securities, including:

 

to underwriters for resale to the public or to investors;

the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

negotiated transactions;

the purchase price of the offered securities and the proceeds to us from such sale;

 

block trades;

any underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

directly to investors; or

any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

any securities exchange on which such offered securities may be listed; and

through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

any underwriter, agent or dealer involved in the offer and sale of any series of the securities.

 

As set forth in more detail below,The distribution of the securities may be distributedeffected from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

at fixed prices, which may be changed;

 

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale;

 

at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or

 

at negotiated prices.

at negotiated prices.

 

WeEach prospectus supplement will set forth in a prospectus supplement the manner and terms of that particularan offering of securities including:

 

the name or names of any agents or underwriters;

the purchase price of the securities being offered and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation;

any initial public offering price;

any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and

any securities exchanges or markets on which such securities may be listed.

Only underwriters named in an applicable prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement.

If underwriters are used in an offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction (including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more investment banking firms or others, as designated. If an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the offered securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own accounts and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities if any are purchased.

whether that offering is being made to underwriters, through agents or directly to the public;

 

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the rules and procedures for any auction or bidding process, if used;

We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for those securities.

the securities’ purchase price or initial public offering price; and

the proceeds we anticipate from the sale of the securities, if any.

 

If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, we will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal.  The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.  The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be specified in a prospectus supplement.

We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time.  We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, any agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.

In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the common stock for whom they act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase common stock directly and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the common stock by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

We may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, (including the writing of options), or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If theThe applicable prospectus supplement indicates,may indicate, in connection with such a transaction, that the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and thean applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and thean applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement.

Sales Through Underwriters

If underwriters are used in the sale of some or all of the securities covered by this prospectus, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account. The third partyunderwriters may resell the securities, either directly to the public or to securities dealers, at various times in such saleone or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be an underwriter andsubject to certain conditions. Unless indicated otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the underwriters will be identifiedobligated to purchase all the securities of the series offered if any of the securities are purchased.

Any public offering price and any concessions allowed or reallowed to dealers may be changed intermittently.

Sales Through Agents

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, when securities are sold through an agent, the designated agent will agree, for the period of its appointment as agent, to use specified efforts to sell the securities for our account and will receive commissions from us as will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Securities bought in accordance with a redemption or repayment under their terms also may be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing by one or more firms acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities remarketed by them.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain specified institutions to purchase securities at a price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a future date specified in the prospectus supplement. These contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the prospectus supplement will set forth the commissions payable for solicitation of these contracts.

Direct Sales

We may also sell offered securities directly to institutional investors or others. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. The terms of such sales will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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General Information

Broker-dealers, agents or underwriters may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from us and/or the purchasers of securities for whom such broker-dealers, agents or underwriters may act as agents or to whom they sell as principal, or both. This compensation to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions.

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in any distribution of the offered securities may be deemed “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), so any discounts or commissions they receive in connection with the distribution may be deemed to be underwriting compensation. Those underwriters and agents may be entitled, under their agreements with us, to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution by us to payments that they may be required to make in respect of those civil liabilities. Certain of those underwriters or agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of business. We will identify any underwriters or agents, and describe their compensation, in a post-effective amendment.prospectus supplement. Any institutional investors or others that purchase offered securities directly, and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

 

ToWe will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, if we enter into any material arrangement with a broker, dealer, agent or underwriter for the sale of securities through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer. Such prospectus supplement will disclose:

the name of any participating broker, dealer, agent or underwriter;

the number and type of securities involved;

the price at which such securities were sold;

any securities exchanges on which such securities may be listed;

the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to any such broker, dealer, agent or underwriter, where applicable; and

other facts material to the transaction.

In order to facilitate anthe offering of a series ofcertain securities under this prospectus or an applicable prospectus supplement, certain persons participating in the offering of those securities may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of thethose securities which involves the sale by persons participating induring and after the offering of those securities. Specifically, if the applicable prospectus supplement permits, the underwriters of those securities may over-allot or otherwise create a short position in those securities for their own account by selling more of those securities than have been sold to them by us. Inus and may elect to cover any such short position by purchasing those circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasingsecurities in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to those persons. market.

