APDN Applied DNA Sciences Inc

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 21, 2024

 

Registration No. 333-278890

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Amendment No. 2

to

FORM S-1

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware	7380	59-2262718
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(primary standard industrial classification code number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 

50 Health Sciences Drive
Stony Brook, New York 11790
631-240-8800
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

James A. Hayward, Ph.D., Sc.D.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.
50 Health Sciences Drive
Stony Brook, New York 11790
631-240-8801

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

 

Merrill M. Kraines Todd Kornfeld McDermott Will & Emery LLP One Vanderbilt Avenue New York, NY 10017-3852 212-547-5616

Robert Charron Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10105 212-370-1300

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

 

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, check the following box. x

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) 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 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 post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) 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. ¨

 

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” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

 

Large accelerated filer	¨	Accelerated filer	¨
Non-accelerated filer	x	Smaller reporting company	x
		Emerging growth company	¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act and Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ¨

 

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 which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 21, 2024

 

 

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

 

Up to 3,984,064 Units, Each Unit Consisting of One Share of Common Stock or One

Pre-Funded Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock, One Series A Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock and One Series B Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock

 

Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase Up to 199,203 Shares of Common Stock

 

Up to 12,151,395 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants, Series A Warrants, Series B Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants

 

We are offering, 3,984,064 units (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of one share of our common stock, $0.001 par value per share, one Series A warrant (“Series A Warrant”) to purchase one share of common stock and one Series B warrant (“Series B Warrant”, and, with the Series A Warrants, the “Series Warrants”) to purchase one share of common stock, at the assumed public offering price of $2.51 per Unit, which was the last reported sales price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024.

 

The Units have no stand-alone rights and will not be certificated or issued as stand-alone securities. Each Series A Warrant offered hereby is immediately exercisable on the date of issuance at an exercise price of $             per share of common stock, or pursuant to the alternate cashless exercise option, and will expire five years from the closing date of this public offering. Each Series B Warrant offered hereby is immediately exercisable on the date of issuance at an exercise price of $           per share of common stock, and will expire one year from the closing date of this public offering.

 

Under the alternate cashless exercise option of the Series A Warrants, beginning on the date of the Warrant Stockholder Approval (described below), the holder of the Series A Warrant, has the right to receive an aggregate number of shares equal to the product of (x) the aggregate number of shares of common stock that would be issuable upon a cash exercise of the Series A Warrant and (y) 3.0. In addition, beginning on the date of the Warrant Stockholder Approval, the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will include a provision that resets their respective exercise price in the event of a reverse split of our common stock, to a price equal to the lesser of (i) the then exercise price and (ii) lowest volume weighted average price (VWAP) during the period commencing five trading days immediately preceding and the five trading days commencing on the date we effect a reverse stock split in the future with a proportionate adjustment to the number of shares underlying the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants. Finally, beginning on the date of the Warrant Stockholder Approval, with certain exceptions, the Series B Warrants will provide for an adjustment to the exercise price and number of shares underlying the Series B Warrants upon our issuance of our common stock or common stock equivalents at a price per share that is less than the exercise price of the Series B Warrants.

 

The alternate cashless exercise option included in the Series A Warrants and the other adjustment provisions described in the above paragraph included in the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will be available only upon receipt of such stockholder approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market to permit the alternate cashless exercise of the Series A Warrants and the other adjustment provisions described in the above paragraph included in the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants (the “Warrant Stockholder Approval”). In the event that we are unable to obtain the Warrant Stockholder Approval, the Series A Warrants will not be exercisable using the alternate cashless exercise option and the other adjustment provisions described in the above paragraph included in the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will not be effective, and therefore the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants may have substantially less value. See the Risk Factor on page [●] relating to the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants and Warrant Stockholder Approval, and see the section entitled “Warrant Stockholder Approval” on page [●] for additional details regarding the Warrant Stockholder Approval.

 

We are also offering to each purchaser of Units that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase Units consisting of one pre-funded warrant (in lieu of one share of common stock, each a “Pre-Funded Warrant”), one Series A Warrant and one Series B Warrant. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, such limit may be increased to up to 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of common stock. The purchase price of each Unit including a Pre-Funded Warrant will be equal to the price per Unit including one share of common stock, minus $0.0001, and the remaining exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will equal $0.0001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable (subject to the beneficial ownership cap) and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. For each Unit including a Pre-Funded Warrant we sell (without regard to any limitation on exercise set forth therein), the number of Units including a share of common stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. The Pre-Funded Warrant may be exercised on a cashless basis.

 

This prospectus also includes the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Series A Warrants, Series B Warrants, and the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

The common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants can each be purchased in this offering only with the accompanying Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants that are part of a Unit, but the components of the Units will be immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. See “Description of Securities” in this prospectus for more information.

 

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” On May 17, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was $2.51 per share.

 

We have engaged Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC (“Craig-Hallum”) and Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. (“Laidlaw”, and each of Craig-Hallum and Laidlaw, a “Placement Agent” and collectively, the “Co-Placement Agents”), to act as our exclusive placement agents in connection with this offering. The Co-Placement Agents have agreed to use their best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. The Co-Placement Agents are not purchasing or selling any of the securities we are offering and the Co-Placement Agents are not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number of securities or dollar amount. We have agreed to pay to the Co-Placement Agents the placement agent fees set forth in the table below, which assumes that we sell all of the securities offered by this prospectus. There is no minimum number of securities or minimum aggregate amount of proceeds that is a condition of the closing of this offering. We will bear all costs associated with the offering. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 23 of this prospectus for more information regarding these arrangements.

 

The actual public offering price per Unit will be determined between us, the Co-Placement Agents and the investors in this offering at the time of pricing, and may be at a discount to the current market price. Therefore, the recent market price of $2.51 per share of common stock used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the actual public offering price for our Units. There is no established public trading market for the Series Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for the listing of the Series Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants on any national securities exchange. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the Series Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited.

 

This offering will terminate on June 30, 2024, unless we decide to terminate the offering (which we may do at any time in our discretion) prior to that date. We will have one closing for all the securities purchased in this offering. The public offering price per Unit will be fixed for the duration of this offering.

 

We may sell fewer than all securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund if we do not sell all of the securities offered hereby. We have not established an escrow account in conjunction with this offering. Because there is no escrow account and no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds, investors could be in a position where they have invested in us, but we have not raised sufficient proceeds in this offering to adequately fund the intended uses of the proceeds as described in this prospectus. 

 

Except as otherwise indicated, all share and per share information in this prospectus gives effect to the reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty shares, which was approved by our Board of Directors on April 21, 2024 and was effected as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

 

Per Share and Series Warrants

Per Pre-Funded Warrant and Series Warrants

Total

Public offering price

$

$

$

Placement Agent fees(1)

Proceeds, before expenses, to us(2)

$

$

$

 

(1)

We have agreed to pay the Co-Placement Agents a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering and to reimburse the Co-Placement Agents for their legal fees and expenses and other out-of-pocket expenses in an amount up to $110,000. In addition, we have agreed to issue to the Co-Placement Agents warrants to purchase up to a number of shares of our common stock equal to 5.0% of the number of Units being offered in this offering at an exercise price equal to that of the Series Warrants and with an expiration date of five years from the commencement of sales. See “Plan of Distribution” for a description of the compensation to be received by the Co-Placement Agents.

 

(2)

Because there is no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual public offering amount, Placement Agent fees, and proceeds to us, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the total maximum offering amounts set forth above. In addition, this does not include proceeds from the cash exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, if any, or Series Warrants. For more information, see “Plan of Distribution.”

 

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 12 of this prospectus and elsewhere in this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The securities are not being offered in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.

 

Delivery of the securities offered hereby is expected to be made on or about             , 2024, subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions.

 

Craig-Hallum

Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd.

 

The date of this Prospectus is                , 2024.

 

 

Table of Contents

  

About this Prospectus	1
Forward-Looking Statements	2
Prospectus Summary	3
Summary of the Offering	11
Risk Factors	12
Use of Proceeds	16
Market Price of our Common Stock and Related Stockholder Matters	16
Capitalization	17
Dilution	18
Description of Securities	19
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	23
Experts	25
Legal Matters	25
Where you can find more information	26
MATERIAL CHANGES	26
Incorporation by Reference	26

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

The information contained in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. You should rely only on the information provided in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, or in a related free writing prospectus, or documents to which we otherwise refer you. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information.

 

We have not authorized any dealer, agent or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus. This prospectus and any related free writing prospectus, if any, do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus, if any, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus, if any, is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of such document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.

 

We have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus or any free writing prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourself about and to observe any restrictions relating as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus and any such free writing prospectus outside the United States.

 

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed 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.

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This prospectus and the documents that we incorporate herein by reference contain forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “can”, “may”, “could”, “should”, “assume”, “forecasts”, “believe”, “designed to”, “will”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “position”, “predicts”, “strategy”, “guidance”, “intend”, “budget”, “seek”, “project” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they:

 

·

discuss our future expectations;

 

·

contain projections of our future results of operations or of our financial condition; and

 

·

state other “forward-looking” information.

 

We believe it is important to communicate our expectations. However, forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and our industry and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Accordingly, our actual results and the timing of certain events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors and risks, including, but not limited to, those set forth under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and in the documents we incorporate by reference herein, and the following factors and risks:

 

·

our expectations of future revenues, margins, expenditures, capital or other funding requirements;

 

·

the adequacy of our cash and working capital to fund present and planned operations and growth;

 

·

the substantial doubt relating to our ability to continue as a going concern;

 

·

our need for additional financing which may in turn require the issuance of additional shares of common stock, preferred stock, warrants or other debt or equity securities (including convertible securities) which would dilute the ownership held by stockholders;

 

·

our business strategy and the timing of our expansion plans, including the development of new production facilities for our Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

demand for Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

demand for DNA Tagging Services;

 

·

demand for MDx Testing Services;

 

·

our expectations concerning existing or potential development and license agreements for third-party collaborations or joint ventures;

 

·

regulatory approval and compliance for our Therapeutic DNA Production Services, upon which our business strategy is substantially dependent;

 

·

whether we are able to achieve the benefits expected from the acquisition of Spindle;

 

·

the effect of governmental regulations generally;

 

·

our expectations of when regulatory submissions may be filed or when regulatory approvals may be received;

 

·

our expectations concerning product candidates for our technologies;

 

·

our expectations of when or if we will become profitable;

 

	·	our ability to meet the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq;
	·	the effect of the reverse stock split on the liquidity of our common stock and our ability to satisfy the investing requirements of new investors, including institutional investors;
	·	the potential dilution of our existing stockholders due to the effective increase in the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance as a result of our reverse stock split; and
	·	the risk that our laboratory developed tests (“LDTs”) may become subject to additional regulatory requirements due to FDA rulemaking activity, and that compliance with such requirements may be expensive and time-consuming, resulting in significant or unanticipated delays.

 

 

Any or all of our forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They may be affected by inaccurate assumptions that we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could affect future results are:

 

·

the inherent uncertainties of product development based on our new and as yet not fully proven technologies;

 

·

the risks and uncertainties regarding the actual effect on humans of seemingly safe and efficacious formulations and treatments when tested clinically;

 

·

formulations and treatments that utilize our Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

the inherent uncertainties associated with clinical trials of product candidates, including product candidates that utilize our Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

the inherent uncertainties associated with the process of obtaining regulatory clearance or approval to market product candidates, including product candidates that utilize our Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

the inherent uncertainties associated with the process of obtaining regulatory clearance for our MDx Testing Services;

 

·

the inherent uncertainties associated with commercialization of products that have received regulatory clearance or approval, including products that utilize our Therapeutic DNA Production Services;

 

·

economic and industry conditions generally and in our specific markets;

 

·

the volatility of, and decline in, our stock price; and

 

·

our ability to obtain the necessary financing to fund our operations and effect our strategic development plan.

 

All forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this prospectus are made as of the date hereof, and all forward-looking statements and risk factors included in documents incorporated herein by reference are made as of their original date, in each case based on information available to us as of the date hereof, or in the case of documents incorporated by reference, the original date of any such document, and we assume no obligations to update any forward-looking statement or risk factor, unless we are required to do so by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make updates with respect to other forward-looking statements or that we will make any further updates to those forward-looking statements at any future time.

 

Forward-looking statements may include our plans and objectives for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to our products and our future economic performance, projections, business strategy and timing and likelihood of success. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions, future business decisions, demand for our products and services, and the time and money required to successfully complete development and commercialization of our technologies, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control. 

 

Any of the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus could prove inaccurate and, therefore, we cannot assure you that any of the results or events contemplated in any of such forward-looking statements will be realized. Based on the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward-looking statements, the inclusion of any such statement should not be regarded as a representation or as a guarantee by us that our objectives or plans will be achieved, and we caution you against relying on any of the forward looking-statements contained herein.

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our securities. After you carefully read this summary, to fully understand our Company and this offering and its consequences to you, you should read this entire prospectus and any related free writing prospectus authorized by us, including the information referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus beginning on page 12, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the other documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements, which are incorporated herein by reference from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023, filed December 7, 2023, as amended on January 26, 2024, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three month periods ended December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024, filed on February 8, 2024 and May 10, 2024, respectively. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information” on page 26 of this prospectus. Except as otherwise indicated, all share and per share information in this prospectus gives effect to the reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty shares, which was approved by our Board of Directors on April 21, 2024 and was effected as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

 

 

In this prospectus, unless context requires otherwise, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company” refer to Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our trademarks currently used in the United States include Applied DNA Sciences®, SigNature® molecular tags, SigNature® T molecular tags, fiberTyping®, SigNify®, Beacon®, CertainT®, Linea™ DNA, Linea™ RNAP, Linea™ and TR8^TM pharmacogenetic testing. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included in this prospectus are the property of the respective owners.

 

Overview

 

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

 

Company Overview

 

We are a biotechnology company developing and commercializing technologies to produce and detect deoxyribonucleic acid (“DNA”) and ribonucleic acid (“RNA”). Using the polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) to enable the production and detection of DNA and RNA, we currently operate in three primary business markets: (i) the enzymatic manufacture of synthetic DNA for use in the production of nucleic acid-based therapeutics (including biologics and drugs) and, through our recent acquisition of Spindle Biotech, Inc. (“Spindle”), the development and sale of a proprietary RNA polymerase (“RNAP”) for use in the production of messenger RNA (“mRNA”) therapeutics (“Therapeutic DNA Production Services”); (ii) the detection of DNA and RNA in molecular diagnostics and genetic testing services (“MDx Testing Services”); and (iii) the manufacture and detection of DNA for industrial supply chain security services (“DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services”).

 

Our current growth strategy is to primarily focus our resources on the further development, commercialization, and customer adoption of our Therapeutic DNA Production Services, including the expansion of our contract development and manufacturing operation (“CDMO”) for the manufacture of synthetic DNA for use in the production of nucleic acid-based therapies, and to further expand and commercialize our MDx Testing Services through genetic testing.

 

We will continue to update our business strategy and monitor the use of our resources regarding our various business markets. In addition, we expect that based on available opportunities and our beliefs regarding future opportunities, we will continue to modify and refine our business strategy.

 

Therapeutic DNA Production Services

 

The Company is developing and commercializing our Linea DNA and Linea IVT platforms for the manufacture of synthetic DNA for use in the production of nucleic acid-based therapeutics.

 

Linea DNA Platform

 

Our Linea DNA platform is our core enabling technology, and enables the rapid, efficient, and large-scale cell-free manufacture of high-fidelity DNA sequences for use in the manufacturing of a broad range of nucleic acid-based therapeutics. The Linea DNA platform enzymatically produces a linear form of DNA we call “Linea DNA” that is an alternative to plasmid-based DNA manufacturing technologies that have supplied the DNA used in biotherapeutics for the past 40 years.

