Verastem Oncology Announces Private Exchange of Approximately $114.3 Million of its 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2048 for 5.00% Convertible Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2048

On November 12, 2019 Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSTM) (the "Company") reported that it has entered into privately negotiated agreements among the Company and a limited number of investors who are accredited investors (within the meaning of Rule 501 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act")) and/or qualified institutional buyers (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) who are holders of the Company’s existing 5.00% convertible senior notes due 2048 (the "existing notes") to exchange approximately $114.3 million aggregate principal amount of existing notes for (i) approximately $62.9 million aggregate principal amount of newly issued 5.00% convertible senior second lien notes due 2048 (the "exchange notes") and (ii) an aggregate of approximately $11.6 million in cash (such transactions, collectively, the "exchange") (Press release, Verastem, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550941]). For each $1,000 principal amount of existing notes being exchanged, the Company will deliver to the exchanging investor $550 principal amount of exchange notes and a cash payment of $100, together with accrued and unpaid interest on the existing notes (plus, if applicable, an adjustment in lieu of issuing fractional exchange notes). The exchange is expected to close on November 14, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company will not receive any cash proceeds from the exchange.

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The exchange notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture by and between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the "indenture"). After giving effect to the issuance of the exchange notes and the exchange of the existing notes pursuant to the exchange, approximately $62.9 million aggregate principal amount of the exchange notes is expected to be issued and outstanding and approximately $35.7 million aggregate principal amount of the existing notes is expected to remain issued and outstanding.

The exchange notes will be senior secured obligations of the Company and pay interest semiannually in arrears at a rate of 5.00% per annum on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on May 1, 2020. The exchange notes will mature on November 1, 2048 (the "maturity date"), unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased by us, and will be secured by a second lien on the assets of the Company securing indebtedness issued under its existing senior secured credit facility. The exchange notes will be convertible at the option of the holder into shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share ("common stock"), at any time prior to the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. The conversion rate for the exchange notes is 606.0606 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the exchange notes (subject to certain adjustments), which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $1.65 per share, representing an approximately 52.8% premium to the last reported sale price of $1.08 per share of common stock on November 11, 2019, as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market.

Upon conversion of the exchange notes, holders will receive a cash payment equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on the converted exchange notes. In addition, prior to November 1, 2020, holders who convert their exchange notes (other than in connection with the exercise of the Company’s issuer conversion option) will also be entitled to an interest make-whole equal to the sum of all regularly scheduled stated interest payments, if any, due on such exchange notes on each interest payment date occurring after the conversion date for such conversion and on or before November 1, 2020.

The Company will have the right, exercisable at its option, to cause all exchange notes then outstanding to be converted automatically if the volume-weighted average price per share of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds 121% of the conversion price for a specified period of time and certain other conditions are satisfied.

Prior to November 1, 2022, the Company will not have the right to redeem the exchange notes. On or after November 1, 2022, the Company may elect to redeem the exchange notes, in whole or in part, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the exchange notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

Holders of the exchange notes will have the right, at their option, to require the Company to purchase their exchange notes (i) on November 1, 2023, November 1, 2028, November 1, 2033, November 1, 2038 and November 1, 2043, or (ii) if a "fundamental change" (as defined in the indenture) occurs, in each case, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the exchange notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable repurchase date.

In connection with the exchange, the Company intends to enter into an amendment to its senior secured credit agreement.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the notes or any other securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The offer and sale of the exchange notes or the shares of common stock issuable upon their conversion have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. The notes and such shares may not be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws.

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Reports Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Highlights Recent Corporate Developments

On November 12, 2019 Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTPH) a biopharmaceutical company focused on commercializing its novel tetracycline XERAVA (eravacycline for injection) to treat serious and life-threatening infections, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Tetraphase, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550959]).

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"XERAVA has now been on the market for just over a year, and during that time we have made significant progress, particularly in the third quarter, with 30% carton growth over last quarter, leading to a 23% increase in net XERAVA revenue compared with the previous quarter," said Larry Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tetraphase. "We are squarely focused on continuing to increase formulary uptake and pull-through, as we believe XERAVA is a critically important new addition to the hospital antibiotic armamentarium, and that increased formulary uptake and pull through will result in increased sales. With our recent equity offering and payoff of debt, we are now in a stronger financial position to execute on these goals."