In addition, those personsthe underwriters may stabilize or maintain the price of thethose securities by bidding for or purchasing those securities in the open market or by imposingand may impose penalty bids, wherebyunder which selling concessions allowed to underwriterssyndicate members or dealersother broker-dealers participating in any suchthe offering may beare reclaimed if securities sold by thempreviously distributed in the offering are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions.transactions or otherwise. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. The imposition of a penalty bid may also affect the price of securities to the extent that it discourages resales of the securities. No representation is made as to the magnitude or effect of any such stabilization or other transactions. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.

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Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each class or series of securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than our common stock, which is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. We may elect to list any other class or series of securities on any exchange or market, but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a class or series of securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We cannot give any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities.

 

In order to comply with the securities laws of some U.S.certain states, or territories, if applicable, the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus willmust be sold in those statessuch jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in somecertain states the securities 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.

 

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Any underwriter may engage in overallotment, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act, of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Overallotment involves salesunless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. trades in excessthe secondary market generally are required to settle (a) in two business days, prior to May 28, 2024 and (b) in one business day starting on May 28, 2024. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the third business day (prior to May 28, 2024) or second business day (on or after May 28, 2024) before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than three scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable pricing supplement in electronic format may be made available on the Internet sites of, or through other online services maintained by, us and/or one or more of the agents and/or dealers participating in an offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bidsof securities, or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may be able to purchaseview offering terms online and, depending upon the underlying security so long asparticular agent or dealer, prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online.

Other than this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable pricing supplement in electronic format, the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchasesinformation on our website or the website of any agent or dealer, and any information contained in any other website maintained by any agent or dealer:

is not part of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any applicable pricing supplement or the registration statement of which they form a part;

has not been approved or endorsed by us or by any agent or dealer in its capacity as an agent or dealer, except, in each case, with respect to the respective website maintained by such entity; and

should not be relied upon by investors.

There can be no assurance that we will sell all or any of the securities offered by this prospectus.

This prospectus may also be used in connection with any issuance of common stock or preferred stock upon exercise of a warrant if such issuance is not exempt from the open market afterregistration requirements of the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer whenSecurities Act.

In addition, we may issue the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchasedas a dividend or distribution or in a covering transactionsubscription rights offering to cover short positions. Those activitiesour existing securityholders. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on our behalf may causealso purchase securities and reoffer them to the pricepublic by one or more of the methods described above. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinuethrough any of these activities at any time.methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Any underwriters who are qualified market makers on The Nasdaq Capital Market may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M, during the business day prior to the pricing of the 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.


 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

TheUnless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & HamptonLowenstein Sandler LLP, Roseland, New York, NY.  Additional legal matters may beJersey. If the validity of the securities offered hereby in connection with offerings made pursuant to this prospectus are passed upon by counsel for us or anythe underwriters, dealers or agents, byif any, such counsel that we will namebe named in the applicable prospectus supplement.supplement relating to such offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

TheOur financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 andfor the two years in the period ended December 31, 20192022 and 2021 have been incorporatedaudited by reference in this Prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of Daszkal Bolton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and incorporated by reference herein.  Such financial statements are incorporated by reference herein in reliance of such report given upon theiron the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MOREADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

This prospectus constitutes a part ofWe have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 filed under the Securities Act. As permittedAct with respect to the securities offered by the SEC's rules, this prospectus. This prospectus, and any prospectus supplement, which form ais part of the registration statement, do not contain all theomits certain information, that is includedexhibits, schedules and undertakings set forth in the registration statement. You will find additionalFor further information aboutpertaining to us inand our securities, reference is made to our SEC filings and the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. Any statements madeStatements contained in this prospectus as to the contents or provisions of any documents referred to in this prospectus supplement concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete, and you should readin each instance where a copy of the documents that aredocument has been filed as exhibitsan exhibit to the registration statement, or otherwise filed withreference is made to the SECexhibit for a more complete understandingdescription of the document or matter.matters involved.

 

You may readIn addition, registration statements and copycertain other filings made with the SEC electronically are publicly available through the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. The registration statement, including all exhibits and amendments to the registration statement, has been filed electronically with the SEC.

