Form 425 - Prospectuses and communications, business combinations

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 7, 2023

PHOENIX BIOTECH ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		001-40877		87-1088814
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

2201 Broadway, Suite 705 Oakland, CA		94612
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (215) 731-9450

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☒	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant	PBAXU	NASDAQ Global Market
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share	PBAX	NASDAQ Global Market
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock	PBAXW	NASDAQ Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 3.01. Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing

On September 7, 2023, Phoenix Biotech Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), received a written notice (the “Notice”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Listing Rule 5450(a)(2), which requires the Company to have at least 400 public holders for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Minimum Public Holders Rule”). The Notice is only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and has no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on Nasdaq Global Market.

The Notice states that the Company has 45 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule. The Company intends to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule within the required timeframe. If Nasdaq accepts the Company’s plan, Nasdaq may grant the Company an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the Notice to evidence compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule. If Nasdaq does not accept the Company’s plan, the Company will have the opportunity to appeal the decision in front of a Nasdaq Hearings Panel.

Additional Information about the Business Combination and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed business combination by and between the Company, CERo Therapeutics, Inc. (“CERo”) and PBCE Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), the Company has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement and a preliminary prospectus relating to the shares of Company common stock to be issued in connection with the proposed business combination. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus or any other document that the Company has filed or will file with the SEC or send to its stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. This document does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the proposed business combination and is not intended to form the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the proposed business combination.

BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, THE COMPANY’S STOCKHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION.

The definitive proxy statement/final prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of the Company as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. Additionally, the Company will file other relevant materials with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination. Copies of the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus and all other relevant materials for the proposed business combination filed or that will be filed with the SEC may be obtained, when available, free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by the Company may be obtained, when available, free of charge from the Company at www.phoenixbiotechacquisitioncorp.com. The Company stockholders may also obtain copies of the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus, when available, without charge, by directing a request to the Company’s Secretary at Phoenix Biotech Acquisition Corp., 2201 Broadway, Suite 705, Oakland, CA 94612, Attention: Secretary.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the proposed business combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The proposed business combination will be implemented solely pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement previously filed with the SEC, which contains the full terms and conditions of the proposed business combination.

Participants in Solicitation

This communication may be deemed solicitation material in respect of the proposed business combination. The Company and CERo and their respective directors and executive officers, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the proposed business combination of the Company’s directors and officers in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the Company’s initial public offering prospectus, which was filed with the SEC on October 8, 2021, and the Company’s subsequent annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. To the extent that holdings of the Company’s securities by insiders have changed from the amounts reported therein, any such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the business combination is included in the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and will be included in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed business combination when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies of these documents, when available, as described in the preceding paragraphs.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this communication are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” “target” or other similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations including as they relate to the proposed business combination and related transactions, pricing and market opportunity, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the proposed business combination and related transactions, the level of redemptions by the Company’s public stockholders and the timing of the completion of the proposed business combination, including the anticipated closing date of the proposed business combination and the use of the cash proceeds therefrom. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this communication, and on the current expectations of CERo’s and the Company’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and may differ from such assumptions, and such differences may be material. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of CERo and the Company.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including (i) changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; (ii) the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the proposed business combination, including the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed business combination, or that the approval of the stockholders of the Company is not obtained; (iii) the ability to maintain the listing of the combined company’s securities on the stock exchange; (iv) the inability to complete any private placement financing, the amount of any private placement financing or the completion of any private placement financing with terms unfavorable to you; (v) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts current plans and operations of the Company or CERo as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination and related transactions; (vi) the risk that any of the conditions to closing of the business combination are not satisfied in the anticipated manner or on the anticipated timeline or are waived by any of the parties thereto; (vii) the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination and related transactions; (viii) risks relating to the uncertainty of the costs related to the proposed business combination; (ix) risks related to the rollout of CERo’s business strategy and the timing of expected business milestones; (x) the effects of competition on CERo’s future business and the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth, establish and maintain relationships with customers and healthcare professionals and retain its management and key employees; (xi) risks related to domestic and international political and macroeconomic uncertainty, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict; (xii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company, CERo or any of their respective directors or officers, following the announcement of the proposed business combination; (xiii) the amount of redemption requests made by the Company’s public stockholders; (xiv) the ability of the Company to issue equity, if any, in connection with the proposed business combination or to otherwise obtain financing in the future; (xv) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and governmental responses on any of the foregoing risks; (xvi) risks related to biotechnology, industry and regulations; (xvii) changes in laws and regulations; and (xviii) those factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2023 and June 30, 2023, in each case, under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents of the Company filed or to be filed with the SEC, including the proxy statement/prospectus. If any of these risks materialize or the Company’s or CERo’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither the Company nor CERo presently know or that the Company and CERo currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s and CERo’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. The Company, and CERo anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s and CERo’s assessments to change. However, while the Company and CERo may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, each of the Company and CERo specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s and CERo’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.