8 Dec 2015 07:00
TIZIANA LIFE SCIENCES PLC
Fund raising
London, 8 December 2015 - Tiziana Life Sciences plc (AIM: TILS, the "Company"), the clinical stage biotechnology company focused on targeted drugs to treat diseases in oncology and immunology, is pleased to announce that it has raised £3,831,708 (US$5,771,146) through the issue of 2,554,472 unsecured convertible loan notes ("CLNs") to investors ("Noteholders").
Funds raised by the issue of the CLNs will be used to fund the development of the Company's clinical stage assets milciclib and foralumab, to meet the Company's ongoing liabilities in respect of licence agreements, and for general working capital purposes.
The CLNs are redeemable by the Noteholders at any time after 31 December 2016 and will be redeemed, at the election of the Company, in cash or by conversion into new ordinary shares in the Company at a conversion price of £1.50 per share. Interest shall accrue quarterly on the CLNs at a rate of six per cent. per annum. The CLNs contain anti-dilution provisions which adjust the conversion price that the CLNs convert into ordinary shares in the event of a fund raising by the Company at a price below £1.50 within 18 months of the date of issue of the CLNs.
By way of an arrangement fee for the Noteholders agreeing to subscribe for the CLNs, the Company has granted to the Noteholders warrants to subscribe for up to 1,021,792 new ordinary shares in the Company ("CLN Warrants") at an exercise price of £2.50 per share. The CLN warrants shall be exercisable during the period from and including 31 December 2016 to 31 December 2020.
Gabriele Cerrone, Chairman and founder of Tiziana, commented: "Our fundraising through the issue of CLNs of circa £3.8 million will allow Tiziana Life Sciences to further progress its on-going clinical trials and give the Company the resources to expand its presence internationally."
Contacts:
Tiziana Life Sciences plc Gabriele Cerrone, Chairman | +44 (0)20 7493 2853 |
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated adviser) Liam Murray / Avi Robinson | +44 (0)20 7148 7900 |
Beaufort Securities Limited (Broker) Saif Janjua | +44 (0)20 7382 8300 |
FTI Consulting Simon Conway / Rob Winder / Natalie Garland-Collins
| +44 (0)20 3727 1000 |
About Tiziana Life Sciences
Tiziana Life Sciences plc is a UK biotechnology company that focuses on the discovery and development of novel molecules that treat human disease in oncology and immunology.
The Company is focused on its lead compound, milciclib, a molecule which blocks the action of specific enzymes called cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) involved in cell division as well as a number of other protein kinases. Milciclib is currently in phase II clinical trials for thymic carcinoma in patients previously treated with chemotherapy.
The Company is also in clinical development of foralumab. Foralumab is the only fully human engineered anti-human CD3 antibody in clinical development. This phase II compound has potential application in a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes (T1D), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, where modulation of a T-cell response is desirable.
Tiziana Life Sciences' research team has discovered that Bcl-3 has a prominent role in the metastasis of mammary cancers, and has elucidated the mechanism of Bcl-3 action to be a regulator of cancer cell motility. Tiziana has also determined that Bcl-3 inhibition suppresses cell motility in triple-negative, HER-2-positive PR- and ER-positive breast cancer sub-types, suggesting that Bcl-3 may be a master regulator of this metastatic property not only in aggressive breast cancers, but across the clinical spectrum of breast disease. The Company anticipates that Bcl-3 will progress to clinical trials in 2016.
For more information go to http://www.tizianalifesciences.com