We are subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as ouramended, and, in accordance with such requirements, will file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information atwith the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. The SEC maintains an Internet site that containsSEC. These periodic reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that filewill be available for inspection and copying at the web site of the SEC referred to above. We also maintain a website at www.genprex.com, at which you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The SEC’s Internet siteinformation contained in, or that can be found at http://www.sec.gov. You can also obtain copies of materials we file with the SEC fromaccessed through, our website found at www.genprex.com. Information onis not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus. We have included our website does not constitute a part of, nor is it incorporatedaddress in any way, intothis prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.

You should rely only on the information in this prospectus and the additional information described above and under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” below. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not be reliedrely upon in connection withit. We are not making an investment decision.

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INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCEoffer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus was accurate on the date of the front cover of this prospectus only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This prospectus is part of the registration statement, however the registration statement includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC permitsallows us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documentsthat we file with the SEC,it into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather thandocuments. The information incorporated by including them inreference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that isThe information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus. Informationinformation that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus and will be considered to be a part of thisany accompanying prospectus fromsupplement.

29

We incorporate by reference the date those documents are filed. Welisted below that we have previously filed with the SEC, and hereby incorporate by reference in this prospectus:SEC:

 

(a)

Ourour Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20192022, filed with the SEC on March 30, 202031, 2023;

 

 

(b)

Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 14, 2020;

(c)

Ourour Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 6, 20205, 2023, January 9, 2020, January 17, 2020, January 21, 2020, January 24, 2020, January 31, 20206, 2023, February 5, 202022, 2023, February 5, 2020 (a second 8-K filed on this date), February 6, 2020, February 18, 2020, February 20, 2020, March 18, 2020, March 23, 2020, March 24, 2020, April 21, 2020, April 28, 2020, May 4, 2020, May 8, 2020, May 28, 2020 , June 16, 202027, 2023, and June 23, 2020March 6, 2023

(d)

Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed with the Commission on April 29, 2020, (other than any portions thereof deemed furnished and not filed); and

 

(e)

Thethe description of our common stock contained in the registration statementour Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on October 13, 2017, including any amendmentamendments thereto or reportreports filed for the purposepurposes of updating thatthis description.

 

We also incorporate by reference allAll reports and other documents (other than Current Reports furnishedthat we file with the SEC under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items) that are subsequently filed by us with SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus but prior to the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus (including documents filed after the date of the initial Registration Statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement). These documents include periodic reports, such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as proxy statements.

Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemedhereunder will also be considered to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus from the date of the filing of these reports and documents, and will supersede the information herein; provided, however, that all reports, exhibits and other information that we “furnish” to the SEC will not be considered incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein, therein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is incorporated by reference herein or therein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

We will provide you without charge, upon your oral or written request, with a copy of any or all reports, proxy statements and other documents we file with the SEC, as well as any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any subsequently filed document that is deemedthe registration statement (other than exhibits to besuch documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement

such documents). Requests for such copies should be directed to Genprex, Inc., Attn: Chief Financial Officer, 3300 Bee Cave Road, #650-227, Austin, Texas 78746. You may request, and we will provide you with, a copy of these filings, at no cost,also direct any requests for documents to us by calling ustelephone at (512) 537-7997 or by writing to use-mail at the following address:

Genprex, Inc.

1601 Trinity Street, Bldg B, Suite 3.312.09

Austin, TX 78712 

Attn.: Secretaryrconfer@genprex.com.

 

37


$200,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

Subscription Rights

Units

g01.jpg

PROSPECTUS

, 2023

 

 

 

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.Distribution

 

The following table sets forth an estimate of the feescosts and expenses relating topayable by us in connection with the issuancesale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which shall be borne by the Company.registered. All of such fees and expenses,amounts are estimates except for the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee, are estimated:fee.