 

As of the first quarter of calendar year 2024, there were 4,002 gene, cell and RNA therapies in development from preclinical through pre-registration stages, almost all of which use DNA in their manufacturing process. (Source: ASGCT Gene, Cell & RNA Therapy Landscape: Q1 2024 Quarterly Report). Due to what we believe are the Linea DNA platform’s numerous advantages over legacy nucleic acid-based therapeutic manufacturing platforms, we believe this large number of therapies under development represents a substantial market opportunity for the Linea DNA platform to supplant legacy manufacturing methods in the manufacture of nucleic acid-based therapies.

 

We believe our Linea DNA platform holds several important advantages over existing cell-based plasmid DNA manufacturing platforms. Plasmid-based DNA manufacturing is based on the complex, costly and time-consuming biological process of amplifying DNA in living bacterial cells. Once amplified, the DNA must be separated from the living cells and other process contaminants via multiple rounds of purification, adding further complexity and costs. Unlike plasmid-based DNA manufacturing, the Linea DNA platform does not require living cells and instead amplifies DNA via the enzymatic process of PCR. The Linea DNA platform is simple and can rapidly produce very large quantities of DNA without the need for complex purification steps.

 

 

We believe the key advantages of the Linea DNA platform include:

 

●

Speed – Production of Linea DNA can be measured in terms of hours, not days and weeks as is the case with plasmid-based DNA manufacturing platforms.

 

●

Scalability – Linea DNA production takes place on efficient bench-top instruments, allowing for rapid scalability in a minimal footprint.

 

●

Purity – DNA produced via PCR is pure, resulting in only large quantities of only the target DNA sequence. Unwanted DNA sequences such as the plasmid backbone and antibiotic resistance genes, inherent to plasmid DNA, are not present in Linea DNA.

 

●

Simplicity – The production of Linea DNA is streamlined relative to plasmid-based DNA production. Linea DNA requires only four primary ingredients, does not require living cells or complex fermentation systems and does not require multiple rounds of purification.

 

●

Flexibility – DNA produced via the Linea DNA platform can be easily chemically modified to suit specific customer applications. In addition, the Linea DNA platform can produce a wide range of complex DNA sequences that are difficult to produce via plasmid-based DNA production platforms. These complex sequences include inverted terminal repeats (“ITRs”) and long homopolymers such as polyadenylation sequences (poly (A) tail) important for gene therapy and mRNA therapies, respectively.

 

Preclinical studies conducted by the Company have shown that Linea DNA is substitutable for plasmid DNA in numerous nucleic acid-based therapies, including:

 

●

DNA vaccines;

 

●

DNA templates to produce RNA, including mRNA therapeutics; and

 

●

adoptive cell therapy (CAR-T) manufacturing.

 

Further, we believe that Linea DNA is also substitutable for plasmid DNA in the following nucleic acid-based therapies:

 

●

viral vector manufacturing for in vivo and ex vivo gene editing;

 

●

clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (“CRISPR”)-mediated gene therapy; and

 

●

non-viral gene therapy.

 

Linea IVT Platform

 

The number of mRNA therapies under development is growing at a rapid rate, thanks in part to the success of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. mRNA therapeutics are produced via a process called in vitro transcription (“IVT”) that requires DNA as a starting material. As of the 1st quarter of calendar 2024, there were approximately 450 mRNA therapies under development, with the large majority of these therapies (67%) in the preclinical stage (Source: ASGCT Gene, Cell & RNA Therapy Landscape: Q1 2024 Quarterly Report). The Company believes that the mRNA market is in a nascent stage that represents a large growth opportunity for the Company via the production  and supply of DNA critical starting materials and RNAP to produce mRNA therapies.

 

In August 2022, the Company launched DNA IVT templates manufactured via its Linea DNA platform and has since secured proof of concept contracts with numerous mRNA manufacturing customers. In response to this demand, the continued growth of the mRNA therapeutic market, and the unique abilities of the Linea DNA platform, the Company acquired Spindle in July 2023 to potentially increase its mRNA-related total addressable market (“TAM”).

 

 

Through our acquisition of Spindle, we launched our Linea IVT platform in July 2023, which combines Spindle’s proprietary high-performance RNAP, now marketed by the Company as Linea RNAP, with our enzymatically produced Linea DNA IVT templates. We believe the Linea IVT platform enables our customers to make better mRNA, faster. Based on data generated by the Company, we believe the integrated Linea IVT platform offers the following advantages over conventional mRNA production to therapy developers and manufacturers:

 

●

The prevention or reduction of double stranded RNA (“dsRNA”) contamination resulting in higher target mRNA yields with the potential to reduce downstream processing steps. dsRNA is a problematic immunogenic byproduct produced during conventional mRNA manufacture;

 

●

delivery of IVT templates in as little as 14 days for milligram scale and 30 days for gram scale;

 

	●	reduced mRNA manufacturing complexities; and
	●	potentially enabling mRNA manufactures to produce mRNA drug substance in less than 45 days.

 

According to the Company’s internal modeling, the ability to sell both Linea DNA IVT templates and Linea RNAP under the Linea IVT platform potentially increases the Company’s mRNA-related TAM by approximately 3-5x as compared to selling Linea DNA IVT templates alone, while also providing a more competitive offering to the mRNA manufacturing market. Currently, Linea RNAP is produced for the Company under an ISO 13485 quality system by a third-party CDMO located in the United States. The Company is currently undertaking manufacturing process development work with its Linea RNAP manufacturer to increase production scale of the enzyme.

 

Manufacturing Scale-up

 

The Company plans to offer several quality grades of Linea DNA, each of which will have different permitted uses.

 

Quality Grade	Permitted Use	Company Status
GLP	Research and pre-clinical discovery	Currently available
GMP for Starting Materials	DNA critical starting materials for the production of mRNA therapies	Planned availability  in Q3 of CY2024
GMP	DNA biologic, drug substance and/or drug product	Planned availability second half of CY 2025 (1)

 

(1) Dependent on the availability of future financing.

 

The Company currently manufactures Linea DNA pursuant to Good Laboratory Practices (“GLP”) and, is creating a fit for purpose manufacturing facility within our current Stony Brook, NY laboratory space capable of producing Linea DNA IVT templates under Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) suitable for use as a critical starting material for clinical and commercial mRNA therapeutics, with a planned completion date in the third quarter of calendar year 2024 (“GMP Site 1”). The Company also plans to offer additional capacity for Linea DNA IVT templates as well as capacity for Linea DNA materials manufactured under GMP suitable for use as, or incorporation into, a biologic, drug substance and/or drug product, with availability expected during the second half of calendar year 2025, dependent upon the availability of future funding (“GMP Site 2”). GMP is a quality standard used globally and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to ensure pharmaceutical quality.  Drug substances are the pharmaceutically active components of drug products. According to the Company’s internal modeling using currently projected unit pricing based on current pricing and market analysis, the Company believes that GMP Site 1 affords the Company a potential annual revenue opportunity of up to $20M at full capacity utilization, and GMP Site 2 affords the Company a potential annual revenue opportunity of up to $63M at full capacity utilization. This potential revenue opportunity may not be realized and is not indicative of profit.

 

Segment Business Strategy

 

Our business strategy for our Therapeutic DNA Production Services is to capitalize upon the rapid growth of mRNA therapies in the near term via our planned near term future availability of Linea DNA IVT templates manufactured under GMP at our GMP Site 1, while at the same time laying the basis for additional clinical and commercial applications of Linea DNA with our future planned availability of Linea DNA manufactured under GMP suitable for use as, or incorporation into, a biologic, drug substance and/or drug product at planned GMP Site 2. Planned GMP Site 2 may also be used for additional Linea DNA IVT template manufacturing if customer demand exceeds the capacity of GMP Site 1. Our current plan is: (i) through our Linea IVT platform and planned near term future GMP manufacturing capabilities for IVT templates at GMP Site 1 to secure commercial-scale supply contracts with clinical and commercial mRNA and/or self-amplifying mRNA (“sa-RNA”) manufacturers for Linea DNA IVT templates and/or Linea RNAP as critical starting materials; (ii) to utilize our current GLP production capacity for non-IVT template applications to secure supply and/or development contracts with pre-clinical therapy developers that use DNA in their therapy manufacturing, and (iii) upon our development of our planned future Linea DNA production under GMP suitable for use as, or incorporation into, a biologic, drug substance and/or drug product at planned GMP Site 2, to convert existing and new Linea DNA customers into large-scale supply  contracts to supply Linea DNA for clinical and commercial use as, or incorporation into, a biologic, drug substance and/or drug product in a wide range of nucleic acid therapies. Until we complete our GMP Site 1 to produce DNA critical starting materials (DNA IVT templates) for mRNA manufacturing, we will not be able to realize significant revenues from this business. We estimate the cost of creating GMP Site 1 will be approximately $1.5 million. If we were to expand our facilities to enable GMP production of Linea DNA for use as, or incorporation, into a biologic, drug substance and/or drug product as planned for GMP Site 2, the cost may be up to approximately $10 million which would require additional funding. We are currently building GMP Site 1 within our existing laboratory space. We anticipate that GMP Site 2 would require us to acquire additional space.

 

 

In addition, we plan to leverage our Therapeutic DNA Production Services and deep knowledge of PCR to develop and monetize, ourselves or with strategic partners, one or more Linea DNA-based therapeutic or prophylactic vaccines for high-value veterinary health indications (collectively “Linea DNA Vaccines”). We currently seek to commercialize our Linea DNA Vaccines in conjunction with lipid nanoparticle (“LNP”) encapsulation to facilitate intramuscular (“IM”) administration. We have recently demonstrated in vitro and in vivo (mice studies) expression of generic reporter proteins via Linea DNA encapsulated by LNPs. For the in vivo study, successful expression of the LNP-encapsulated Linea DNA was administered and achieved via IM injection. We believe that our Linea DNA Vaccines under development provide a substantial advantage over plasmid DNA-based vaccines for the veterinary health market.

 

MDx Testing Services

 

Through ADCL, we leverage our expertise in DNA and RNA detection via PCR to provide and develop clinical molecular diagnostics and genetic (collectively “MDx”) testing services. ADCL is a NYSDOH clinical laboratory improvement amendments-certified laboratory which is currently permitted for virology. Permitting for genetics (molecular) is currently pending with the NYSDOH. In providing MDx Testing Services, ADCL employs its own or third-party molecular diagnostic tests. 

 

We have successfully validated internally our pharmacogenomics testing services (the “PGx Testing Services”). Our PGx Testing Services will utilize a 120-target PGx panel test to evaluate the unique genotype of a specific patient to help guide the patient’s healthcare provider in making individual drug therapy decisions. Our PGx Testing Services are designed to interrogate DNA targets on over 33 genes and provide genotyping information relevant to certain cardiac, mental health, oncology, and pain management drug therapies. Our PGx Testing Services cannot commence until we receive approval from the NYSDOH.

 

On March 22, 2023, we submitted our validation package to the NYSDOH for our PGx Testing Services. On September 21, 2023, we received a first set of comments from NYSDOH requesting additional data and clarifications. A response was submitted to NYSDOH on November 17, 2023.  On December 26, 2023, we received a second set of comments from NYSDOH requesting additional data and clarifications to which a response was submitted on February 23, 2024. A third set of comments was received from NYSDOH on March 29, 2024. A response must be filed by May 28, 2024. Currently, the timing of any approval by NYSDOH for our PGx Testing Services is unclear. Recently published studies show that population-scale PGx enabled medication management can significantly reduce overall population healthcare costs, reduce adverse drug events, and increase overall population wellbeing. These benefits can result in significant cost savings to large entities and self-insured employers, the latter accounting for approximately 65% of all U.S. employers in 2022. If and when approved by the NYSDOH, we plan to leverage our PGx Testing Services to provide PGx testing services to large entities, self-insured employers and healthcare providers.

 

Historically, the majority of our revenue attributable to our MDx Testing Services has been derived from our safeCircle® COVID-19 testing solutions, for which testing demand has significantly declined commencing in our fiscal third quarter of 2023, resulting in substantially reduced revenues. We expect future demand for COVID-19 testing to continue to be reduced and we may terminate COVID-19 testing services in the future.

 

DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services

 

By leveraging our expertise in both the manufacture and detection of DNA via PCR, our DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services allow our customers to use non-biologic DNA tags manufactured on our Linea DNA platform to mark objects in a unique manner and then identify these objects by detecting the absence or presence of the DNA tag. The Company’s core DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services, which are marketed collectively as a platform under the trademark CertainT®, include:

 

●

SigNature® Molecular Tags, which are short non-biologic DNA taggants produced by the Company’s Linea DNA platform, provide a methodology to authenticate goods within large and complex supply chains with a focus on cotton, nutraceuticals and other products.

 

●

SigNify® portable DNA readers and SigNify consumable reagent test kits provide definitive real-time authentication of the Company’s DNA tags in the field.

 

●

fiberTyping® and other product genotyping services use PCR-based DNA detection to determine a cotton species or cultivar, via a product’s naturally occurring DNA sequence for the purposes of product provenance authentication.

 

●

Isotopic analysis testing services, provided in partnership with third-party labs, use cotton’s carbon, hydrogen and oxygen elements to indicate origin of its fiber through finished goods.

 

To date, our largest commercial application for our DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services is in the tracking and provenance authentication of cotton.

 

Our business plan is to leverage consumer and governmental awareness for product traceability to expand our existing partnerships and seek new partnerships for our DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services with a focus on cotton.

 

FDA Publishes Final Rule on Laboratory Developed Tests

 

As an LDT, our MDx Testing Services are currently subject to enforcement discretion by the FDA.  On April 29, 2024, however, the FDA published a final rule on LDTs, in which FDA outlines its plans to end enforcement discretion for many LDTs in five stages over a four-year period.  In Phase 1 (effective May 6, 2025), clinical laboratories running LDTs will be required to comply with medical device (adverse event) reporting and correction/removal reporting requirements, as well as requirements for maintenance of complaint files under the FDA’s quality systems regulation (QSR).  In Phase 2 (effective May 6, 2026), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with all other device requirements (e.g., registration/listing, labeling, investigational use), except for the remaining QSR requirements and premarket review.  In Phase 3 (effective May 6, 2027), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with all remaining QSR requirements.  In Phase 4 (effective ~November 6, 2027), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with premarket review requirements for high-risk tests (i.e., tests subject to the premarket approval (PMA) requirement).  Finally, in Phase 5 (effective May 6, 2028), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with premarket review requirements for moderate- and low-risk tests (i.e., tests subject to the de novo or 510(k) requirement).

 

Under the final rule, several types of tests will be eligible for some degree of continued enforcement discretion, including LDTs approved by NYSDOH. FDA notes, however, that it retains discretion to pursue enforcement action for violations of the FDCA at any time and intends to do so when appropriate. FDA further explains that it may update any of the enforcement discretion policies set forth in the final rule as circumstances warrant or if the circumstances that inform those policies change, consistent with FDA’s good guidance practices. Based on our current analysis of the FDA final rule, and assuming the final rule goes into effect without modification, we believe that ADCL’s current and future NYSDOH approved LDTs, which includes our under development PGx Testing Services, will be exempt from FDA premarket review requirements but will remain subject to the requirements of Phases 1 through 3.

 

 

Recent Developments

 

Special Meeting of Stockholders

 

On April 15, 2024, we held a special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) pursuant to which our stockholders approved the following: (i) in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the issuance to certain holders of common stock purchase warrants in connection with a private placement; (ii) in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain of our common stock purchase warrants; (iii) a grant of discretionary authority to the Board of Directors giving them the authority to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended, to effect a reverse stock split of common stock, at a ratio in the range from one-for-five to one-for-fifty, with such specific ratio to be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors following the Special Meeting (the “Reverse Split Proposal”) in order to regain compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share for continued listing on Nasdaq, as set forth in the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”); and (iv) an amendment to the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock reserved for issuance by 200,000 shares. 

 

Reverse Stock Split

 

As discussed above, on April 15, 2024, we held the Special Meeting where our stockholders approved the Reverse Split Proposal.

