SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 31, 2009--
Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE AMEX: INO) (“Inovio”), a leader in
DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today the
closing of the sale, directly to institutional investors, of 11,111,110
shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase up to 2,777,776
additional shares of its common stock, resulting in cash proceeds to
Inovio Biomedical of approximately $30 million. Inovio expects to
receive net proceeds of approximately $28.5 million after deducting
placement agent fees and other offering expenses. Each unit, consisting
of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase approximately
0.25 of a share of common stock, was sold for a purchase price of $2.70.
The warrants to purchase additional shares will be exercisable at an
exercise price of $3.50 per share beginning six months after issuance
and will expire six months from the date they are first exercisable.
The shares were offered and sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement
dated July 29, 2009 to Inovio Biomedical’s registration statement on
Form S-3 (File No. 333-160123), including a base prospectus dated July
1, 2009, registering up to $75,000,000 of Inovio Biomedical equity
securities and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with
Rule 415 under the Securities Act, which incorporates by reference
documents which the registrant has filed or will file in accordance with
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, a subsidiary of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group,
Inc., (Nasdaq: RODM),
acted as the exclusive placement agent for the transaction.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these
securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such state or
jurisdiction.
About Inovio Biomedical Corporation
Inovio Biomedical is engaged in the design, development, and delivery of
a new generation of vaccines, called DNA vaccines, focused on cancers
and infectious diseases. The company’s SynCon™ technology enables the
design of DNA-based vaccines capable of providing cross-protection
against new, unmatched strains of pathogens such as influenza. Inovio’s
proprietary electroporation-based DNA vaccine delivery technology has
been shown by initial human data to safely and significantly increase
gene expression and immune responses. Inovio’s clinical programs include
HPV/cervical cancer (therapeutic) and HIV vaccines. An IND has been
filed for an avian influenza vaccine. Inovio is developing its universal
and avian influenza vaccines in collaboration with scientists from the
University of Pennsylvania and the National Microbiology Laboratory of
the Public Health Agency of Canada. Other partners and collaborators
include Merck, Tripep, University of Southampton, and HIV Vaccines Trial
Network. Inovio’s product candidates and technologies are protected by
an extensive global intellectual property portfolio. More information is
available at www.inovio.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating
to our plans to develop electroporation-based drug and gene delivery
technologies and DNA vaccines. Actual events or results may differ from
the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors,
including uncertainties inherent in clinical trials and product
development programs including, but not limited to, the fact that
pre-clinical and clinical results referenced in this release may not be
indicative of results achievable in other trials or for other
indications, that results from one study may not necessarily be
reflected or supported by the results of other similar studies and that
results from an animal study may not be indicative of results achievable
in human studies, the availability of funding to support continuing
research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of
electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA
vaccines, the availability or potential availability of alternative
therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by the company or
its collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious
or cost-effective than any therapy or treatment that the company and its
collaborators hope to develop, evaluation of potential opportunities,
issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will
provide the company with meaningful protection from others using the
covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or
defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can
withstand claims of invalidity and whether the combined company can
finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to
prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures,
assessments of the companies’ combined technology by potential corporate
or other partners or collaborators, capital market conditions, our
ability to successfully integrate Inovio and VGX Pharmaceuticals, the
impact of government healthcare proposals, our ability to maintain
listing of our common stock under the rules and regulations of the NYSE
Amex and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2008, our Form 10-Q for the three months
ended March 31, 2009, and other regulatory filings from time to time,
including our current report on Form 8-K reporting the closing of the
merger transaction with VGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. There can be no
assurance that any product in Inovio’s pipeline will be successfully
developed or manufactured, that final results of clinical studies will
be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market licensed
products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein
will be proven accurate.
Source: Inovio Biomedical Corporation
Inovio Biomedical
Investors:
Bernie Hertel, 858-410-3101
Media:
Richardson
& Associates
Jeff Richardson, 805-491-8313