 

SEC registration fee

 $25,960 

FINRA filing fees

  30,500 

Legal fees and expenses

  * 

Printing fees and expenses

  * 

Accounting fees and expenses

  * 

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

  * 
     

Total

 $* 

SEC Registration Fee

 

$

4,528

 

FINRA fee

 

$

30,500

 

Legal Fees and Expenses

  

*

 

Accounting Fees and Expenses

  

*

 

Trustee Fees

  

*

 

Printing and Engraving

  

*

 

Miscellaneous

  

*

 

Total:

 

$

*

 

 


* These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the estimated amount of expenses of any offering of securities.

Estimated fees and expenses are not presently known.

 

Item 15. Indemnification of OfficersDirectors and Directors.Officers

 

The CompanyRegistrant is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any personsperson who were, are,was, is, or areis threatened to be made, partiesa 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 an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation partnership, joint venture, trust or enterprise. TheSuch indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided that 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 and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Furthermore, pursuant to Section 145 of the DGCL, a Delaware corporation may indemnify any personsperson who were, are,was, is, or areis threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, 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 partnership, joint venture, trust or enterprise. TheFor such actions by or in the right of the corporation, the indemnity may only 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, except that no indemnification is permitted in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. Where anIn addition, where a present or former 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) actually and reasonably incurred.incurred by such person in connection therewith. For mandatory indemnification with respect to actions occurring after December 31, 2020 and as to which a director or officer is successful on the merits or otherwise, references to “officer” is limited to certain officers of the corporation as specified in Section 145(c) of the DGCL.

 

In addition, the Company’sThe Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide for the indemnification of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL.DGCL, provided, however, the Registrant is not required under the Amended and Restated Bylaws to indemnify any director or officer in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required by law or the Amended and Restated Bylaws, (ii) the proceeding was authorized by the board of directors of the Registrant or (iii) such indemnification is provided by the Registrant, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Registrant under the DGCL or any other applicable law.

 

II-1

 

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:

 

 

transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit;

 

 

act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

 

unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or

 

 

breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders.

 

In addition, Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that certain officers of the corporation (as specified in Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL) shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as an officer, subject to certain exceptions.

The Company’sRegistrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the monetary liability of a director of the CompanyRegistrant shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The Company’sRegistrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation does not currently include a provision eliminating or limiting the liability of officers of the Registrant.

The Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that the Registrant shall advance to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer, of the Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, prior to the final disposition of the proceeding, promptly following request therefor, all expenses incurred by any director or officer in connection with such proceeding provided, however, that an advancement of expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in defending any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such action, suit or proceeding in advance of its final dispositionindemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be paid by the Companymade only upon delivery to itthe Registrant of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”), by or on behalf of such director or officer,indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such director or officerindemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws or otherwise.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined pursuant to the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, no advance shall be made by the Company.Registrant to an officer of the Registrant (except by reason of the fact that such officer is or was a director of the Registrant in which event this paragraph shall not apply) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, if a determination is reasonably and promptly made (i) by a majority vote of directors who were not parties to the proceeding, even if not a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, that the facts known to the decision-making party at the time such determination is made demonstrate clearly and convincingly that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant.

 

Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that, a director who willfullyin case of any willful or negligently approves of annegligent unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption, the directors under whose administration the same may happen may be held personally liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved, or dissented at the time, may avoidbe exonerated from such liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered inon the books containing minutes of the meetingsproceedings of the board of directors at the time such action occurred or immediately after such absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.same.

II-2

 

As permitted by the DGCL, the CompanyRegistrant has entered into indemnityindemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers (each an “indemnitee”), that require the CompanyRegistrant to indemnify such persons against any and all costs and expenses (including attorneys’, witness or other professional fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such persons in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (including derivative actions), whether actual or threatened, to which any such person may be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the CompanyRegistrant or an agent of the CompanyRegistrant or is or was, at the request of the Company,Registrant, acting or serving as an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or another enterprise.enterprise, so long as the indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant and, in the case of a criminal proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe that indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.. With respect to third-party actions, the indemnification agreements require the Registrant to also indemnify the indemnitee against judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement that are actually and reasonably incurred by indemnitee or on indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such proceedings or any claim, issue or matter therein, if the indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant and, in the case of a criminal proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe that indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. Under these agreements, the CompanyRegistrant is not required to provide indemnification for certain matters, including:

 

 

indemnification beyond that permittedfor an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by indemnitee of securities of the Registrant within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;

 

 

indemnification for any proceeding with respectreimbursement of the Registrant by the indemnitee of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by the indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Registrant, as required in each case under the Exchange Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Company pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), or the payment to the unlawful paymentCompany of remuneration toprofits arising from the indemnitee;purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act);

 

 

indemnification for certain proceedings involving a final judgment that the indemnitee is required to disgorge profits from the purchase or saleany reimbursement of the Company’s securities;Registrant by indemnitee of any compensation pursuant to any compensation recoupment or clawback policy adopted by the board of directors of the Registrant or the compensation committee of the board of directors of the Registrant, including but not limited to any such policy adopted to comply with stock exchange listing requirements implementing Section 10D of the Exchange Act;

 

 

indemnification for proceedings involving a final judgmentexpenses determined by the Registrant to have arisen out of indemnitee’s breach or other final adjudication thatviolation of his or her obligation under (i) any employment agreement between the indemnitee’sindemnitee and the Registrant or (ii) the Registrant’s code of business conduct was in bad faith, knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or constituted willful misconduct or a breach of the indemnitee’s duty of loyalty, but only to the extent of such specific determination;and ethics;

 

 

indemnification for proceedings or claims broughtany proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by an indemnitee, including any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by indemnitee against the Company ,Registrant, or the Company or its subsidiary’s current or formerRegistrant’s directors, officers, employees or agents, or anyone that is or was serving, atother indemnitees, unless (i) the requestboard of or for the convenience of or representing the interestsdirectors of the CompanyRegistrant authorized the proceeding (or any part thereof) prior to its initiation, (ii) such payment arises in connection with any mandatory counterclaim or cross claim brought or raised by indemnitee in any subsidiaryproceeding (or any part thereof), (iii) the Registrant provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Registrant under applicable law or (iv) the proceeding is brought by or on behalf of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise exceptindemnitee for (i) claims to establish or enforce a right of indemnification or advancement pursuant toof expenses from the Registrant under the terms of the indemnification agreement or under any other agreement, provision of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or (ii) proceedings initiateddirectors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Registrant if, in the case of indemnification, indemnitee that are either approvedis wholly successful on the underlying claims (or, if indemnitee is not wholly successful on the underlying claims, then such indemnification shall be only to the extent indemnitee is successful on such underlying claims or otherwise as permitted by the Company’s board of directors or the indemnitee’s participationlaw, whichever is required by law;greater); or;

II-3

 

 

indemnification for settlements the indemnitee enters into without the Company’s written consent; 

indemnification in violation of any undertaking required by the Securities Act or in any registration statement filed by the Company; or

indemnification or advancement of expenses for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of the indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under such insurance policy or other indemnity policy.provision;

 


The indemnification agreements also provide for the advancement of expenses of the indemnitee to the fullest extent not prohibited by law in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) not initiated by indemnitee or any proceeding initiated by indemnitee with the prior approval of the board of directors of Registrant as set forth in the terms of the indemnification agreements, provided that advancement is not applicable to any claim made by indemnitee for which indemnification is specifically prohibited as set forth above in the immediately preceding paragraph hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing the Registrant is also required to advance expenses of the indemnitee, if so requested by indemnitee, to the extent not prohibited by law, for expenses which are incurred by or on behalf of indemnitee in connection with any action brought by indemnitee for advancement of expenses from the Registrant under the indemnification agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Registrant.

 

The indemnification agreements also set forth certain procedures that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification or advancement thereunder.

 

The CompanyRegistrant has insurance policies in place that cover its officers and directors with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act, or otherwise.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC 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.

II-4

 

Item 16. Exhibits.

a) Exhibits.Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number
No.