 

The reverse stock split was effected at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 25, 2024 and combined each twenty shares of our outstanding common stock into one share of common stock, without any change in the par value per share. Moreover, the reverse stock split correspondingly adjusted, (i) the per share exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding options, and (ii) the number of shares underlying any of our outstanding warrants by adjusting the conversion ratio for each instrument and increasing the applicable exercise price or conversion price in accordance with the terms of each instrument and based on the reverse stock split ratio. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Any fractional shares resulting from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the nearest whole share. The reverse stock split resulted in a reduction of our outstanding shares of common stock from 17,261,343 to 863,068 shares.

 

Nasdaq Notification

 

On May 9, 2024, the Company received a written notification from the Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that the closing bid price of its common stock had exceeded $1.00 per share for 10 consecutive trading days, and as a result, the Company had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement.

 

On May 16, 2024, the Company received a deficiency letter (the “Letter”) from the Nasdaq Staff notifying the Company that it is not in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of at least $2,500,000 for continued inclusion on The Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). In the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, the Company reported stockholders’ equity of ($175,385), which was below the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement.

 

In accordance with Nasdaq rules, the Company has 45 calendar days, or until July 1, 2024, to submit a plan to the Staff to regain compliance (the “Compliance Plan”) with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement. If the Compliance Plan is accepted, Nasdaq can grant an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the Letter for the Company to evidence compliance.

 

The Company must submit a Compliance Plan to the Staff on or before July 1, 2024 and is considering available options to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement. However, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in developing the Compliance Plan, that the Compliance Plan will be accepted by Nasdaq, or even if it is accepted, that the Company will ultimately be able to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement within the allotted extension period, which may be less than 180 calendar days.

 

Receipt of the Letter described above from Nasdaq has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock.

 

Company Information

 

We are a Delaware corporation, which was initially formed in 1983 under the laws of the State of Florida as Datalink Systems, Inc. In 1998, we reincorporated in the State of Nevada, and in 2002, we changed our name to our current name, Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. On December 17, 2008, we reincorporated from the State of Nevada to the State of Delaware.

 

Our corporate headquarters are located at the Long Island High Technology Incubator at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, where we have established laboratories for the manufacture and detection of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) to support our various business units. In addition, this location also houses our NYSDOH CLEP-permitted, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (“CLIA”)-certified clinical laboratory where we perform MDx Testing Services. The mailing address of our corporate headquarters is 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790, and our telephone number is (631) 240-8800.

 

Implications of Being a Smaller Reporting Company

 

We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have $250 million or more in public float (based on our common stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float (based on our common stock) or a public float (based on our common stock) that is less than $700 million, annual revenues of $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of these exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock.

 

 

Risk Factor Summary

 

This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussions of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below and should be carefully considered, together with other information in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein before making investment decisions.

 

	●	We have produced limited revenue. This makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and increase the risk that we will not be successful.
	●	There is substantial doubt relating to our ability to continue as a going concern.
	●	Our opportunities to work with customers to develop pharmaceuticals and biologics will require substantial additional funding. Our customers may not be successful in their efforts to create a pipeline of product candidates, to develop commercially successful products, or to develop commercially successful biologic production.

 

	●	We may not successfully implement our business strategies, including achieving our growth objectives.
	●	We may require additional financing which may in turn require the issuance of additional shares of common stock, preferred stock or other debt or equity securities (including convertible securities) and which would dilute the ownership held by or stockholders.
	●	Our operating results have been and could be adversely affected by a reduction in business with our significant customers.
	●	We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth and these difficulties could impair our profitability.
	●	Our current emphasis on Therapeutic DNA Production Services may reduce our ability to maintain and expand our existing MDX Testing Services and DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services businesses.
	●	If in the future our MDX Testing Services and DNA Tagging and Security Products and Services businesses do not generate significant cash flows, we may not have sufficient capital to develop, commercialize and have our customers adopt our Therapeutic DNA Production Services.
	●	If we are unable to expand our DNA manufacturing capacity, we could lose revenue and our business could suffer.
	●	Rapidly changing technology and extensive competition in synthetic biology could make the services or products we are developing obsolete or non-competitive unless we continue to develop new and improved services or products and pursue new market opportunities.
	●	Pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biologic products and/or services are highly complex, and if we or our collaborators and customers are unable to provide quality and timely offerings to our respective customers, our business could suffer.
	●	We will need to develop and maintain manufacturing facilities that meet GMP.
	●	Pharmaceutical and biologic-related revenue will be dependent on our collaborators’ and customers’ demand for our manufacturing services.
	●	We may be unable to consistently manufacture or source our products to the necessary specifications or in quantities necessary to meet demand on a timely basis and at acceptable performance and cost levels.
	●	The markets for drug and biologic candidates and synthetic DNA are very competitive, and we may be unable to continue to compete effectively in these industries in the future.
	●	The markets for our supply chain security and product authentication solutions are very competitive, and we may be unable to continue to compete effectively in these industries in the future.
	●	We compete with life science, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, some of whom are our customers, who are substantially larger than we are and potentially capable of developing new approaches that could make our products and technology obsolete or develop their own internal capabilities that compete with our products.

 

●

Our intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of our products, services and brand.

 

 

	●	Pharmaceutical and biologic-related revenue is generally dependent on regulatory approval, oversight and compliance.
	●	If the FDA were to begin to enforce regulation of laboratory-developed tests (“LDTs”), we could incur substantial costs and delays associated with trying to obtain pre-market clearance or approval and costs associated with complying with post-market requirements in respect of MDx Testing Services.
	●	If we fail to comply with laboratory licensing requirements, we could lose the ability to offer our MDx Testing Services or experience disruptions to our business.
	●	If we fail to comply with healthcare laws, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial conditions could be adversely affected.
	●	If we are unable to continue to retain the services of Dr. Hayward, we may not be able to continue our operations.
	●	We may have conflicts of interest with our affiliates and related parties, and in the past we have engaged in transactions and entered into agreements with affiliates that were not negotiated at arms’ length.
	●	There are a large number of shares of common stock underlying our outstanding options and warrants and the sale of these shares may depress the market price of our common stock and cause immediate and substantial dilution to our existing stockholders.
	●	We have received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Staff notifying us that we are not in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of at least $2,500,000 for continued inclusion on The Nasdaq Capital Market and no assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain our Nasdaq listing.
	●	The reverse stock split to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s Minimum Bid Price Requirement, which was effected on Thursday, April 25, 2024, may adversely impact the market price of our common stock.
	●	The reverse stock split may decrease the liquidity of our common stock and as a result our common stock may not satisfy the investing requirements of new investors, including institutional investors.
	●	The effective increase in the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance as a result of our reverse stock split could result in further dilution to our existing stockholders and have anti-takeover implications.
	●	In addition to the above key factors, as well as other variables affecting our operating results and financial condition, past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods.

 

 

Summary of the Offering

 

Units being offered		3,984,064 Units at the assumed public offering price of $2.51 per Unit (the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024) on a “best-efforts” basis. Each Unit will consist of one share of common stock (or Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase one share of our common stock in lieu thereof), one Series A Warrant to purchase one share of common stock and one Series B Warrant to purchase one share of common stock. The Units have no stand-alone rights and will not be certificated or issued as stand-alone securities. The shares of common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants, if any, can each be purchased in this offering only with the accompanying Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants as part of Units, but the components of the Units will be immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.
Units, including Pre-Funded Warrants, offered by us in this offering		We are also offering to each purchaser whose purchase of Units consisting of shares of common stock in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, Units, includingPre-Funded Warrants, in lieu of shares of common stock that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of our common stock. The purchase price of each Unit including a Pre-Funded Warrant will equal the price per Unit in which the shares of common stock and accompanying Series Warrants are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be $0.0001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants are immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. This offering also relates to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of common stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis.
Description of Series Warrants		Each Unit includes one share of common stock, or one Pre-Funded Warrant in lieu of one share of common stock, one Series A Warrant and one Series B Warrant. Each Series A Warrant is exercisable at a price of $           per share, or pursuant to an alternate cashless exercise option, and each Series B Warrant is exercisable at a price of $              per share. The Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will be immediately exercisable upon issuance and will expire five years (with respect to the Series A Warrants) or one year (with respect to the Series B Warrants) from the closing date of this public offering. The Series Warrants include certain mechanisms which are subject to the Warrant Stockholder Approval, including (i) the alternative cashless exercise option in the Series A Warrants, (ii) certain anti-dilution provisions in the Series B Warrants and (iii) the reverse stock split provision in both Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants. See “Description of Securities — Series Warrants.” This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Series Warrants.
Description of Placement Agent Warrants		Pursuant to this prospectus, we will issue to the Co-Placement Agents (or their respective designees) warrants to purchase shares equal to 5.0% of the number of Units being offered in this offering at an exercise price equal to that of the Series Warrants and with an expiration date of five years from the commencement of sales as part of the compensation payable to the Co-Placement Agents in connection with this offering (the “Placement Agent Warrants”). See “Plan of Distribution” on page 23 of this prospectus. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants.
Common stock outstanding prior to this offering		984,728 shares.
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering		4,968,792 shares (assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and assuming none of the Series Warrants issued in this offering are exercised).

 

 

 

Use of proceeds		We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $8.97 million, after deducting the Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no exercise of the Series Warrants. We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities for the further development of our Therapeutic DNA Production and MDx Testing Services, as well as general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenses, capital expenditures, working capital and general and administrative expenses, and potential acquisitions of or investments in businesses, products and technologies that complement our business, although we have no present commitments or agreements to make any such acquisitions or investments as of the date of this prospectus. Pending these uses, we intend to invest the funds in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. See “Use of Proceeds” on page 16 of this prospectus.
Risk factors		You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors” on page 12 of this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein before deciding to invest in our securities.
Lock-up agreements		We and all of our executive officers and directors will enter into lock-up agreements in connection with the offering. Under these agreements, we and each of these persons may not, without the prior written approval of Craig-Hallum, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of or hedge common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock, subject to certain exceptions. The restrictions contained in these agreements will be in effect for a period of 90 days after the date of the closing of this offering. For more information, see “Plan of Distribution” on page 23 of this prospectus.
Market for common stock		Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.”
Listing of Pre-Funded Warrants and Series Warrants		We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Series Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Series Warrants will be extremely limited.

 

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on  984,728 shares of our common stock outstanding as of May 17, 2024, and excludes the following:

 

●	109,363 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options outstanding as of May 17, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $185.00 per share;

 

●	825,067 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of May 17, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $20.81 per share; and

 

●	267,355 shares of common stock reserved for future grant or issuance as of May 17, 2024, under our equity incentive plan.

 

Risk Factors

 

Investment in our securities, including our common stock, Series Warrants, and Pre-Funded Warrants, involves a high degree of risk. In addition to the risks and investment considerations discussed elsewhere in this prospectus, any document incorporated by reference herein or any “free writing prospectus” we have authorized in connection with this offering, the following factors should be carefully considered by anyone purchasing the securities offered by this prospectus. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. We also update risk factors from time to time in our periodic reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K which will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business could be harmed. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors could lose all or a part of their investment. All of these risks could adversely affect our business, business prospects, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

 

See also the statements contained under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

 

Risks Related to Our Business:

 

There is substantial doubt relating to our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

We have recurring net losses, which have resulted in an accumulated deficit of $308,255,808 as of March 31, 2024. We have incurred a net loss of $5,624,064 for the six months ended March 31, 2024. At March 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $3,149,640. We have concluded that these factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the issuance of the financial statements. We will continue to seek to raise additional working capital through public equity, private equity or debt financings. If we fail to raise additional working capital, or do so on commercially unfavorable terms, it would materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern.  If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

 

We have received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Staff notifying us that we are not in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of at least $2,500,000 for continued inclusion on The Nasdaq Capital Market and no assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain our Nasdaq listing.  

 

On May 16, 2024, we received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Staff notifying us that we are not in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of at least $2,500,000 for continued inclusion on The Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). In our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, we reported stockholders’ equity of ($175,385), which was below the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement.

 

In accordance with Nasdaq rules, we have 45 calendar days, or until July 1, 2024, to submit a plan to the Staff to regain compliance (the “Compliance Plan”) with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement. If the Compliance Plan is accepted, Nasdaq can grant an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the deficiency letter for the Company to evidence compliance.

 

The Company must submit a Compliance Plan to the Staff on or before July 1, 2024 and is considering available options to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement. However, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in developing the Compliance Plan, that the Compliance Plan will be accepted by Nasdaq, or even if it is accepted, that the Company will ultimately be able to regain compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement within the allotted extension period, which may be less than 180 calendar days.

 

Receipt of the Letter described above from Nasdaq has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock.

 

Further, there can be no assurance that we will continue to meet Nasdaq’s other continued listing requirements. Our failure to meet such applicable listing criteria could result in the termination of the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq. In the event we are unable to have our shares traded on Nasdaq, our common stock could potentially trade on the OTCQX or the OTCQB, each of which is generally considered less liquid and more volatile than Nasdaq. Failure to maintain our listing on Nasdaq or on another national securities exchange could make it more difficult to trade our shares, could prevent our common stock from trading on a frequent and liquid basis, and could result in the market price of our common stock being less than it would be if we maintained our listing on Nasdaq or on another national securities exchange.

 

Risks Related to Our Reverse Stock Split:

 

We approved a reverse stock split to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s Minimum Bid Price Requirement, which was effected on Thursday, April 25, 2024 and which may adversely impact the market price of our common stock.

 

On December 1, 2023, we received a written notice (the “Notification Letter”) from Nasdaq’s Listing Qualifications Department notifying us that, based upon the closing bid price of our common stock for the last 30 consecutive business days, we were not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share for continued listing on Nasdaq, as set forth in the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”), and that, if at any time before May 29, 2024, the closing bid price of our common stock remained at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq would provide written notification that we had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. 

 

On April 15, 2024, our stockholders approved the proposal in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement dated March 14, 2024 to grant discretionary authority to the Board of Directors to amend the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split within a range of one-for-five to one-for-fifty, if needed to meet the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. Subsequently, on April 21, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a reverse stock split at a ratio of one-for-twenty shares, which was effected at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 25, 2024. On May 9, 2024, the Company received a written notification from Nasdaq’s Listing Qualifications Department notifying the Company that the closing bid price of its common stock had exceeded $1.00 per share for 10 consecutive trading days, and as a result, the Company had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. There can be no assurance that our common stock will maintain market prices consistent with such reverse stock split and that we will remain in compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or any other Nasdaq continued listing requirement, and it is possible that the market price of our common stock will decline more than would have occurred in the absence of a reverse stock split.

 

 

The reverse stock split may decrease the liquidity of the shares of our common stock and the resulting market price of our common stock may not attract or satisfy the investing requirements of new investors, including institutional investors.

 

The liquidity of the shares of our common stock may be affected adversely by the reverse stock split given the reduced number of shares outstanding following the reverse stock split. Additionally, the reverse stock split may increase the number of shareholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of our common stock, creating the potential for such shareholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares and greater difficulty affecting such sales. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a share price that will attract new investors, including institutional investors, and there can be no assurance that the market price of our common stock will satisfy the investing requirements of these investors. Consequently, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not necessarily improve as a result of the reverse stock split.

 

The effective increase in the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance as a result of the reverse stock split may result in further dilution to our existing stockholders and have anti-takeover implications.

 

The reverse stock split alone had no effect on our authorized capital stock, and the total number of authorized shares remains the same as before the reverse stock split. The reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding shares increased the number of shares of our common stock (or securities convertible or exchangeable for our common stock) available for issuance. The additional available shares are available for issuance from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors when opportunities arise, without further stockholder action or the related delays and expenses, except as may be required for a particular transaction by law, the rules of any exchange on which our securities may then be listed, or other agreements or restrictions. Any issuance of additional shares of our common stock would increase the number of outstanding shares of our common stock and (unless such issuance was pro-rata among existing stockholders) the percentage ownership of existing stockholders would be diluted accordingly. In addition, any such issuance of additional shares of our common stock could have the effect of diluting the earnings per share and book value per share of outstanding shares of our common stock.

