Capital Market. We believe increasing the trading price of our Common Stock may also assist in our capital-raising efforts by making our Common Stock more attractive to a broader range of
investors. Accordingly, we believe that the Reverse Stock Split is in our stockholders best interests.
We believe that the Reverse Stock Split, if
necessary, is our best option to meet the criteria to satisfy the minimum per share bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market. On February 9, 2024, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department
of the Nasdaq Stock Market, notifying us that, for the last 30 consecutive business days, our Common Stock had not maintained a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (the Minimum Bid Price
Requirement). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we were provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until August 7, 2024, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. We had not regained
compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and, subsequently, on August 6, 2024, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(i), applied to transfer our Common Stock to The Nasdaq Capital Market. On August 14, 2024, our Common
Stock was transferred to The Nasdaq Capital Market, and we were afforded an additional 180-calendar day period, or until February 3, 2025, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. The
Nasdaq Capital Market requires, among other criteria, that we maintain a continued price of at least $1.00 per share. On the record date, the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was
$ per share. A decrease in the number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock resulting from the Reverse Stock Split should, absent other factors, assist in ensuring that the per share market price of our Common Stock
remains above the requisite price for continued listing. However, we cannot provide any assurance that our minimum bid price would remain over the minimum bid price requirement of The Nasdaq Capital Market following the Reverse Stock Split.
As noted above, we believe that the Reverse Stock Split and the resulting increase in the per share price of our Common Stock could encourage increased
investor interest in our Common Stock and promote greater liquidity for our stockholders. A greater price per share of our Common Stock could allow a broader range of institutions to invest in our Common Stock (namely, funds that are prohibited or
discouraged from buying stocks with a price below a certain threshold), potentially increasing marketability, trading volume and liquidity of our Common Stock. Many institutional investors view stocks trading at low prices as unduly speculative in
nature and, as a result, avoid investing in such stocks. We believe that the Reverse Stock Split will provide flexibility to make our Common Stock a more attractive investment for these institutional investors, which we believe will enhance the
liquidity for the holders of our Common Stock and may facilitate future sales of our Common Stock. The Reverse Stock Split could also increase interest in our Common Stock for analysts and brokers who may otherwise have policies that discourage or
prohibit them in following or recommending companies with low stock prices. Additionally, because brokers commissions on transactions in low-priced stocks generally represent a higher percentage of the
stock price than commissions on higher-priced stocks, the current average price per share of our Common Stock can result in individual stockholders paying transaction costs representing a higher percentage of their total share value than would be
the case if the share price were substantially higher.
Additionally, as previously disclosed, on November 7, 2024, we entered into an Agreement and
Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement) with Kalaris Therapeutics, Inc. (Kalaris) and Aurora Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ours (Merger Sub), pursuant to which, among
other matters, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into Kalaris (the Merger), with Kalaris continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of ours and the
surviving corporation of the Merger. We refer to the surviving corporation of the Merger as the combined company. Consummation of the Merger is subject to certain closing conditions, including, among other things, the Reverse Stock
Split. We expect to hold a separate special meeting of our stockholders in order to obtain the stockholder approvals necessary to complete the Merger and related matters.
In addition, we intend to file an initial listing application pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement for the combined company to list the securities of
the combined company on The Nasdaq Capital Market. According to the Nasdaq rules, an issuer must, in a case such as this, apply for initial inclusion following a transaction whereby
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