Description of Document

1.1** *1.1

Form of Underwriting AgreementAgreement.**

   

3.1

Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 10, 2018)

3.2

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 10, 2018)

3.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 10, 2018)

   

3.3** *

Form of Certificate of Designation with respect to Preferred Stock

4.1

 

FormForm of Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 21, 2017)

   

4.2* *4.2

Form of Senior Indenture

4.3* Specimen Preferred Stock Certificate.*

Form of Subordinated Indenture

4.4** *

Form of Senior Note

4.5** *

Form of Subordinated Note

4.6** *

Form of Warrant

4.7** *

Form of Warrant Agreement

   

4.8** *4.3

 

Form of Rights Agreement and Rights CertificateWarrant Agreement.**

4.9** *4.4

Form of Unit AgreementWarrant Certificate.**

5.1* *4.5

OpinionForm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as to the legality of the securities being registeredSenior Debt Indenture.*

   

23.1*4.6

Form of Subordinated Debt Indenture.*

4.7

Form of Senior Note (included in Exhibit 4.5).*

4.8

Form of Subordinated Note (included in Exhibit 4.6).*

4.9

Form of Unit Agreement.**

4.10

Form of Subscription Agreement.**

5.1

Legal opinion of Lowenstein Sandler LLP.*

23.1

Consent of Daszkal Bolton LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmLLP.*

23.2* *23.2

Consent of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & HamptonLowenstein Sandler LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).*

24.1 **

Power of Attorney (included on the signature page).*

25.1** *25.1

Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 underof the Trust Indenture ActTrustee for the Senior Debt Indenture.***

25.2

Statement of 1939, as amendedEligibility on Form T-1 of the Trustee for the Subordinated Debt Indenture.***


*

107Filing Fee Table.*
*Filed herewith.

 

**

Previously filed.

** *

To the extent applicable, to be filed, if applicable, by an amendment or as an exhibit toby a documentreport filed under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference herein.reference.

***

To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

II-5

 

Item 17. Undertakings.Undertakings

 

(a)               The undersigned registrantRegistrant hereby undertakes:

 

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

 

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

 

(ii)(b) 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.Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; andstatement.

 

(iii)(c) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statementRegistration Statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;Registration Statement.

 

providedProvided, however, , that paragraphs (1)(a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii),(b) and (a)(1)(iii)(c) above do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrantRegistrant 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 a 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)(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

(A)(a) If the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrantRegistrant 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

 


(B)(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 Sectionsection 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.

 

II-6

(6)

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrantRegistrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities,securities: the undersigned registrantRegistrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrantRegistrant 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 registrantRegistrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(b)(6) 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 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

(c) The undersigned registrantRegistrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’sRegistrant’s annual report pursuant to Sectionsection 13(a) or Sectionsection 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Sectionsection 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.

 

(d)(7) The 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 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

(8) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrantRegistrant pursuant to the foregoingforgoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrantRegistrant 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 registrantRegistrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrantRegistrant 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 registrantRegistrant 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.

 

II-7

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrantRegistrant 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 statementRegistration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Austin, State of Texas on July 1 , 2020.April 21, 2023.

 

GENPREX, INC.

GENPREX, INC.

By:

/s/ J. Rodney Varner

J. Rodney Varner

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints J. Rodney Varner and Ryan Confer, and each of them, each with full power to act without the other, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Registration Statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this Registration Statement, including post-effective amendments or registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming that each of said such attorneys-in-fact and agents or his substitute or substitutes, may 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 and on the dates indicated have signed this Registration Statement below.indicated.

 

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ J. Rodney Varner

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors

April 21, 2023

J. Rodney Varner

(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Ryan Confer

Chief Financial Officer

April 21, 2023

Ryan Confer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ Brent Longnecker

Member of the Board of Directors

July 1 , 2020

J. Rodney Varner

(Principal Executive Officer)

*

Chief Financial Officer

July 1 , 2020

Ryan M. Confer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

*

Director

July 1 , 2020April 21, 2023

Brent Longnecker

/s/ Jose A. Moreno Toscano

Member of the Board of Directors

*

Director

July 1 , 2020April 21, 2023

Jose AntonioA. Moreno Toscano

/s/ William R. Wilson, Jr.

Member of the Board of Directors

April 21, 2023

*

Director

July 1 , 2020

WillWilliam R. Wilson, Jr.

* By:

/s/ J. Rodney Varner

J. Rodney Varner, Attorney-In-Fact

 

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