 

Additionally, the effective increase in the number of authorized shares could, under certain circumstances, have anti-takeover implications. For example, the additional shares of common stock that have become available for issuance could be used by us to oppose a hostile takeover attempt or to delay or prevent changes in control or our management. Although our reverse stock split is prompted by other considerations and not by the threat of any hostile takeover attempt, stockholders should be aware that our reverse stock split could facilitate future efforts by us to deter or prevent changes in control, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices.

 

In addition, we may need to effect an additional reverse stock split as a result of this offering. If at any time the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants are outstanding and the Company receives notice from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department that the Company is failing to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid requirement (the “Trigger Date”), then the Company has covenanted to take all necessary steps to obtain the necessary consents and approvals to undertake a reverse stock split after such Trigger Date and shall, prior to the effectiveness of any delisting notice issued by Nasdaq, effect such reverse stock split. Any such issuance of additional shares of our common stock could have the effect of diluting the earnings per share and book value per share of outstanding shares of our common stock. 

 

Risks Related to this Offering:

 

This is a best-efforts offering, no minimum amount of securities is required to be sold, and we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our business plans, including our near-term business plans.

 

The Co-Placement Agents have agreed to use their best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities in this offering. The Co-Placement Agents have no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of the securities. There is no required minimum number of securities that must be sold as a condition to completion of this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to the closing of this offering, the actual offering amount, placement agent fees and proceeds to us are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amounts set forth herein. We may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to support our continued operations, including our near-term continued operations. Thus, we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our operations in the short-term and may need to raise additional funds to complete such short-term operations. Such additional fundraises may not be available or available on terms acceptable to us.

 

 

Management will have broad discretion as to the use of proceeds from this offering and we may use the net proceeds in ways with which you may disagree.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for the further development of our Therapeutic DNA Production and MDx Testing Services, as well as general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenses, capital expenditures, working capital and general and administrative expenses, and potential acquisitions of or investments in businesses, products and technologies that complement our business, although we have no present commitments or agreements to make any such acquisitions or investments as of the date of this prospectus. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management on the use of net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our common stock to decline.

 

Pending these uses, we intend to invest the funds in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us.

 

The public offering price will be set by our Board of Directors and does not necessarily indicate the actual or market value of our common stock.

 

Our Board of Directors will approve the public offering price and other terms of this offering after considering, among other things: the number of shares authorized in our Certificate of Incorporation; the current market price of our common stock; trading prices of our common stock over time; the volatility of our common stock; our current financial condition and the prospects for our future cash flows; the availability of and likely cost of capital of other potential sources of capital; the characteristics of interested investors and market and economic conditions at the time of the offering. The public offering price is not intended to bear any relationship to the book value of our assets or our past operations, cash flows, losses, financial condition, net worth or any other established criteria used to value securities. The public offering price may not be indicative of the fair value of the common stock.

 

If you purchase the common stock or Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering, you will experience immediate dilution as a result of this offering and future equity issuances.

 

Because the price per share of our Units being offered is higher than the book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer immediate substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. See the section entitled “Dilution” of this prospectus for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering. The issuance of additional shares of our common stock in future offerings could be dilutive to stockholders if they do not invest in future offerings. Moreover, to the extent that we issue options or warrants to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock in the future and those options, warrants or other securities are exercised, converted or exchanged, stockholders may experience further dilution.

 

There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants being offered in this offering.

 

There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, including The Nasdaq Stock Market. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants will be limited.

 

Holders of Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants purchased in this offering will have no rights as common stockholders until such holders exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants and acquire our common stock.

 

Until holders of Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants, as applicable, holders of Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants will have no rights with respect to the shares of our common stock underlying such Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants. Upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

 

Provisions of the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.

 

In addition to the discussion of the provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, certain provisions of the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. Such Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants. Further, the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants provide that, in the event of certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions,” with some exception, holders of such the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have the right, at their option, to require us to repurchase such the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants at a price described in the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants. These and other provisions of the Series Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.

 

 

We may be required to repurchase certain of our warrants.

 

Certain of our warrants sold privately that have registration rights, in the event of a “Fundamental Transaction” (as defined in the related warrant agreement, which generally includes any merger with another entity, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets to another entity, or the acquisition by a person of more than 50% of our common stock), each warrant holder will have the right at any time prior to the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction to require us to repurchase the warrant for a purchase price in cash equal to the Black Scholes value (as calculated under the warrant agreement) of the then remaining unexercised portion of such warrant on the date of such Fundamental Transaction, which may materially adversely affect our financial condition and/or results of operations and may prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us.

 

The Series Warrants may not have any value.

 

Each Series Warrant will have an exercise price of $             per share of common stock. The Series A Warrants will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date they first become exercisable and the Series B Warrants will expire on the first anniversary of the date they first become exercisable. In the event our common stock price does not exceed the exercise price of the Series Warrants during the period when the Series Warrants are exercisable, the Series Warrants may not have any value.

 

If the Series A Warrants are exercised by way of an alternative cashless exercise, investors may suffer substantial dilution

 

If the Series A Warrants are exercised by way of an alternative cashless exercise, assuming receipt of Warrant Stockholder Approval, such exercising holder will receive three shares of Common Stock for each Series A Warrant they exercise, without any cash payment to us.  Such issuance will result in substantial dilution to stockholders.

 

We will likely not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the Series A Warrants.

 

If we receive the Warrant Stockholder Approval, the Series A Warrants may be exercised by way of an alternative cashless exercise, in which case the holder would not pay a cash purchase price upon exercise, but instead would receive upon such exercise the number of shares equal to the number of Series A Warrants being exercised multiplied by three. Accordingly, we will likely not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the Series A Warrants.

 

Certain beneficial provisions in the Series Warrants will not be effective until we are able to receive stockholder approval of such provisions, and if we are unable to obtain such approval the Warrant will have significantly less value.

 

Under Nasdaq listing rules, the alternative cashless exercise option in the Series A Warrants, certain anti-dilution provisions in the Series B Warrants and the reverse stock split provision in both the Series A and Series B Warrants will not be effective until, and unless, we obtain the approval of our stockholders. While we intend to promptly seek stockholder approval, there is no guarantee that the Warrant Stockholder Approval will ever be obtained. If we are unable to obtain the Warrant Stockholder Approval, the foregoing provisions will not become effective and the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will have substantially less value. In addition, we will incur substantial cost, and management will devote substantial time and attention, in attempting to obtain the Warrant Stockholder Approval.

 

We have agreed to hold a special meeting of shareholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of shareholders) at the earliest practicable date after the date hereof, but in no event later than ninety days after the closing of the offering, in order to obtain Warrant Stockholder Approval. There is no guarantee we will be able to hold a special meeting within this timeframe, or at all.

 

Risks Relating to Manufacturing, Development, and Industries:

 

If the FDA implements its plans to regulate LDTs, we could incur substantial costs and delays associated with trying to obtain pre-market clearance or approval and costs associated with complying with post-market requirements.

 

As an LDT, our MDx Testing Services are currently subject to enforcement discretion by the FDA.  On April 29, 2024, however, the FDA published a final rule on LDTs, in which FDA outlines its plans to end enforcement discretion for many LDTs in five stages over a four-year period.  In Phase 1 (effective May 6, 2025), clinical laboratories running LDTs will be required to comply with medical device (adverse event) reporting and correction/removal reporting requirements, as well as requirements for maintenance of complaint files under the FDA’s quality systems regulation (QSR).  In Phase 2 (effective May 6, 2026), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with all other device requirements (e.g., registration/listing, labeling, investigational use), except for the remaining QSR requirements and premarket review.  In Phase 3 (effective May 6, 2027), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with all remaining QSR requirements.  In Phase 4 (effective ~November 6, 2027), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with premarket review requirements for high-risk tests (i.e., tests subject to the premarket approval (PMA) requirement).  Finally, in Phase 5 (effective May 6, 2028), clinical laboratories will be required to comply with premarket review requirements for moderate- and low-risk tests (i.e., tests subject to the de novo or 510(k) requirement).

 

Under the final rule, several types of tests will be eligible for some degree of continued enforcement discretion, including LDTs approved by NYSDOH. FDA notes, however, that it retains discretion to pursue enforcement action for violations of the FDCA at any time and intends to do so when appropriate. FDA further explains that it may update any of the enforcement discretion policies set forth in the final rule as circumstances warrant or if the circumstances that inform those policies change, consistent with FDA’s good guidance practices. Based on our current analysis of the FDA final rule, and assuming the final rule goes into effect without modification, we believe that ADCL’s current and future NYSDOH approved LDTs, which includes our under development PGx Testing Services, will be exempt from FDA premarket review requirements but will remain subject to the requirements of Phases 1 through 3.

 

Congress is also working on legislative language that would clarify FDA’s authority with respect to LDTs – and if enacted, would potentially supersede the final rule.  In this regard, the “Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development Act,” or VALID Act, was most recently introduced in March 2023.  The bill proposes a risk-based approach that would subject many LDTs to FDA regulation by creating a new in vitro clinical test, or IVCT, category of regulated products. As proposed, the bill would grandfather many existing LDTs from the proposed premarket approval, quality systems, and labeling requirements, respectively, but would require such tests to comply with other regulatory requirements (e.g., registration/listing, adverse event reporting). To market a high-risk IVCT, reasonable assurance of analytical and clinical validity for the intended use would be needed to be established. Under VALID, a precertification process would be established that would allow a laboratory to establish that the facilities, methods, and controls used in the development of its IVCTs meet quality system requirements. If pre-certified, low-risk IVCTs developed by the laboratory and falling within the scope of FDA’s precertification order would not be subject to test-specific pre-market review. The new regulatory framework would include quality control and post-market reporting requirements. The FDA would have the authority to withdraw approvals for IVCTs for various reasons, including (for example) if there were a reasonable likelihood that the test would cause death or serious adverse health consequences. However, we cannot predict if this (or any other bill) will be enacted in its current (or any other) form and cannot quantify the effect of such proposals on our business.

 

To the extent that FDA ultimately regulates certain LDTs, whether via final rule, final guidance, or as instructed by Congress, our LDTs may be subject to certain additional regulatory requirements. Complying with the FDA’s requirements may be expensive, time-consuming, and subject us to significant or unanticipated delays. Insofar as we may be required to obtain premarket clearance or approval to perform or continue performing an LDT, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such authorization. Even if we obtain regulatory clearance or approval where required, such authorization may not be for the intended uses that we believe are commercially attractive or are critical to the commercial success of our tests. As a result, the application of the FDA’s requirements to our tests could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Failure to comply with applicable FDA regulatory requirements may trigger a range of enforcement actions by the FDA including warning letters, civil monetary penalties, injunctions, criminal prosecution, recall or seizure, operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of operations, and denial of or challenges to applications for clearance or approval, as well as significant adverse publicity.

 

Use of Proceeds

 

We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $8.97 million, assuming a public offering price of $2.51 per Unit and the sale of all the securities offered under this prospectus, after deducting the Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no exercise of the Series Warrants. However, this is a best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of these securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the Series A Warrants issuable in connection with this offering if such Series A Warrants are exercised at their exercise price of $           and the holders of such Series A Warrants pay the exercise price in cash upon such exercise. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the Series B Warrants issuable in connection with this offering if such Series B Warrants are exercised at their exercise price of $       and the holders of such Series B Warrants pay the exercise price in cash upon such exercise. Such proceeds with respect to the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants could not exceed, in the aggregate, $           million.

  

The foregoing discussion assumes no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for the further development of our Therapeutic DNA Production Services and MDx Testing Services, as well as general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenses, capital expenditures, working capital and general and administrative expenses, and potential acquisitions of or investments in businesses, products and technologies that complement our business, although we have no present commitments or agreements to make any such acquisitions or investments as of the date of this prospectus. Pending these uses, we intend to invest the funds in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us.

 

Our expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our current intentions based upon our present plans and business condition. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot currently allocate specific percentages of the net proceeds that we may use for the purposes specified above, and we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering, or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual use of the net proceeds will vary depending on numerous factors, including our ability to obtain additional financing. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and investors will be relying on our judgment regarding the application of the net proceeds from this offering. See “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that may affect our intended use of the net proceeds from this offering.

 

Market Price of our Common Stock and Related Stockholder Matters

 

Market Information

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “APDN.” A description of the common stock that we are issuing in this offering is set forth under the heading “Description of Securities” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus. We do not intend to apply for the listing of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Series Warrants that are part of this offering on any national securities exchange.

 

The last reported sale price for our common stock on May 17, 2024 was $2.51 per share.

 

 

Holders

 

As of May 17, 2024, we had 269 record holders of our common stock, and no preferred stock issued and outstanding. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of common stock whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers, and registered clearing agencies. The transfer agent of our common stock and publicly traded warrants is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, located at 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

 

Dividend Policy

 

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends to stockholders in the foreseeable future. In addition, any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, and such other factors as the Board of Directors deem relevant.

 

Capitalization

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of March 31, 2024:

 

●

on an actual basis; and

 

●

on a pro forma, as adjusted basis, after giving effect to the application of the net proceeds of this offering and after deducting the Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The information set forth in the following table should be read in conjunction with and is qualified in its entirety by “Use of Proceeds” above, as well as our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “The Offering” in this prospectus for information relating to the expected number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering. Our capitalization following the closing of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

 

		As of March 31, 2024
		Actual				Pro Forma, As Adjusted for this Offering*
Cash and cash equivalents		$	3,149,640			$	12,122,063
Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; -0- shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2024			-				-
Series A Preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; -0- shares outstanding as of March 31, 2024			-				-
Series B Preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; -0- shares outstanding as of March 31, 2024			-				-
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 4,847,132 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2024			864				4,848
Additional paid-in capital			308,206,796				317,175,235
Accumulated deficit			(308,255,808	)			(308,255,808	)
Total Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity		$	(48,148	)		$	8,924,275

 

*Assumes a $10,000,000 capital raise with net cash proceeds of approximately $8,972,400; number of shares derived by dividing closing stock price on May 17, 2024 of $2.51. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price per share would increase (decrease) the amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets, and total stockholders’ equity by approximately $3,984,000, assuming the number of securities offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of securities to be issued in this offering. Each increase (decrease) of 1.0 million Units offered by us would increase (decrease) the as adjusted amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders’ equity by approximately $2,510,000, assuming the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

 

The discussion and table above are based on the 863,068 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2024, and excludes the following:

 

●	109,363 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options outstanding as of March 31, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $184.60 per share;

 

●	945,867 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $18.20 per share;

 

●	267,355 shares of common stock reserved for future grant or issuance as of March 31, 2024, under our equity incentive plan; and

 

Dilution

 

If you invest in our common stock and/or Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the assumed public offering price per share of our common stock underlying the Units and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. Our net tangible book value as of March 31, 2024 was approximately $2.5 million, or $2.86 per share of our common stock. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of our outstanding common stock.

 

After giving effect to the sale of Units in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $2.51 per share (the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024 ), and after deducting the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the cash exercise of the Series Warrants issued in this offering and assuming no Pre-Funded Warrants are issued in this offering, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2024 would have been $11,444,063, or $2.36 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate decrease in as adjusted net tangible book value of $0.50 per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution of $0.15 per share to new investors purchasing securities in this offering at the assumed public offering price. The final public offering price will be determined between us, the Co-Placement Agents and investors in the offering and may be at a discount to the current market price. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final public offering price.

 

The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed public offering price per share and accompanying Series Warrants						$	2.51
Historical net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2024		$	2.86
Pro forma decrease in net tangible book value per share attributable to investors in this offering		$	(0.50	)
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering						$	2.36
Dilution per share to investors participating in this offering						$	0.15

 

A $1.00 increase in the assumed public offering price of $2.51 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024, would result in an increase in our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $0.22 and the dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering by $0.43 assuming the number of securities offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus remains the same, and after deducting the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A $1.00 decrease in the assumed public offering price of $2.51 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024, would result in a decrease in our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $1.33 and the dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering by $0.02 assuming the number of securities offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus remains the same, and after the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of securities to be issued in this offering. Each increase (decrease) of 1.0 million Units offered by us would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value per share and the dilution per share to new investors purchasing securities in this offering by $0.15 assuming that the assumed public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the Placement Agent fee and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering as determined between us and the Co-Placement Agents at pricing.

