STOCK TITAN

Atara Biotherapeutics Announces $15 Million Registered Direct Offering

Rhea-AI Impact
(High)
Rhea-AI Sentiment
(Neutral)
Tags
Rhea-AI Summary
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ATRA) announces a definitive agreement for the issuance and sale of pre-funded warrants to purchase 27,272,727 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $0.55 per pre-funded warrant share in a registered direct offering to entities affiliated with an existing institutional investor.
Positive
  • None.
Negative
  • None.

The issuance and sale of pre-funded warrants by Atara Biotherapeutics represents a strategic financing move, aimed at bolstering the company's capital structure. The transaction involves a significant number of shares, 27,272,727, which, when exercised, will provide the company with a stream of capital. The exercise price of $0.0001 is nominal, essentially guaranteeing that the warrants will be exercised and converted into common stock. This influx of capital is likely earmarked for advancing the company's T-cell immunotherapy platform, which is central to its pipeline of therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Investors should be aware that such financing could lead to dilution of existing shares. However, the immediate capital could enable Atara to accelerate its research and development activities, potentially bringing therapies to market more quickly. The involvement of existing institutional investors signals confidence in the company's prospects, which could be a positive indicator for the stock's performance. Long-term, the success of the therapies in development will be crucial in determining whether this dilution is offset by growth in the company's valuation.

Atara Biotherapeutics' focus on T-cell immunotherapy places it within a highly competitive and innovative segment of the biotechnology industry. Its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform is part of a broader trend towards personalized medicine, which is gaining traction due to its potential to deliver more effective treatments with fewer side effects. The company's ability to secure funding through this offering indicates a sustained interest in immunotherapy and its applications.

The biotech sector is often characterized by high capital expenditure, particularly in the stages of clinical trials and product development. Atara's successful capital raise should be seen in the context of these industry-specific financial demands. The additional funds may help the company maintain its competitive edge by investing in cutting-edge research and clinical trials. The outcome of these investments will be critical in determining Atara's market position and its ability to capture value from its proprietary technologies.

The field of T-cell immunotherapy is a rapidly evolving landscape, where clinical trial outcomes can significantly impact a company's future. Atara's allogeneic EBV T-cell platform is of particular interest, as it targets a niche but important area within oncology and autoimmune diseases. The success of this platform could lead to breakthroughs in treating conditions that have been historically difficult to manage.

From a medical research perspective, the funding secured through the issuance of pre-funded warrants will likely be directed towards advancing clinical trials and expanding the therapy pipeline. The ability to expedite these processes is crucial, as the regulatory environment for biologics is stringent, with a strong emphasis on safety and efficacy. The investment from institutional backers suggests a belief in the potential of Atara's research outcomes. However, the inherent risks of drug development should be considered, as positive trial results are not guaranteed and can affect the company's financial health and stock valuation.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the issuance and sale of pre-funded warrants to purchase 27,272,727 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $0.55 per pre-funded warrant share in a registered direct offering to entities affiliated with an existing institutional investor. The pre-funded warrants will have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share, and will be immediately exercisable upon issuance. The offering is expected to close on or about January 10, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The gross proceeds to Atara from the offering are expected to be $15 million, before deducting estimated offering expenses payable by Atara. Atara currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The securities described above are being offered by Atara pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-275256), including a base prospectus, that was previously filed by Atara with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and was declared effective on November 13, 2023. A prospectus supplement containing additional information relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at https://www.sec.gov/.

This press release shall 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 offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Atara is harnessing the natural power of the immune system to develop off-the-shelf cell therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers and autoimmune conditions that can be rapidly delivered to patients within days. With cutting-edge science and differentiated approach, Atara is the first company in the world to receive regulatory approval of an allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy. Our advanced and versatile Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform does not require T-cell receptor or HLA gene editing and forms the basis of a diverse portfolio of investigational therapies that target EBV, the root cause of certain diseases, in addition to next-generation AlloCAR-Ts designed for best-in-class opportunities across a broad range of hematological and B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. Atara is headquartered in Southern California. For more information, visit atarabio.com and follow @Atarabio on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or may imply “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding the completion, timing and size of the offering and the anticipated use of proceeds of the offering. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Atara’s current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Atara could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including without limitation risks and uncertainties related to market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering, as well as those discussed in Atara’s filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the prospectus supplement and Atara’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings and in the documents incorporated by reference therein. Except as otherwise required by law, Atara disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Investor and Media Relations:

Alex Chapman

Vice President, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

(805) 456-4772

achapman@atarabio.com

Jason Awe, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

(805) 217-2287

jawe@atarabio.com

Source: Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.

FAQ

What did Atara Biotherapeutics announce?

Atara Biotherapeutics announced a definitive agreement for the issuance and sale of pre-funded warrants to purchase 27,272,727 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $0.55 per pre-funded warrant share in a registered direct offering to entities affiliated with an existing institutional investor.

What is the ticker symbol for Atara Biotherapeutics?

The ticker symbol for Atara Biotherapeutics is ATRA.

What is the purchase price of the pre-funded warrants?

The purchase price of the pre-funded warrants is $0.55 per share.

How many shares are included in the offering?

The offering includes 27,272,727 shares of common stock.

Who is the target audience for the direct offering?

The direct offering is targeted at entities affiliated with an existing institutional investor.

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc

NASDAQ:ATRA

ATRA Rankings

ATRA Latest News

ATRA Stock Data

79.97M
90.37M
5.9%
62.91%
9.41%
Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Link
United States of America
THOUSAND OAKS

About ATRA

we launched atara biotherapeutics in august 2012 to help patients combat cancer, kidney disease and other illnesses. our research is based on groundbreaking discoveries regarding the ability of activin, myostatin and other growth factors to change the course of disease progression. our goal is to help patients such as atara ciechanover, our company’s namesake, who suffered from cancer before passing away in 2012. we aim to empower patients to fight their illnesses with better treatment options. atara biotherapeutics is developing several innovative product candidates, including pinta 745, stm 434 and ata 842, and is collaborating with memorial sloan kettering cancer center (msk) in the development of three t-cell product candidates: epstein-barr virus (ebv)-targeted cytotoxic t lymphocytes (ctls), cytomegalovirus (cmv)-targeted ctls, and wilms tumor 1 (wt1)-targeted ctls. each product candidate is designed to address the underlying mechanisms of disease to treat conditions which have