Aura Biosciences, Inc. (AURA) SEC Filings, Jul-Aug 2026

Adage Capital Management, L.P., together with Robert Atchinson and Phillip Gross, reports beneficial ownership of 9,104,294 shares of Aura Biosciences, Inc. common stock, including 4,464,294 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants, representing 8.44% of Aura’s common stock.

The ownership percentage is calculated based on 103,436,416 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 12, 2026, and assumes exercise of the warrants held by Adage Capital Partners, L.P. The Reporting Persons share voting and dispositive power over these securities and disclaim that the filing alone constitutes an admission of beneficial ownership.

Aura Biosciences, Inc. has filed a mixed shelf registration to offer up to $500,000,000 of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units from time to time, using a “shelf” process. This includes an at-the-market program allowing sales of up to $200,000,000 of common stock through Jefferies LLC as sales agent under a separate prospectus supplement. Aura is a clinical-stage biotechnology company whose lead candidate, bel-sar, is in late-stage development for early choroidal melanoma and other ocular oncology indications. As of June 30, 2026, 103,480,053 shares of common stock were outstanding, and the company’s stock closed at $7.70 per share on August 10, 2026 on The Nasdaq Global Market.

Aura Biosciences, Inc. reported continued clinical-stage investment with no product revenue and a larger loss for the period. For the three months ended June 30, 2026, total operating expenses were $48.1 million, driving a net loss of $45.6 million versus $27.0 million a year earlier. For the six months ended June 30, 2026, the net loss was $79.3 million compared with $54.5 million in 2025, reflecting higher research and development and general and administrative spending.

Liquidity strengthened after a May 2026 follow-on offering that raised approximately $280.8 million in net proceeds, partly used to repurchase 6,922,870 shares from a major holder. As of June 30, 2026, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $323.8 million, and the company expects these resources to fund operations for at least 12 months from the financial statement issuance date.

Belzupacap sarotalocan (bel-sar) remains the sole product candidate, in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for early choroidal melanoma with topline data not expected until the second half of 2027, and in additional ocular and urologic oncology programs. Aura highlights an interim signal in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer but plans to minimize spending on that program while refocusing resources on ocular oncology, supported by an August 2026 restructuring that includes about a 20% workforce reduction.

Aura Biosciences reported second-quarter 2026 results and a strategic refocus on ocular oncology centered on its lead candidate bel-sar. The Phase 3 CoMpass trial in early choroidal melanoma is fully enrolled with 108 patients, conducted under an FDA Special Protocol Assessment, with topline data expected in the second half of 2027. Interim data in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer showed an 81% objective response and 69% complete response at three months, with all treatment-related adverse events Grade 1, but this program is being deprioritized to concentrate resources on ocular oncology.

As of June 30, 2026, Aura held $323.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and expects its cash runway to extend into the first half of 2029. Research and development expenses rose to $30.7 million and general and administrative expenses to $17.3 million, driving a wider quarterly net loss of $45.6 million. The company is implementing an organizational realignment, including a workforce reduction of about 20% and estimated restructuring charges of $2.9–$3.2 million. Leadership changes include appointing Susan Abu‑Absi as Chief Operating Officer and naming an interim principal financial officer while the current Chief Financial and Business Officer transitions to a consulting role.

Aura Biosciences, Inc. held a Special Meeting of Stockholders on August 5, 2026, where stockholders approved two governance proposals. Common stock outstanding and entitled to vote totaled 103,436,416 shares as of June 12, 2026, with 89,490,726 shares represented in person or by proxy, constituting a quorum.

Stockholders approved an amendment to the Tenth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase authorized common stock from 150,000,000 to 500,000,000 shares, with 62,993,701 votes for and 26,496,186 against. They also approved Amendment No. 1 to the 2021 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, with 46,369,676 votes for and 27,372,773 against.

BlackRock, Inc. filed an amended ownership report on Aura Biosciences Inc. common stock. BlackRock reports beneficial ownership of 4,582,436 shares of common stock, representing 4.4% of the class. As of the reporting date, it has sole voting power over 4,528,500 shares and sole dispositive power over 4,582,436 shares, with no shared voting or dispositive power.

The filing explains that these holdings reflect securities beneficially owned or deemed beneficially owned by certain BlackRock business units, excluding other disaggregated units. Various underlying persons have rights to dividends or sale proceeds, but no single person has more than five percent of Aura Biosciences’ outstanding common shares.

Aura Biosciences, Inc. director Jeremy Bender reported equity awards consisting of restricted stock units and stock options as part of his compensation. He received 30,000 shares of Common Stock through an RSU award, with each unit representing one share. These RSUs vest in three substantially equal annual installments beginning on July 15, 2027, subject to his continued service.

He was also granted 60,000 stock options to purchase Common Stock at an exercise price of $7.03 per share, expiring on July 7, 2036. The option vests in three substantially equal annual installments beginning on July 7, 2027, conditioned on his continued service. After these awards, he holds 30,000 shares of Common Stock and 60,000 stock options directly.

Aura Biosciences, Inc. filed an initial Form 3 for director Jeremy Bender. This filing establishes his status as a reporting person but shows no reportable transactions, no current holdings entries, and no derivative positions, based on the zero counts in the transaction and derivative summaries.

Aura Biosciences expanded its Board of Directors from six to seven members and appointed Jeremy Bender, Ph.D., M.B.A., as a Class II independent director effective July 7, 2026, with a term running through the 2029 annual stockholders’ meeting. He will also serve on the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.

Under the company’s amended Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, Dr. Bender receives an initial stock option for 60,000 shares and an initial restricted stock unit award for 30,000 shares, vesting in three equal annual installments. The policy provides a $40,000 annual board retainer for members, higher retainers for committee roles, and larger ongoing annual equity awards, subject to caps of $800,000 for initial grants and $400,000 for annual grants. The press release highlights his biotechnology leadership experience and Aura’s late-stage development of its lead candidate bel-sar for early choroidal melanoma.