 

The foregoing discussion and table do not take into account further dilution to investors in this offering that could occur upon the exercise of outstanding options and warrants, including the Pre-Funded Warrants and Series Warrants offered in this offering, having a per share exercise price less than the public offering price per share in this offering. The foregoing discussion and table also does not take into account any “alternative cashless exercises” of the Series A Warrants, pursuant to which the aggregate number of shares issuable in such alternative cashless exercise would be equal to the number of Series A Warrants being exercised multiplied by three.

 

 

The discussion and table above are based on the 863,068 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2024, and excludes the following:

 

●	109,363 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options outstanding as of March 31, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $184.60 per share;

 

●	945,867 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2024, with a weighted average exercise price of $18.20 per share;

 

●	267,355 shares of common stock reserved for future grant or issuance as of March 31, 2024, under our equity incentive plan; and

 

The discussion and table above assume no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of shares of common stock that we are offering on a one-for-one basis.

 

To the extent that our outstanding options or warrants are exercised, new options are issued under our equity incentive plan, or additional shares of our common stock are issued in the future, there may be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

 

Description of Securities

 

The following description of our common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and accompanying Series Warrants underlying the Units summarizes the material terms and provisions of the securities that we may issue in connection with this offering. It may not contain all the information that is important to you. For the complete terms of our common stock, please refer to our Certificate of Incorporation and our by-laws (“By-Laws”), which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement which includes this prospectus. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.” The Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) may also affect the terms of these securities. The summary below is qualified in its entirety by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, each as in effect at the time of any offering of securities under this prospectus.

 

As of May 17, 2024, our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 984,728 shares were issued and outstanding, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which no shares were issued and outstanding. In addition, as of May 17, 2024, there were 109,363 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options outstanding, 825,067 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding, and 267,355 shares of common stock reserved for future grant or issuance The authorized and unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders.

 

Common Stock

 

Each stockholder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share issued and outstanding held on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Our shares of common stock have no preemptive, conversion, or redemption rights. The rights, preferences, and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock. Upon the sale of substantially all of our stock or assets or dissolution, liquidation or winding up, and after all liquidation preferences payable to any series of preferred stock entitled thereto have been satisfied, our remaining assets shall be distributed to all holders of common stock and any similarly situated stockholders who are not entitled to any liquidation preference or, if there be an insufficient amount to pay all such stockholders, then ratably among such holders. All of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to such cash dividends as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors from funds available therefor.

  

The shares of common stock offered by this prospectus, when issued and paid for, will also be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, located at 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

 

 

Preferred Stock

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our Board of Directors may, by resolution, designate classes of preferred stock in the future. The designated series of preferred stock shall have such powers, designations, preferences and relative, participation or optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions as shall be expressed in the resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. Once designated by our Board of Directors, each series of preferred stock will have specific financial and other terms described in the documents that govern the preferred stock, which include our Certificate of Incorporation and any certificates of designation that our Board of Directors may adopt. Prior to the issuance of shares of each series of preferred stock, the Board of Directors is required by the DGCL and our Certificate of Incorporation to adopt resolutions and file a certificate of designations with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The certificate of designations fixes for each class or series the designations, powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions, including, but not limited to, some or all of the following:

 

●

the number of shares constituting that series and the distinctive designation of that series, which number may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares then outstanding) from time to time by action of the Board of Directors;

 

●

the dividend rate and the manner and frequency of payment of dividends on the shares of that series, whether dividends will be cumulative, and, if so, from which date;

 

●

whether that series will have voting rights, in addition to any voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such voting rights;

 

●

whether that series will have conversion privileges, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion, including provision for adjustment of the conversion rate in such events as the Board of Directors may determine;

 

●

whether or not the shares of that series will be redeemable, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such redemption;

 

●

whether that series will have a sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of shares of that series, and, if so, the terms and amount of such sinking fund;

 

●

whether or not the shares of the series will have priority over or be on a parity with or be junior to the shares of any other series or class in any respect;

 

●

the rights of the shares of that series in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the corporation, and the relative rights or priority, if any, of payment of shares of that series; and

 

●

any other relative rights, preferences and limitations of that series.

 

Although our Board of Directors has no intention at the present time of doing so, it could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt.

 

Warrant Stockholder Approval

 

Under Nasdaq listing rules, the alternative cashless exercise option in the Series A Warrants (described below), certain anti-dilution provisions in the Series B Warrants (described below), and the reverse stock split provision in both Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants (each described below) will not be effective until, and unless, we obtain the approval of our stockholders. While we intend to promptly seek stockholder approval, and in no event later than 90 days following the closing of this offering, there is no guarantee that the Warrant Stockholder Approval will ever be obtained. If we are unable to obtain the Warrant Stockholder Approval, the foregoing provisions will not become effective and the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will have substantially less value. In addition, we will incur substantial costs, and management will devote substantial time and attention, in attempting to obtain the Warrant Stockholder Approval.

 

Series Warrants

 

The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Series Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Series Warrants, the forms of which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the forms of the Series Warrants for complete descriptions of the terms and conditions of the Series Warrants.

 

The Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants are exercisable immediately and at any time up to the date that is five years (with respect to the Series A Warrants) or one year (with respect to the Series B Warrants) after their original issuance. The Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice and by payment in full in immediately available funds for the number of shares of common stock purchased upon such exercise. If a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants under the Securities Act is not effective, the holder may elect to exercise the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants through a cashless exercise, in which case the holder would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of common stock determined according to the formula set forth in the warrant. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued in connection with the exercise of Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants. In lieu of fractional shares, we will pay the holder an amount in cash equal to the fractional amount multiplied by the exercise price. 

 

On or after receipt of the Warrant Stockholder Approval, a holder may also effect an “alternative cashless exercise” at any time while the Series A Warrants are outstanding. In such event, the aggregate number of shares issuable in such alternative cashless exercise will be equal to the number of Series A Warrants being exercised multiplied by three.

 

A holder will not have the right to exercise any portion of the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants if the holder (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants. However, any holder may increase or decrease such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%, provided that any increase in such percentage shall  not be effective until 61 days following notice from the holder to us.

 

The exercise price per whole share of common stock purchasable upon exercise of the Series A Warrants is $ , and the exercise price per whole share of common stock purchasable upon exercise of the Series B Warrants is $ . The exercise price is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of certain stock dividends and distributions, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications or similar events affecting our common stock and also upon any distributions of assets, including cash, stock or other property to our stockholders.

 

In addition, conditioned upon the receipt of the Warrant Stockholder Approval, and subject to certain exemptions, if we sell, enter into an agreement to sell, or grant any option to purchase, or sell, enter into an agreement to sell, or grant any right to reprice (excluding Exempt Issuances, as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement), or otherwise dispose of or issue (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition) any shares of common stock, at an effective price per share less than the exercise price of the Series B Warrants then in effect, the exercise price of the Series B Warrants will be reduced to the lower of such price or the lowest volume weighted average price (VWAP) during the five consecutive trading days immediately following such dilutive issuance or announcement thereof (subject to a floor of $[●] prior to the Warrant Stockholder Approval), and the number of shares issuable upon exercise will be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate exercise price will remain unchanged.

 

Conditioned upon the receipt of the Warrant Stockholder Approval, if at any time on or after the date of issuance there occurs any share split, share dividend, share combination recapitalization or other similar transaction involving our common stock and the lowest daily volume weighted average price during the period commencing five consecutive trading days immediately preceding and the five consecutive trading days commencing on the date of such event is less than the exercise price of the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants then in effect, then the exercise price of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants will be reduced to the lowest daily volume weighted average price during such period and the number of shares issuable upon exercise will be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate price will remain unchanged.

 

 

Subject to applicable laws, the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent.

 

In the case of certain fundamental transactions affecting the Company, a holder of Series Warrants, upon exercise of such Series Warrants after such fundamental transaction, will have the right to receive, in lieu of shares of the Company’s common stock, the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property that such holder would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of the fundamental transaction, had the Series Warrants been exercised immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. In lieu of such consideration, a holder of Series Warrants may instead elect to receive a cash payment based upon the Black-Scholes value of their Series Warrants.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holder of Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common stock, including any voting rights, until the holder exercises the Series A Warrant or Series B Warrants.

 

If at any time the Series A Warrants or Series B Warrants are outstanding and the Company receives notice from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department that the Company is failing to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid requirement, then the Company has covenanted to take all necessary steps to obtain the necessary consents and approvals to undertake a reverse stock split after such Trigger Date and shall, prior to the effectiveness of any delisting notice issued by Nasdaq, effect such reverse stock split.

 

The Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants are governed by New York law.

 

We do not intend to list the Series Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. Except as otherwise provided in the Series Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the Series Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Series Warrants.

 

In addition, we have agreed to hold a special meeting of shareholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of shareholders) at the earliest practicable date after the date hereof, but in no event later than ninety days after the closing of the offering, in order to obtain Warrant Stockholder Approval.

 

Pre-Funded Warrants

 

The following summary of certain terms and provisions of Pre-Funded Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrant, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Pre-Funded Warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Each Pre-Funded Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to $0.0001. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be issued separately from the accompanying Series Warrants and may be transferred separately immediately thereafter.

 

The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the outstanding common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s Pre-Funded Warrants up to 9.99 % of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Purchasers of Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the Pre-Funded Warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding common stock. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued in connection with the exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant. In lieu of fractional shares, we will round up to the next whole share. 

 

At any time, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.

 

We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

 

Possible Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions that could make it more difficult to acquire control of our company by means of a tender offer, open market purchases, a proxy contest or otherwise. A description of these provisions is set forth below.

 

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law

 

Companies incorporated in Delaware are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL, or Section 203, unless the corporation has “opted out” of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. We have opted out of Section 203 with an express provision in our Certificate of Incorporation. Therefore, the anti-takeover effects of Section 203 do not apply to us.

 

In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock.

 

Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions: before the stockholder became interested, the Board of Directors 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, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances; or at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by the Board of Directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

Election and Removal of Directors

 

Directors will be elected by a plurality of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the stockholders meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for a classified Board of Directors or for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Under Article VIII of the Certificate of Incorporation and Section 3.13 of the By-Laws, directors may be removed by the stockholders of the Company only for cause, and in such case only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company then entitled to vote in the election of directors. On December 21, 2015, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware invalidated as a matter of law certain provisions of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (“VAALCO”), a Delaware corporation, that permitted the removal of VAALCO’s directors by its stockholders only for cause. In In re VAALCO Energy, Inc. Stockholder Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 11775-VCL (Del. Ch. Dec. 21, 2015), the Court ruled from the bench to hold that, in the absence of a classified Board of Directors or cumulative voting, VAALCO’s “only for-cause” director removal provisions conflict with Section 141(k) of the DGCL and are therefore invalid. Because the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws contain similar “only for-cause” director removal provisions and the Company does not have a classified Board of Directors or cumulative voting, the Company will not attempt to enforce the foregoing “only for-cause” director removal provision in light of the recent VAALCO decision.

  

Size of Board and Vacancies

 

The authorized number of directors may be determined by the Board of Directors, provided the board shall consist of at least one (1) member. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the board shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

Vacancies occurring on our Board of Directors for any reason and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, at any meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

Amendment

 

The Certificate of Incorporation may be amended in the manner prescribed by the DGCL. The Board of Directors is authorized to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the By-Laws by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the Board of Directors then in office. No amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws may adversely affect any indemnification right or protection of any director, officer, employee or other agent existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision for or in respect of any act, omission or other matter occurring, or any action or proceeding accruing or arising prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.

 

 

Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock and of Preferred Stock

 

We believe that the availability of the “Blank Check” preferred stock under our Certificate of Incorporation provides us with flexibility in addressing corporate issues that may arise. The Board of Directors has the power, subject to applicable law, to issue series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt that some, or a majority, of the stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then prevailing market price of the stock. Our Board of Directors may issue preferred stock with voting rights or conversion rights that, if exercised, could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock.

 

The authorized shares of preferred stock, as well as shares of common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. Having these authorized shares available for issuance allows us to issue shares without the expense and delay of a special stockholders’ meeting. We may use additional shares for a variety of purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, to fund acquisitions and as employee compensation. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise. The above provisions may deter a hostile takeover or delay a change in control or management of our company.

 

Advance Notice Procedure

 

Our By-Laws provide an advance notice procedure for stockholders to nominate director candidates for election or to bring business before an annual meeting of stockholders. Only persons nominated by, or at the direction of, our Board of Directors or by a stockholder of record who has given proper and timely notice to our secretary prior to the meeting at which such stockholder is entitled to vote and appears, will be eligible for election as a director. In addition, any proposed business other than the nomination of persons for election to our Board of Directors must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action pursuant to a proper notice of meeting delivered to us. For notice to be timely, it must generally be delivered to our secretary not less than 90 nor more than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting (or if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 calendar days before or more than 60 calendar days after the anniversary date of the previous year’s annual meeting, not earlier than the 120th calendar day prior to such meeting and not later than either the 90th calendar day prior to such meeting or the 10th calendar day after public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made by us). These advance notice provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may 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 us. 

 

Special Meetings of Stockholders

 

Our By-Laws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the board.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Pursuant to a placement agency agreement, dated as of [●], 2024, we have engaged Craig-Hallum and Laidlaw, or the Co-Placement Agents, to act as our exclusive placement agents to solicit offers to purchase the Units offered by this prospectus on a best efforts basis. The placement agency agreement does not give rise to any commitment by the Co-Placement Agents to purchase any of our securities, and the Co-Placement Agents will have no authority to bind us by virtue of the placement agency agreement. The Co-Placement Agents are not purchasing or selling any such securities, nor is it required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of such securities, other than to use their “ best efforts” to arrange for the sale of such securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell all, or any, of the Units being offered. The terms of this offering were subject to market conditions and negotiations between us, the Co-Placement Agents and prospective investors. This is a best efforts offering and there is no minimum number of securities or minimum aggregate amount of proceeds that is a condition to the closing of this offering. The Co-Placement Agents may retain sub-agents and selected dealers in connection with this offering. This offering will terminate on June 30, 2024, unless we decide to terminate the offering (which we may do at any time in our discretion) prior to that date. We will have one closing for all the securities purchased in this offering. The public offering price per Unit will be fixed for the duration of this offering.

 

Delivery of the securities offered hereby is expected to occur on or about                             , 2024, subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions.

 

We have agreed to pay the Co-Placement Agents an aggregate fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds received in the offering and will issue to the Co-Placement Agents, or their respective designees, Placement Agent Warrants to purchase up to 199,203 shares of common stock (which equals 5.0% of the number of Units being offered) on substantially the same terms as the Series Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants will have an expiration date of five years from the commencement of sales in this offering. The Placement Agent Warrants and the underlying shares of common stock are being registered on this prospectus. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the Co-Placement Agents for their legal fees, costs and expenses in connection with this offering in an amount up to $110,000.

 

 

We estimate the total expenses of this offering paid or payable by us, exclusive of the Co-Placement Agents’ cash fees and expenses, will be approximately $217,577. After deducting the fees due to the Co-Placement Agents and our estimated expenses in connection with this offering, we expect the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $8,972,400 based on an assumed public offering price of $2.51, which was the last reported sales price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 17, 2024.

 

The following table shows the per share and total cash fees we will pay to the Co-Placement Agents in connection with the sale of the securities pursuant to this prospectus.

 

Per Share and Series Warrants

Per Pre-Funded Warrant and Series Warrants

Total

Public offering price

$

$

$

Placement Agent fees

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

$

$

$

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the Co-Placement Agents against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and liabilities arising from breaches of representations, warranties and covenants contained in our placement agency agreement with the Co-Placement Agents.

