E-therapeutics Regulatory News (ETX)

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 (AS AMENDED) AS IT FORMS PART OF THE DOMESTIC LAW OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 (AS AMENDED).

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER OR INVITATION TO SELL OR ISSUE, OR ANY SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY SECURITIES OF E-THERAPEUTICS PLC.

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO, OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (EACH A "RESTRICTED JURISDICTION").

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AMOUNTS TO A FINANCIAL PROMOTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTION 21 OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 ("FSMA") AND HAS BEEN APPROVED BY PRIMARYBID LIMITED WHICH IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY (FRN 779021).

13 May 2021

e-therapeutics plc

("e-therapeutics" or the "Company")

Retail Offer

e-therapeutics plc (AIM: ETX.L) is pleased to announce  a conditional offer for subscription via PrimaryBid (the "Retail Offer") of new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the Company ("Retail Shares") at an issue price of 24 pence per new ordinary share (the "Issue Price"), being a discount of approximately 17 per cent to the closing mid-price of 28.8 pence per new ordinary share on 12 May 2021, being the latest practicable date prior to the time and date of this announcement.

The Company is also conducting a conditional placing and subscription of new ordinary shares at the Issue Price by way of a placing by SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (the "Placing") and direct subscriptions with the Company by individual investors (the "Subscription"), as announced earlier today. The price payable by investors for shares in the Placing, as well as for shares in the Subscription, is equal to the Issue Price.

The Retail Offer, the Placing and the Subscription (together the "Fundraise") are conditional on, inter alia, shareholder approval being received at the Company's Annual General Meeting to be held on or around 16 June 2021. The new ordinary shares to be issued pursuant to the Fundraise will be admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange ("Admission"). Admission is expected to take place at 8.00 a.m. on or around 17 June 2021. The Retail Offer will not be completed without the Placing and Subscription also being completed.

The Company will use the funds raised to facilitate a number of initiatives, with a focus on expanding its proprietary, disease-agnostic, drug discovery and development platform capabilities and asset pipeline, and in particular to:

· Generate experimental hepatocyte specific proprietary data for the Company's in silico discovery engine;

· Advance two to three RNAi therapeutic programmes through preclinical development;

· Aim to complete a First in Human (FIH) clinical study for one RNAi asset to provide additional validation;

· Further development of the Company's computational platform and general working capital including team expansion; and

· Explore RNAi in other cell types.

Retail Offer

The Company values its retail investor base and is therefore pleased to provide private and other investors the opportunity to participate in the Retail Offer by applying exclusively through the PrimaryBid mobile app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The Retail Offer, via the PrimaryBid mobile app, will be open to individual and institutional investors from 4.50 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. on 13 May 2021. The Retail Offer may close early if it is oversubscribed.

Subscriptions under the Retail Offer will be considered by the Company on a pro rata basis, although preference to be given to the Company's existing shareholders, subject to conditions which are available to view on www.PrimaryBid.com and the PrimaryBid Mobile app.

The Company reserves the right to scale back any order at its discretion. The Company and PrimaryBid reserve the right to reject any application for subscription under the Retail Offer without giving any reason for such rejection.

No commission is charged to investors on applications to participate in the Retail Offer made through PrimaryBid. It is vital to note that once an application for Retail Shares has been made and accepted via PrimaryBid, an application cannot be withdrawn.

For further information on PrimaryBid or the procedure for applications under the Retail Offer, visit www.PrimaryBid.com or email PrimaryBid at enquiries@primarybid.com. 

The Retail Shares will be issued free of all liens, charges and encumbrances and will, when issued and fully paid, rank pari passu in all respects with the Company's existing Ordinary Shares.

This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, the information provided in the "Important Notices" section of this Announcement should be read and understood.

Enquiries:

Details of the Retail Offer

The Company values its retail investor base which has supported the Company alongside institutional investors over several years. Given the longstanding support of retail shareholders, the Company believes that it is appropriate to provide retail and other interested investors the opportunity to participate in the Retail Offer. The Company is therefore offering the Retail Shares through PrimaryBid.

Aggregate demand under the Retail Offer will be limited to EUR 8 million (equivalent to approximately GBP 6.89 million at the exchange rate of GBP1 to EUR 1.16 as at 12 May 2021), as is legally required. Accordingly, the Company is not required to prepare, and has not prepared, a prospectus in connection with the Retail Offer as it falls within the exemption set out in section 86(1)(3) and 86(4) of FSMA. The Retail Offer is not being made into any Restricted Jurisdiction.

There is a minimum subscription of £100 per investor under the terms of the Retail Offer which is open to existing shareholders and other investors subscribing via the PrimaryBid mobile app.

For further details please refer to the PrimaryBid website at  www.primarybid.com. The terms and conditions on which the Retail Offer is made, including the procedure for application and payment for Retail Shares, is available to all persons who register with PrimaryBid.com.

Investors should make their own investigations into the merits of an investment in the Company. Nothing in this announcement amounts to a recommendation to invest in the Company or amounts to investment, taxation or legal advice.

It should be noted that a subscription for Retail Shares and investment in the Company carries a number of risks. Investors should consider the risk factors set out on PrimaryBid.com before making a decision to subscribe for Retail Shares. Investors should take independent advice from a person experienced in advising on investment in securities such as the Retail Shares if they are in any doubt.

Important Notices

This Announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.

Persons distributing this Announcement must satisfy themselves that is lawful to do so. This Announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy, subscribe for or otherwise acquire securities in any jurisdiction in which any such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of the securities laws of such jurisdictions. No prospectus will be made available in connection with the matters contained in this Announcement and no such prospectus is required (in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation) to be published. Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

The distribution of this Announcement and the offering, placing and/or issue of the Retail Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company or any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that that would permit an offer of the Retail Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Retail Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Company to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTENDED THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.

This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the securities referred to herein is being made in any such jurisdiction.

This communication is not a public offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in or into the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States.

Certain statements contained in this Announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" with respect to the financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, results of operations and business of the Company. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "anticipates", "estimates", "projects", "will", "may", "would", "could" or "should", or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the following: (i) future capital expenditures, expenses, revenues, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, dividend policy, losses and future prospects; and (ii) business and management strategies and the expansion and growth of the Company's operations. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the macroeconomic and other impacts of COVID-19, economic and business cycles, the terms and conditions of the Company's financing arrangements, foreign currency rate fluctuations, competition in the Company's principal markets, acquisitions or disposals of businesses or assets and trends in the Company's principal industries. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements in this Announcement may not occur. The forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement speak only as of the date of this Announcement. The Company and its directors each expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation, the AIM Rules, the Market Abuse Regulation, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, the rules of the London Stock Exchange or the FCA.

Any indication in this Announcement of the price at which ordinary shares have been bought or sold in the past cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. No statement in this Announcement is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any period and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company, as appropriate, for the current or future years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company.

Neither the content of the Company's website (or any other website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into or forms part of this Announcement. The Retail Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Retail Offer will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.