 

Determination of Public Offering Price and Warrant Exercise Price

 

Our common stock is currently traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” On May 17, 2024, the closing price of our common stock was $2.51 per share.

 

The final public offering price of the Units and the exercise price of the Series Warrants that we are offering, will be negotiated between us, the Co-Placement Agents and the investors in this offering. We believe that the market price of our common stock at the date of this prospectus is not the appropriate public offering price for the shares of our common stock because the market price is affected by a number of factors. The principal factors considered by us and the Co-Placement Agents in determining the final public offering price of the Units we are offering, as well as the exercise price of the Series Warrants that we are offering, included:

 

●

the recent trading history of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, including market prices and trading volume of our common stock;

●

the current market price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market;

●

the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded common stock of generally comparable companies;

●

the information set forth or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and otherwise available to the Co-Placement Agents;

●

our past and present financial performance and an assessment of our management;

●

our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our products;

●

the current status of competitive products and product developments by our competitors;

●

our history and prospects, and the history and prospects of the industry in which we compete;

●

the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

●

other factors deemed relevant by the Co-Placement Agents and us, including a to be negotiated discount to the trading price.

 

 

Tail Fees

 

We have also agreed to pay Craig-Hallum a cash fee equal to 7.0% of the total gross proceeds received by us from any investor who was contacted by Craig-Hallum, if such investor provides us with capital in any offering or other financing or capital raising transaction during the term of the engagement with Craig-Hallum or within six months following the expiration or termination of the engagement with Craig-Hallum.

 

Lock-up Agreements

 

We and each of our officers and directors have agreed to be subject to a lock-up period of 90 days following the date of closing of the offering pursuant to this prospectus. This means that, during the applicable lock-up period, we and such persons may not offer for sale, contract to sell, sell, distribute, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our shares of common stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of common stock, subject to customary exceptions. We have also agreed, subject to certain exceptions, to a restriction on the issuance of any variable priced securities for 180 days after the closing of this offering, although we will be permitted to issue stock options or stock awards to directors, officers and employees under our existing plans. Craig-Hallum may waive the terms of these lock-up agreements in its sole discretion and without notice.

 

Right of First Refusal

 

We have granted Craig-Hallum a right of first refusal, for a period commencing after the closing of this offering and ending on the date on which the Series B Warrants are no longer outstanding, to act as sole bookrunner, exclusive placement agent or exclusive sales agent in connection with any financing in which we decide to raise funds by means of a solicitation of any of the Series B Warrants.

 

Other Relationships

 

From time to time, the Co-Placement Agents may provide in the future various advisory, investment and commercial banking and other services to us in the ordinary course of business, for which they may receive customary fees and commissions. However, except as disclosed in this prospectus, we have no present arrangements with the Co-Placement Agents for any further services.

 

Regulation M Compliance

 

The Co-Placement Agents may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the sale of our securities offered hereby by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. The Co-Placement Agents will be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our securities by the Co-Placement Agents. Under these rules and regulations, the Co-Placement Agents may not (i) engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and (ii) bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until they have completed their participation in the distribution.

 

Electronic Distribution

 

This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by the Co-Placement Agents, or by their affiliates. Other than this prospectus in electronic format, the information on the Co-Placement Agents’ websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by the Co-Placement Agents is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the Co-Placement Agents in their capacity as placement agent, and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

Experts

 

Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in this registration statement. Marcum LLP’s report includes an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Marcum LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

Legal Matters

 

Certain legal matters relating to the issuance of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by McDermott Will & Emery LLP, New York, New York. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the Co-Placement Agents by Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York.

 

 

Where you can find more information

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and our securities, we refer you to the registration statement, including the exhibits filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document are not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, please see the copy of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as the exhibits thereto. These documents, along with future reports, proxy statements and other information about us, are available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

 

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and, in accordance with this law, file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports and other information are available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at http://www.adnas.com. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

 

MATERIAL CHANGES

 

None. 

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE.

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information in documents we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. Any statement contained in any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in or omitted from this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement, or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

 

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future documents that we file with the SEC (excluding any portion of such documents that are furnished and not filed with the SEC) under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (1) on and after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, (2) prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and (3) after the date of effectiveness of this prospectus until the offering of the underlying securities is terminated; provided, however, we are not incorporating by reference any information furnished (but not filed) under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K:

 

	·	Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year September 30, 2023 filed with the SEC on December 7, 2023, as amended on January 26, 2024.
	·	Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three month periods ended December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on February 8, 2024 and May 10, 2024, respectively.
	·	Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 7, 2023, December 6, 2023, January 5, 2024, January 31, 2024, February 1, 2024, April 16, 2024, April 19, 2024, April 22, 2024 (excluding Item 7.01), as amended on April 23, 2024 (excluding Item 7.01) and May 16, 2024.
	·	Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on March 14, 2024.
	·	The description of our capital stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-36745) filed with the Commission on November 13, 2014, pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

Upon written or oral request, we will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of the prospectus is delivered a copy of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus (other than exhibits to such documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus). You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address: Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790, c/o Investor Relations, telephone: 631-240-8800. You may also access these documents on our website at www.adnas.com.

 

Information on our website, including subsections, pages, or other subdivisions of our website, or any website linked to by content on our website, is not part of this prospectus and you should not rely on that information unless that information is also in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

 

Up to  3,984,064 Units, Each Unit Consisting of One Share of Common Stock or One

Pre-Funded Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock, One Series A Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock and One Series B Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock

 

Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase Up to 199,203 Shares of Common Stock

 

Up to 12,151,395 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants, Series A Warrants, Series B Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

Craig-Hallum

Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd.

 

, 2024

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the fees and expenses, other than placement agent fees and expenses, payable in connection with the registration of the securities hereunder. All amounts are estimates except the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee.

 

Item		Amount to be paid
SEC registration fee		$	4,502
FINRA filing fee		$	5,075
Printing expenses		$	8,000
Legal fees and expenses		$	150,000
Accounting fees and expenses		$	45,000
Transfer Agent fees and expenses		$	5,000
Total		$	217,577

 

Item 14.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent to the corporation. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may adopt a provision in its certificate of incorporation eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director of the corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for any: (i) breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions; or (iv) transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law that our directors or officers shall not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for damages for breach of such director’s or officer’s fiduciary duty. The effect of this provision of our Certificate of Incorporation is to eliminate our rights and the rights of our stockholders (through stockholders’ derivative suits on behalf of our Company) to recover damages against a director or officer for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director or officer (including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior), except under certain situations defined by statute. We believe that the indemnification provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation also provides that we shall have the power to indemnify, to the extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended from time to time, any employee or agent of ours who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of ours or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such proceeding.

 

Section 9.3 of our By-Laws provides for the indemnification of our directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

 

We have entered into an indemnification agreement (each, an “Indemnification Agreement”) with each of our directors and executive officers. In general, the Indemnification Agreement obligates us to indemnify a director or executive officer, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, penalties, fines and settlement amounts actually and reasonably incurred by them in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or executive officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request. In addition, the Indemnification Agreement provides for the advancement of expenses incurred by the indemnitee in connection with any covered proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The rights provided by the Indemnification Agreement are in addition to any other rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses to which the indemnitee may be entitled under applicable law, our Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws, or otherwise.

 

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of ours 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 us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of ours 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, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

We maintain a director and officer insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

 

Item 15.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

On January 31, 2024, the Company entered into the Placement Agreement with Maxim Group pursuant to which Maxim Group agreed to serve as the sole placement agent, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, in connection with the Offering of 161,403 shares of the Company’s common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 120,801 shares of common stock, and in a concurrent private placement, unregistered common warrants to purchase up to 564,407 shares of common stock. Also on January 31, 2024, in connection with the Offering, the Company entered into Purchase Agreements with the Purchasers.

 

The Offering closed on February 2, 2024. The Company received gross proceeds from the Offering, before deducting placement agent fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, of approximately $3.4 million.

 

Pursuant to the Placement Agreement, the Company paid Maxim Group a cash placement fee equal to 6.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering from sales arranged for by Maxim Group. Subject to certain conditions, the Company has also agreed to reimburse certain expenses of Maxim Group in connection with the Offering, including but not limited to legal fees, up to a maximum of $50,000.

 

Securities Act Exemptions

 

The common warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the common warrants are not registered under the Securities Act. The common warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise thereof were issued in reliance on the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder, for transactions not involving a public offering.

 

Item 16.

Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a) Exhibits.

 

The exhibit index attached hereto is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) Financial Statement Schedules.

 

Schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.

 

Item 17.

Undertakings

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

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

 

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

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

 

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

 

(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.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. 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 first use, 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 date of first use.

  

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(6) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to any charter provision, by law or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than 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.

 

(7) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(i) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and

 

(ii) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

Incorporated by Reference

Filed or Furnished

Number

Description

Form

Exhibit

File No.

Date Filed

Herewith

2.1*†

Share Purchase Agreement, dated July 12, 2023, by and among Spindle Acquisition Corp., Spindle Biotech Inc., the persons listed on Schedule 1.1 therein, Lai Him Chung and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

8-K

2.1

001-36745

7/13/2023

3.1

Conformed version of Certificate of Incorporation of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., as most recently amended by the Sixth Certificate of Amendment, effective Thursday, April 25, 2024

Previously Filed

3.2

By-Laws

8-K

3.2

002-90539

1/16/2009

4.1

Description of Securities

10-K

4.1

001-36745

12/9/2021

4.2

Form of Purchase Warrant

8-K

4.1

001-36745

12/20/2017

4.3

Common Stock Purchase Warrant

8-K

4.1

001-36745

12/21/2018

4.4

Form of common warrant certificate (included in the Warrant Agreement, dated November 15, 2019)

8-K

4.2

001-36745

11/18/2019

4.5

Form of Indenture

S-3

4.1

333-238557

05/21/2020

4.6

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant

8-K

10.3

001-36745

10/14/2020

4.7

Form of Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrant

8-K

4.1

001-36745

2/23/2022

4.8

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant

8-K

4.2

001-36745

2/23/2022

4.9

Form of Series A Warrant

8-K

4.1

001-36745

8/9/2022

4.10

Form of Series B Warrant

8-K

4.2

001-36745

8/9/2022

4.11

Form of Prefunded Warrant

8-K

4.3

001-36745

8/9/2022

4.12

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant.

8-K

4.1

001-36745

02/01/2024

4.13

Form of Private Common Warrant.

8-K

4.2

001-36745

02/01/2024

4.14

Form of Pre-Funded Warrant

Previously Filed

4.15

Form of Series A Warrant

Filed

4.16

Form of Series B Warrant

Filed

4.17

Form of Placement Agent Warrant

Previously Filed

5.1

Opinion of McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Filed

10.1†

Form of employee stock option agreement under the Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2005 Incentive Stock Plan

10-Q

4.1

002-90539

05/15/2012

10.2†

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended and restated

DEF 14A

Appendix A

001-36745

04/04/2019

10.3†

Form of employee stock option agreement under the Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended

10-K

10.1

001-36745

12/14/2015

10.4†

Conformed version of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, as most recently amended by the Amendment to the Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, effective April 15, 2024

DEF 14A

Appendix C

001-36745

03/14/2024

10.5†

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan Stock Option Grant Notice and Award Agreement

S-8

10.3

333-249365

10/07/2020

10.6†

Employment Agreement, dated July 1, 2016, between James A. Hayward and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

8-K

10.1

001-36745

8/2/2016

 

 

10.7†		Form of Indemnification Agreement dated as of September 7, 2012, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and each of its directors and executive officers		8-K		10.1		002-90539		9/13/2012
10.8		Warrant Agreement, dated November 20, 2014, between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC as warrant agent		8-K		4.1		001-36745		11/20/2014
10.9		First Amendment to Warrant Agreement dated April 1, 2015 between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC as warrant agent		8-K		4.1		001-36745		4/1/2015
10.10		Second Amendment to Warrant Agreement dated November 2, 2016		8-K		10.4		001-36745		11/2/2016
10.11		Registration Rights Agreement dated November 2, 2016		8-K		10.3		001-36745		11/2/2016
10.12*		License Agreement with Himatsingka America, Inc. dated June 23, 2017		10-Q		10.1		001-36745		8/10/2017
10.13		Placement Agency Agreement by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Maxim Group LLC, dated December 20, 2017.		8-K		10.1		001-36745		12/20/2017
10.14		Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 29, 2018		8-K		10.2		001-36745		12/6/2018
10.15		Securities Purchase Agreement, dated November 29, 2018		8-K		10.3		001-36745		12/6/2018
10.16		Registration Rights Agreement, dated August 31, 2018		8-K/A		10.2		001-36745		12/10/2018
10.17		Securities Purchase Agreement, dated August 31, 2018		10-K		10.45		001-36745		12/18/2018
10.18+		Patent and Know-How License and Cooperation Agreement, dated March 28, 2019, between the Company, APDN (B.V.I.), Inc., and ETCH BioTrace S.A.		10-Q		10.10		001-36745		5/9/2019
10.19		Registration Rights Agreement, dated July 16, 2019 by and among Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and the investor named on the signature page thereof.		8-K		10.2		001-36745		07/17/2019
10.20		Securities Purchase Agreement, dated July 16, 2019 by and among Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and the investor named on the signature page thereof.		8-K		10.3		001-36745		07/17/2019
10.21		Asset Purchase Agreement, dated July 29, 2019 by and between LineaRX, Inc. and Vitatex Inc.		8-K		10.1		001-36745		8/12/2019
10.22		Form of Subscription Agreement between investors and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., dated August 22, 2019.		8-K		10.1		001-36745		8/26/2019
10.23		Underwriting Agreement entered into by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Maxim Group LLC, as Representative of the Underwriters listed in Schedule I hereto, dated November 13, 2019.		8-K		1.1		001-36745		11/14/2019
10.24		Warrant Agreement, dated November 15, 2019, between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC		8-K		4.1		001-36745		11/18/2019
10.25†		Consulting Agreement, dated as of December 12, 2019, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Meadow Hill Place, LLC		10-Q		10.1		001-36745		08/06/2020
10.26		Agreement of Lease dated June 14, 2013, between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc.		10-Q		10.2		002-90539		8/13/2013
10.27		Agreement of Lease, dated November 1, 2015, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc.		10-Q		10.2		001-36745		08/06/2020
10.28		Option Exercise Notice, dated December 3, 2015, Pursuant to Lease dated June 14, 2013, between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc.		10-Q		10.2		001-36745		05/12/2016
10.29		Temporary Lease Extension Agreement, dated August 9, 2019, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc.		10-Q		10.3		001-36745		08/06/2020
10.30		Amendment to Leases, dated November 4, 2019, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.		10-Q		10.4		001-36745		08/06/2020
10.31		Amendment to Leases, dated January 17, 2020, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.		10-Q		10.5		001-36745		08/06/2020

 

 

10.32		Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 7, 2020, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Dillon Hill Capital, LLC.		8-K		10.4		001-36745		10/14/2020
10.33		Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 7, 2020, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Dillon Hill Investment Company LLC.		8-K		10.5		001-36745		10/14/2020
10.34+		Joint Development Agreement, dated September 11, 2018, between LineaRx, Inc., Takis S.R.L. and Evvivax S.R.L., as amended by that First Amendment, dated February 3, 2020		10-K		10.46		001-36745		12/17/2020
10.35		Animal Clinical Trial Agreement, dated September 14, 2020, between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., Evvivax S.R.L. and Veterinary Oncology Services, PLLC		10-K		10.47		001-36745		12/17/2020
10.36		Letter Agreement dated March 2, 2021, by and between the Company and Dr. James Hayward		8-K		10.1		001-36745		3/4/2021
10.37		Office Lease Renewal Letter Agreement, dated February 1, 2022, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.		10-K		10.43		001 36745		12/14/2022
10.38		Laboratory Lease Renewal Letter Agreement, dated February 1, 2022, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.		10-K		10.44		001 36745		12/14/2022
10.39+		Contract Number T212206, dated August 3, 2021, by and between The City University of New York and Applied DNA Clinical Labs, LLC.		10-K		10.45		001 36745		12/14/2022
10.40+		First Amendment to Contract No. T212206, dated December 16, 2021, by and between The City University of New York and Applied DNA Clinical Labs, LLC.		10-K		10.46		001 36745		12/14/2022
10.41+		Second Amendment to Contract No. T212206, dated July 19, 2022, by and between The City University of New York and Applied DNA Clinical Labs, LLC.		10-K		10.47		001 36745		12/14/2022
10.42		Equity Distribution Agreement, dated November 7, 2023, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Maxim Group LLC		8-K		10.1		001-36745		11/7/2023
10.43†		Letter Agreement, dated January 4, 2024, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and James A. Hayward.		8-K		10.1		001-36745		1/5/2024
10.44†		Letter Agreement, dated January 4, 2024, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Judith Murrah.		8-K		10.2		001-36745		1/5/2024
10.45		Amended and Restated Lease Agreement, dated February 24, 2023, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (Office Lease).		8-K		10.1		001-36745		02/28/2023
10.46		Amended and Restated Lease Agreement, dated February 24, 2023, by and between Long Island High Technology Incubator, Inc. and Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (Laboratory Lease).		8-K		10.2		001-36745		02/28/2023
10.47		Lease Renewal Agreement dated January 10, 2024 (Laboratory Lease).		10-Q		10.3		001-36745		02/08/2024
10.48		Placement Agency Agreement by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and Maxim Group LLC, dated January 31, 2024.		8-K		10.1		001-36745		01/05/2024
10.49		Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated January 31, 2024, by and between Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and the parties thereto.		8-K		10.2		001-36745		01/05/2024
10.50		Form of Placement Agency Agreement										Previously Filed
10.51		Form of Lock-up Agreement										Previously Filed

 

 

14.1		Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.		10-K		14.1		001-36745		12/14/2022
21.1		Subsidiaries of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.		10-K		21.1		001-36745		12/07/2023
23.1		Consent of Marcum LLP										Filed
23.2		Consent of McDermott Will & Emery LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)										Filed
107		Filing Fee Table										Filed

 

†

Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.

 

*

A request for confidentiality has been granted for certain portions of the indicated document. Confidential portions have been omitted and filed separately with the SEC as required by Rule 24b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

+

Portions of this exhibit have been omitted because the information is both not material and is the type that the Company treats as private or confidential. The omissions have been indicated by bracketed asterisks (“[***]”).

  

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Stony Brook, State of New York, on the 21^st day of May, 2024.

 

APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.
By:	/s/ James A. Hayward
	James A. Hayward
	President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ James A. Hayward		Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors		May 21, 2024
James A. Hayward		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Beth Jantzen		Chief Financial Officer		May 21, 2024
Beth Jantzen		(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
*		Director		May 21, 2024
Robert B. Catell
*		Director		May 21, 2024
Joseph D. Ceccoli
*		Director		May 21, 2024
Sanford R. Simon
*		Director		May 21, 2024
Yacov A. Shamash
*		Director		May 21, 2024
Elizabeth M. Schmalz Shaheen

 

*By:	/s/ Beth Jantzen
	Name:	Beth Jantzen
	Title:	Attorney-in-Fact

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.15

 

SERIES A COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.

 

Warrant Shares: [______]

Issuance Date: [_______], 2024

 

THIS SERIES A COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, [___________] or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 2029¹ (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to [______] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1.              Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:

 

“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b)  if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.

 

¹ Insert the date that is the 5 year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date, provided that, if such date is not a Trading Day, insert the immediately following Trading Day.

 

 

“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee”  or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.

 

“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

“Placement Agency Agreement” means the placement agency agreement, dated as of May [__], 2024, by and between the Company, Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC and Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-278890).

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Stockholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the stockholders of the Company with respect to issuance of all of the Warrants and the Warrant Shares upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation, (i) to give full effect to the alternative cashless exercises pursuant to Section 2 hereof and (ii) to consent to any adjustment to the exercise price or number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants in the event of a Share Combination Event pursuant to Section 3(i) hereof.

 

“Stockholder Approval Date” means the first trading day following the Company’s notice to the Holder of Stockholder Approval, which notice shall be provided within two Trading Days of the Company’s receipt of Stockholder Approval.

 

 

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transfer Agent” means Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 48 Wall Street, Floor 23, New York, New York 10005 and an email address of [_________], and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b)  if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Series A Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

 

Section 2.              Exercise.

 

a)            Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

b)            Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[_____], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).

 

c)            Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A)

= as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

 

(B)

= the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X)

= the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

Whether or not an effective registration statement is available, the Holder may also effect an “alternative cashless exercise” following the Stockholder Approval Date. In such event, the aggregate number of Warrant Shares issuable in such alternative cashless exercise pursuant to any given Notice of Exercise electing to effect an alternative cashless exercise shall equal the product of (i) the aggregate number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise, multiplied by (ii) [___]. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c) (including an alternative cashless exercise pursuant to this paragraph following the Stockholder Approval Date).

 

d)

Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i.             Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate or a book entry statement, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.

 

 

ii.            Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii.            Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv.           Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

 

v.            No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.

 

vi.           Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 2(d)(vi) shall require the Company to deliver the Warrant Shares on a date earlier than the Warrant Share Delivery Date.

 

vii.          Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

 

e)            Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below).  For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.  Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding.  In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61^st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

 

 

Section 3.              Certain Adjustments.

 

a)            Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

b)            Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

c)            Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

 

d)            Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, provided, however that the sale by the Company of any Subsidiary, other than a Material Subsidiary, does not constitute a Fundamental Transaction, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of greater than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires greater than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). “Material Subsidiary” shall mean any subsidiary of the Company that is material to the business and operations of the Company as described in the Company’s public filings with the Commission. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company's control, including not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which Successor Entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the VWAP immediately preceding the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction (or the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, if earlier), (D) the sum of the remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date and (E) a zero cost of borrow. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds (or such other consideration) within the later of (i) five Business Days of the Holder’s election and (ii) the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall be added to the term “Company” under this Warrant (so that from and after the occurrence or consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, each and every provision of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to each of the Company and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally), and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally with the Company, may exercise every right and power of the Company prior thereto and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities shall assume all of the obligations of the Company prior thereto under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if the Company and such Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally, had been named as the Company herein. For the avoidance of doubt, the Holder shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this Section 3(d) regardless of (i) whether the Company has sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock for the issuance of Warrant Shares and/or (ii) whether a Fundamental Transaction occurs prior to the Initial Exercise Date.

 

 

e)            Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

f)            Notice to Holder.

 

i.            Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii.            Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries) is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

 

g)            Voluntary Adjustment By Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant reduce the then current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.

 

h)               Stockholder Approval. The Company shall hold a special meeting of shareholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of shareholders) at the earliest practicable date after the date hereof, but in no event later than ninety (90) days after the Closing Date (as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement) for the purpose of obtaining Stockholder Approval, with the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors that such proposal be approved, and the Company shall solicit proxies from its shareholders in connection therewith in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their proxies in favor of such proposal. If the Company does not obtain Stockholder Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall call a meeting every ninety (90) days thereafter to seek Stockholder Approval until the earlier of the date on which Stockholder Approval is obtained or the Warrants are no longer outstanding.

 

i)               Share Combination Event Adjustment. In addition to the adjustments set forth in Section 3(a) above, if at any time and from time to time on or after the Issuance Date there occurs any share split, share dividend, share combination recapitalization or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock (each, a “Share Combination Event”, and such date thereof, the “Share Combination Event Date”) and the lowest VWAP during the period commencing five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding and the five (5) consecutive Trading Days commencing on the Share Combination Event Date (the “Event Market Price”) (provided if the Share Combination Event is effective after close of trading on the primary Trading Market, then commencing on the next Trading Day which period shall be the “Share Combination Adjustment Period”) is less than the Exercise Price then in effect (after giving effect to the adjustment in Section 3(a) above), then at the close of trading on the primary Trading Market on the last day of the Share Combination Adjustment Period, the Exercise Price then in effect on such fifth (5th) Trading Day shall be reduced (but in no event increased) to the Event Market Price and the number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall be increased such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant on the Issuance Date for the Warrant Shares then outstanding shall remain unchanged. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) if the adjustment in the immediately preceding sentence would otherwise result in an increase in the Exercise Price hereunder, no adjustment shall be made, and if this Warrant is exercised, on any given Exercise Date during the Share Combination Adjustment Period, solely with respect to such portion of this Warrant exercised on such applicable Exercise Date, such applicable Share Combination Adjustment Period shall be deemed to have ended on, and included, the Trading Day immediately prior to such Exercise Date and the Event Market Price on such applicable Exercise Date will be the lowest VWAP of the Common Stock immediately during such the Share Combination Adjustment Period prior to such Exercise Date and ending on, and including the Trading Day immediately prior to such Exercise Date and (b) all adjustments pursuant to this Section 3(i) shall also be subject to Section 3(a) above, including any Event Market Price.

 

Section 4.              Transfer of Warrant.

 

a)            Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

 

b)            New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

c)            Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

Section 5.              Miscellaneous.

 

a)               Reverse Stock Split. If at any time this Warrant is outstanding and the Company receives notice from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department that the Company is failing to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid requirement (the “Trigger Date”), then the Company shall take all necessary steps to obtain the necessary consents and approvals to undertake a reverse stock split after such Trigger Date and shall, prior to the effectiveness of any delisting notice issued by Nasdaq, effect such reverse stock split.

 

b)            No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.

 

c)            Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

 

d)            Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

e)            Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

f)            Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

g)            Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.

 

h)            Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

 

i)            Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790, Attention: Beth Jantzen, email address: beth.jantzen@adnas.com, or such other email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

j)             Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

k)             Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

l)            Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

 

m)            Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.

 

n)            Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

o)            Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

	APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:

 

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

To:         APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.

 

(1)            The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2)            Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

¨ in lawful money of the United States; or

 

¨ if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3)            Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

 

_______________________________

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
Name of Authorized Signatory:
Title of Authorized Signatory:
Date:

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

Name:
			(Please Print)
Address:
			(Please Print)
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Dated: _______________ __, ______
Holder’s Signature:
Holder’s Address:

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.16

 

SERIES B COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.

 

Warrant Shares: [______]

Issuance Date: [_______], 2024

 

THIS SERIES B COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, [___________] or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 2025¹ (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to [______] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1.       Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:

 

“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b)  if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.

 

¹ Insert the date that is the 1 year anniversary of the Issuance Date, provided that, if such date is not a Trading Day, insert the immediately following Trading Day.

 

 

“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee”  or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.

 

“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

“Placement Agency Agreement” means the placement agency agreement, dated as of May __, 2024, by and between the Company, Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC and Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-278890).

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Stockholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the stockholders of the Company with respect to issuance of all of the Warrants and the Warrant Shares upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation, (i) to render inapplicable the Floor Price in Section 3(i) hereof, thereby giving full effect to the adjustment in exercise price and/or number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants following any Dilutive Issuance (as defined below) and (ii) to consent to any adjustment to the exercise price or number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants in the event of a Share Combination Event pursuant to Section 3(j) hereof.

 

 

“Stockholder Approval Date” means the first trading day following the Company’s notice to the Holder of Stockholder Approval, which notice shall be provided within two Trading Days of the Company’s receipt of Stockholder Approval.

 

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transfer Agent” means Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 48 Wall Street, Floor 23, New York, New York 10005 and an email address of [_________], and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b)  if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Series B Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

 

Section 2.        Exercise.

 

a)                  Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

b)                  Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[_____], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).

 

c)                  Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A)

= as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

	(B) =	the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and
	(X) =	the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

d)

Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i.               Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate or a book entry statement, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.

 

 

ii.             Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii.             Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv.            Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

 

v.            No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.

 

vi.            Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 2(d)(vi) shall require the Company to deliver the Warrant Shares on a date earlier than the Warrant Share Delivery Date.

 

 

vii.            Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

e)                  Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below).  For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.  Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding.  In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61^st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

 

 

Section 3.        Certain Adjustments.

 

a)                  Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

 

b)                  Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

c)                  Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

 

d)                  Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, provided, however that the sale by the Company of any Subsidiary, other than a Material Subsidiary, does not constitute a Fundamental Transaction, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of greater than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires greater than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). “Material Subsidiary” shall mean any subsidiary of the Company that is material to the business and operations of the Company as described in the Company’s public filings with the Commission. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company's control, including not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which Successor Entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the VWAP immediately preceding the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction (or the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, if earlier), (D) the sum of the remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date and (E) a zero cost of borrow. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds (or such other consideration) within the later of (i) five Business Days of the Holder’s election and (ii) the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall be added to the term “Company” under this Warrant (so that from and after the occurrence or consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, each and every provision of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to each of the Company and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally), and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally with the Company, may exercise every right and power of the Company prior thereto and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities shall assume all of the obligations of the Company prior thereto under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if the Company and such Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally, had been named as the Company herein. For the avoidance of doubt, the Holder shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this Section 3(d) regardless of (i) whether the Company has sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock for the issuance of Warrant Shares and/or (ii) whether a Fundamental Transaction occurs prior to the Initial Exercise Date.

 

 

e)                  Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

f)                   Notice to Holder.

 

i.            Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii.            Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries) is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

 

g)                  Voluntary Adjustment By Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant reduce the then current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.

 

h)                  Stockholder Approval. The Company shall hold a special meeting of shareholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of shareholders) at the earliest practicable date after the date hereof, but in no event later than ninety (90) days after the Closing Date (as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement) for the purpose of obtaining Stockholder Approval, with the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors that such proposal be approved, and the Company shall solicit proxies from its shareholders in connection therewith in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their proxies in favor of such proposal. If the Company does not obtain Stockholder Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall call a meeting every ninety (90) days thereafter to seek Stockholder Approval until the earlier of the date on which Stockholder Approval is obtained or the Warrants are no longer outstanding.

 

 

i)                   Subsequent Equity Sales. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding (such period, the “Adjustment Period”), the Company issues, sells, enters into an agreement to sell, or grants any option to purchase, or sells, enters into an agreement to sell, or grants any right to reprice, or otherwise disposes of or issues (or announces any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition), or, in accordance with this Section 3(i), is deemed to have issued or sold, any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents for a consideration per share (the “New Issuance Price”) less than a price equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such issue or sale or deemed issuance or sale (such Exercise Price then in effect is referred to as the “Applicable Price”) (the foregoing a “Dilutive Issuance”), then simultaneously with the consummation (or, if earlier, the announcement) of such Dilutive Issuance, the Exercise Price then in effect shall be reduced to an amount (the “New Exercise Price”) equal to the lower of (a) the New Issuance Price or (b) the lowest VWAP during the five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately following the Dilutive Issuance (such lower price, the “Base Share Price”) and the number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall be proportionately increased such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant on the Issuance Date for the Warrant Shares then outstanding shall remain unchanged; provided that the Base Share Price shall not be less than $[___] (subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, recapitalizations and similar transactions following the date of the Placement Agency Agreement) (the “Floor Price”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if one or more Dilutive Issuances occurred prior to the Stockholder Approval being obtained and the reduction of the Exercise Price was limited by the Floor Price, once the Stockholder Approval is obtained, the Exercise Price will automatically be reduced to equal the lowest Base Share Price with respect to any Dilutive Issuance that occurred prior to the Stockholder Approval being obtained. If the Company enters into a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement), the Company shall be deemed to have issued shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at the lowest possible price, conversion price or exercise price at which such securities may be issued, converted or exercised. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no adjustments shall be made, paid or issued under this Section 3(i) in respect of an Exempt Issuance (as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement). For the avoidance of doubt, in the event the Exercise Price has been adjusted pursuant to this Section 3(i) and the Dilutive Issuance that triggered such adjustment does not occur, is not consummated, is unwound or is cancelled after the facts for any reason whatsoever, in no event shall the Exercise Price be readjusted to the Exercise Price that would have been in effect if such Dilutive Issuance had not occurred or been consummated. For all purposes of the foregoing, the following shall be applicable:

 

1.         Issuance of Options. If, during the Adjustment Period, the Company in any manner grants or sells any Options and the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the exercise of any such Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any convertible securities (“Convertible Securities”) issuable upon exercise of any such Option (such shares of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise of any Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities, the “Convertible Securities Shares”) is less than the Applicable Price, then such shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the granting or sale of such Option for such price per share. For purposes of this Section 3(i)(1), the “lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the exercise of any such Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities issuable upon exercise of any such Option” shall be equal to (A) the sum of (1) the lowest amount of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to any one Convertible Securities Share upon the granting or sale of such Option, upon exercise of such Option and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Security issuable upon exercise of such Option and (2) the lowest exercise price set forth in such Option for which one Convertible Securities Share is issuable upon the exercise of any such Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities issuable upon exercise of any such Option, minus (B) the sum of all amounts paid or payable to the holder of such Option (or any other Person), with respect to any one Convertible Securities Share, upon the granting or sale of such Option, upon exercise of such Option and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Security issuable upon exercise of such Option plus the value of any other consideration received or receivable by, or benefit conferred on, the holder of such Option (or any other Person), with respect to any one Convertible Securities Share. Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such Convertible Securities Share or of such Convertible Securities upon the exercise of such Options or upon the actual issuance of such Convertible Securities Share upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

 

 

2.         Issuance of Convertible Securities. If, during the Adjustment Period, the Company in any manner issues or sells any Convertible Securities and the lowest price per share for which one Convertible Securities Share is issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof is less than the Applicable Price, then such Convertible Securities Share shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the issuance or sale of such Convertible Securities for such price per share. For the purposes of this Section 3(i)(2), the “lowest price per share for which one Convertible Securities Share is issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof” shall be equal to (A) the sum of (1) the lowest amount of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to one Convertible Securities Share upon the issuance or sale of the Convertible Security and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Security and (2) the lowest conversion price set forth in such Convertible Security for which one Convertible Securities Share is issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange thereof, minus (B) the sum of all amounts paid or payable to the holder of such Convertible Security (or any other Person), with respect to any one Convertible Securities Share, upon the issuance or sale of such Convertible Security plus the value of any other consideration received or receivable by, or benefit conferred on, the holder of such Convertible Security (or any other Person), with respect to any one Convertible Securities Share. Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such Convertible Securities Share upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Securities, and if any such issue or sale of such Convertible Securities is made upon exercise of any Options for which adjustment of the Exercise Price has been or is to be made pursuant to other provisions of this Section 3(i)(2), except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made by reason of such issue or sale.

 

 

3.         Change in Option Price or Rate of Conversion. If, during the Adjustment Period, the purchase or exercise price provided for in any Options, the additional consideration, if any, payable upon the issue, conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities, or the rate at which any Convertible Securities are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock increases or decreases at any time (other than proportional changes in conversion or exercise prices, as applicable, in connection with an event referred to in Section 3(a), the Exercise Price in effect at the time of such increase or decrease shall be adjusted to the Exercise Price which would have been in effect at such time had such Options or Convertible Securities provided for such increased or decreased purchase price, additional consideration or increased or decreased conversion rate, as the case may be, at the time initially granted, issued or sold. For purposes of this Section 3(i)(3), if the terms of any Option or Convertible Security that was outstanding as of the date of issuance of this Warrant are increased or decreased in the manner described in the immediately preceding sentence, then such Option or Convertible Security and the Convertible Securities Share deemed issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange thereof shall be deemed to have been issued as of the date of such increase or decrease. No adjustment pursuant to this Section 3(i)(3) shall be made if such adjustment would result in an increase of the Exercise Price then in effect.

 

4.         Calculation of Consideration Received. If any Option or Convertible Security is issued in connection with the issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale of any other securities of the Company (the “Primary Security”, and such Option or Convertible Security, the “Secondary Securities” and together with the Primary Security, each a “Unit”), together comprising one integrated transaction, the aggregate consideration per share with respect to such Primary Security shall be deemed to be the lowest of (x) the purchase price of such Unit, (y) if such Primary Security is an Option and/or Convertible Security, the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is at any time issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Primary Security in accordance with Section 3(i)(1) or 3(i)(2) above and (z) the lowest VWAP of the shares of Common Stock on any Trading Day during the five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately following the consummation (or, if applicable, the announcement) of such Dilutive Issuance (for the avoidance of doubt, if such public announcement, if applicable, is released prior to the opening of the Principal Market on a Trading Day, such Trading Day shall be the first Trading Day in such five (5) Trading Day period and if this Warrant is exercised on any given Exercise Date during any such period, the Holder may elect to earlier end such period (including, solely with respect to such portion of this Warrant exercised on such applicable Exercise Date)). If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold for cash, the consideration received therefor will be deemed to be the net amount of cash received by the Company therefor. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued or sold for a consideration other than cash, the amount of such consideration received by the Company will be the fair value of such consideration, except where such consideration consists of publicly traded securities, in which case the amount of consideration received by the Company for such securities will be the arithmetic average of the VWAPs of such security for each of the five (5) Trading Days immediately preceding the date of receipt. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued to the owners of the non-surviving entity in connection with any merger in which the Company is the surviving entity, the amount of consideration therefor will be deemed to be the fair market value of such portion of the net assets and business of the non-surviving entity as is attributable to such shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities (as the case may be). The fair market value of any consideration other than cash or publicly traded securities will be determined jointly by the Company and the Holder. If such parties are unable to reach agreement within ten (10) days after the occurrence of an event requiring valuation (the “Valuation Event”), the fair market value of such consideration will be determined within five (5) Trading Days after the tenth (10th) day following such Valuation Event by an independent, reputable appraiser jointly selected by the Company and the Holder. The determination of such appraiser shall be final and binding upon all parties absent manifest error and the fees and expenses of such appraiser shall be borne by the Company.

 

 

5.         Record Date. If, during the Adjustment Period, the Company takes a record of stockholders for the purpose of entitling them (A) to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in shares of Common Stock, Options or in Convertible Securities or (B) to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities, then such record date will be deemed to be the date of the issue or sale of shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued or sold upon the declaration of such dividend or the making of such other distribution or the date of the granting of such right of subscription or purchase (as the case may be).

 

j)                   Share Combination Event Adjustment. In addition to the adjustments set forth in Section 3(a) above, if at any time and from time to time on or after the Issuance Date there occurs any share split, share dividend, share combination recapitalization or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock (each, a “Share Combination Event”, and such date thereof, the “Share Combination Event Date”) and the lowest VWAP during the period commencing five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding and the five (5) consecutive Trading Days commencing on the Share Combination Event Date (the “Event Market Price”) (provided if the Share Combination Event is effective after close of trading on the primary Trading Market, then commencing on the next Trading Day which period shall be the “Share Combination Adjustment Period”) is less than the Exercise Price then in effect (after giving effect to the adjustment in Section 3(a) above), then at the close of trading on the primary Trading Market on the last day of the Share Combination Adjustment Period, the Exercise Price then in effect on such fifth (5th) Trading Day shall be reduced (but in no event increased) to the Event Market Price and the number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall be increased such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant on the Issuance Date for the Warrant Shares then outstanding shall remain unchanged. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) if the adjustment in the immediately preceding sentence would otherwise result in an increase in the Exercise Price hereunder, no adjustment shall be made, and if this Warrant is exercised, on any given Exercise Date during the Share Combination Adjustment Period, solely with respect to such portion of this Warrant exercised on such applicable Exercise Date, such applicable Share Combination Adjustment Period shall be deemed to have ended on, and included, the Trading Day immediately prior to such Exercise Date and the Event Market Price on such applicable Exercise Date will be the lowest VWAP of the Common Stock immediately during such the Share Combination Adjustment Period prior to such Exercise Date and ending on, and including the Trading Day immediately prior to such Exercise Date and (b) all adjustments pursuant to this Section 3(i) shall also be subject to Section 3(a) above, including any Event Market Price.

 

 

Section 4.         Transfer of Warrant.

 

a)                  Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

b)                  New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

c)                  Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

Section 5. Miscellaneous.

 

a)                  Reverse Stock Split. If at any time this Warrant is outstanding and the Company receives notice from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department that the Company is failing to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid requirement (the “Trigger Date”), then the Company shall take all necessary steps to obtain the necessary consents and approvals to undertake a reverse stock split after such Trigger Date and shall, prior to the effectiveness of any delisting notice issued by Nasdaq, effect such reverse stock split.

 

 

b)                  No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.

 

c)                  Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

d)                  Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

e)                  Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

f)                   Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

 

g)                  Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.

 

h)                  Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

i)                   Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790, Attention: Beth Jantzen, email address: beth.jantzen@adnas.com, or such other email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

j)                   Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

 

k)                  Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

l)                   Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

m)               Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.

 

n)                  Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

o)                  Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

	APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:

 

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

To:         APPLIED DNA SCIENCES, INC.

 

(1)            The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2)            Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

¨ in lawful money of the United States; or

 

¨ if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3)            Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

 

_______________________________

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

_______________________________

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
Name of Authorized Signatory:
Title of Authorized Signatory:
Date:

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

Name:
			(Please Print)
Address:
			(Please Print)
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Dated: _______________ __, ______
Holder’s Signature:
Holder’s Address:

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

May 21, 2024

 

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

50 Health Sciences Drive

Stony Brook, NY 11790

 

Re:	Registration of Units, Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to the filing by Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, filed on April 24, 2024, as amended on May 14, 2024 and May 21, 2024 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a prospectus (the “Prospectus”).

 

We are rendering this opinion in connection with the filing by the Company with the SEC of the Registration Statement relating to the offering by the Company (the “Offering”) with respect to the proposed issuance and sale by the Company of (i) 3,984,064 units (the “Units”), with each Unit consisting of either (A) one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value (“Common Stock”) (collectively, the “Shares”) and one Series A warrant (“Series A Warrant”) to purchase one share of Common Stock and one Series B warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (“Series B Warrant” and, together with the Series A Warrant, the “Series Warrants”), or (B) one pre-funded warrant (each, a “Pre-Funded Warrant”) to purchase one share of Common Stock and one Series A Warrant and one Series B Warrant, (ii) placement agent warrants (“Placement Agent Warrants” and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase up to 199,203 shares of Common Stock and (iii) the shares of Common Stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”). The Units, the Shares, the Warrants and Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.” The Securities are being sold pursuant to the terms of a Placement Agency Agreement (the “Placement Agency Agreement”), to be entered into by the Company, Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC and Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. and are being offered to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.

  

We understand that the Securities are to be offered and sold in the manner set forth in the Prospectus. This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K in connection with the Registration Statement.

 

We have acted as your counsel in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement. We are familiar with the proceedings taken by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) in connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities. We have examined all such documents as we considered necessary to enable us to render this opinion, including, but not limited to: (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) the form of Series A Warrants, (iii) the form of Series B Warrants, (iv) the form of Pre-Funded Warrants, (v) the form of Placement Agent Warrants, (vi) the form of Placement Agency Agreement, (vii) the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended to date, (viii) the Company’s amended and restated bylaws, as amended to date, (ix) certain resolutions of the Board and (x) such other corporate records and instruments, and such laws and regulations as we have deemed necessary for purposes of rendering the opinions set forth herein.

 

 

In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed, photostatic or facsimile copies, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed, photostatic or facsimile copies and the authenticity of the originals of such certified, conformed, photostatic or facsimile copies. In addition, we have assumed that the Securities will be offered in the manner and on the terms identified or referred to in the Prospectus. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein, which were not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.

 

We express no opinion herein as to the law of any state or jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

 

	(i)	The Units have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company in accordance with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;
	(ii)	The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company in accordance with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

 

(iii)

The Pre-Funded Warrants have been duly authorized and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability;

 

(iv)

The Pre-Funded Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

 

(v)

The Series A Warrants have been duly authorized and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability;

 

(vi)

The Series A Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued upon exercise of the Series A Warrants against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Series A Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

 

(vii)

The Series B Warrants have been duly authorized and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability;

 

(viii)

The Series B Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued upon exercise of the Series B Warrants against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Series B Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

 

(ix)

The Placement Agent Warrants have been duly authorized and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor provided therein, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability; and

 

(x)

The Placement Agent Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Placement Agent Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

  

We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as a part of the Registration Statement and to the reference of our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC.

 

	Very truly yours,
	/s/ McDermott Will and Emery LLP
	McDermott Will and Emery LLP

 

One Vanderbilt Avenue New York NY 10017-3852 Tel +1 212 547 5400 Fax +1 212 547 5444   US practice conducted through McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. on Amendment No. 2 to Form S-1 (File No. 333-278890) of our report, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, dated December 7, 2023 with respect to our audits of the consolidated financial statements of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc, and Subsidiaries as of September 30, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2023 appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. for the year ended September 30, 2023. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

 

/s/ Marcum llp

 

Marcum llp

Melville, NY

May 20, 2024

 

 

 

Exhibit 107

 

 

Registrant Name in English, if applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

 

Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities

 

				Fee
				Calculation								Proposed				Maximum
				or Carry								Maximum				Aggregate								Amount of
Security		Security		Forward				Amount				Offering				Offering								Registration
Type		Class Title		Rule				Registered				Price				Price(1)				Fee Rate				Fee (2)
Fees Previously Paid
Equity		Units, each consisting of: (i) one share of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”); (ii) one Series A Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Series A Warrant”); and (iii) one Series B Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (together with the Series A Warrant, “Series Warrants”)			-				-				-			$	10,000,000			$	0.00014760			$	1,476.00
Equity		Common Stock included as part of the Units which include a share of Common Stock(2)			457	(o)			-				-			$	-			$	-			$	-
Equity		Units, each consisting of: (i) one Pre-Funded Warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock; and (ii) the Series Warrants(3)			-				-				-			$	-			$	-			$	-
Equity		Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase Common Stock, included as part of the Units which include a Pre-Funded Warrant(3)			457	(g)			-				-			$	-			$	-			$	-
Equity		Common Stock underlying Pre-Funded Warrants(4)			457	(o)			-				-			$	-			$	-			$	-
Equity		Series Warrants to Purchase Common Stock, included as part of the Units(4)			457	(g)			-				-			$	-			$	-			$	-
Equity		Common Stock underlying Series Warrants			457	(o)			-				-			$	20,000,000			$	0.00014760			$	2,952.00
Equity		Placement Agent Warrants (4)			457	(g)
Equity		Common Stock underlying Placement Agent Warrants(5)			457	(o)										$	500,000				0.00014760				73.80
		TOTAL OFFERING AMOUNTS														$	30,500,000							$	4,501.80
		TOTAL FEES PREVIOUSLY PAID																						$	4,501.80
		NET FEES DUE																						$	0

 

(1)	Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
(2)	Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, this registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of the registrant’s securities that become issuable by reason of any share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.
(3)	The registrant may issue Units which include a Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase Common Stock in lieu of a share of Common Stock in the offering. The purchase price of each Unit which includes a Pre-Funded Warrant will equal the price per share at which Units which include a share of Common Stock are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, which constitutes the pre-funded portion of the exercise price of the Pre-Funded Warrants, and the remaining unpaid exercise price of the Pre-Funded Warrants will equal $0.0001 per share (subject to adjustment as provided for therein). The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Units which include a share of Common Stock will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis based on the offering price of any Units which include a Pre-Funded Warrant issued in the offering. Accordingly, the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Units which include a share of Common Stock and Units which include a Pre-Funded Warrant is $10,000,000.
(4)	No separate registration fee is payable pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act.
(5)	Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. The placement agent warrants are exercisable for up to the number of shares of common stock equal to 5.0% of the aggregate number of Units sold in this offering at a per share exercise price equal to the exercise price of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants. As estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the placement agent warrants is $500,000.00, which is equal to 100% of $500,000.00 (5.0% of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of $10,000,000.00).

 

 

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