Third Quarter and Recent Highlights

Continued to Progress Launch of XERAVA in U.S. Hospitals
The Company continues to see increased formulary uptake, with a 99% success rate for all formulary reviews to date. Tetraphase’s salesforce is now focusing on bringing XERAVA to both Tier 1 as well as Tier 2 institutions, which are the highest users of antibiotics defined by days of therapy. The reorder rate for XERAVA continues to be very strong with the reorder rates as high as 57% for all accounts and approximately 70% within the tier 1 account segment. XERAVA is available at more than 1,000 accounts and approximately 154 formulary reviews are pending or planned to take place by the end of the fourth quarter of 2019.
Completed $7M Equity Financing (Net of Fees and Expenses)
In November 2019, the Company completed a registered direct offering with a healthcare-focused institutional investor for the purchase of (i) 300,000 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase an aggregate of 300,000 shares of common stock, and (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,830,493 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,830,493 shares of common stock. The net proceeds to the Company from the offering, after deducting the placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $7.0 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for the commercialization of XERAVA as well as for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
Presented XERAVA Data at the Infectious Disease Society of America’s (IDSA) Infectious Disease Week (IDWeek) 2019
In October 2019, XERAVA was featured in seven poster presentations at IDWeek 2019, which was held October 2-6 in Washington, D.C. The data lend additional support for the continued use of XERAVA in the hospital setting to treat serious, life-threating multidrug resistant infections, including complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI).
Effected a Reverse Stock Split
In September 2019, the Company effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of its common stock, bringing the Company into compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for maintaining its listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Completed Payment of Debt to Solar Capital Limited
In August 2019, the Company paid off its remaining debt to Solar Capital Limited. The Company had previously entered into a loan agreement with Solar Capital in November 2018 to support the commercial launch of XERAVA and general corporate purposes. The payoff of this debt provides the Company with long term financial flexibility.
Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results

As of September 30, 2019, Tetraphase had cash and cash equivalents of $24.5 million and 2.7 million shares outstanding. Subsequent to the end of the third quarter, the Company raised an additional $7 million, net of expenses, in an equity offering. The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents including the equity proceeds, as well as expected revenue, will be sufficient to fund operations into the third quarter of 2020.

For the third quarter of 2019, Tetraphase reported a net loss of $16.3 million, or $6.00 per share, compared to a net loss of $19.6 million, or $7.39 per share, for the same period in 2018, driven by both increased revenues and lower operating expenses.

Revenues from sales of XERAVA were $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2019. Total revenues, including License and Collaboration Revenue and Government Revenue, were $3.3 million for the third quarter of 2019, compared to $1.2 million for the same period in 2018. Total revenues for the third quarter of 2019 consisted of XERAVA product revenue of $1.0 million, a territory expansion payment from Everest Medicines of $2.0 million and government contract revenue of $0.4 million.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the third quarter of 2019 were $5.3 million, compared to $11.7 million for the same period in 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in activity across all of our pipeline programs as compared to the prior year period.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the third quarter of 2019 were $11.4 million, compared to $9.5 million for the same period in 2018. This increase in SG&A expenses for the third quarter of 2019 compared to the same prior-year period was primarily due to an increase in commercial-related expenses for XERAVA.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Tetraphase will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its financial results and provide an update on the Company. The call can be accessed by 844-831-4023 (U.S. and Canada) or 731-256-5215 (international) and entering conference ID number 2362909. To access the live audio webcast, visit the "Investors — Events & Presentations" section of the Tetraphase website at www.tphase.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available from 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, through 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 by dialing and dialing 855-859-2056 (U.S. and Canada) and 404-537-3406 for (international) callers. The conference ID number is 2362909. A replay of the webcast will be available by visiting Tetraphase’s website.

About XERAVA

XERAVA (eravacycline for injection) is a tetracycline class antibacterial indicated for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) in patients 18 years of age and older. XERAVA was investigated for the treatment of cIAI as part of the Company’s IGNITE (Investigating Gram-Negative Infections Treated with Eravacycline) Phase 3 program. In the first pivotal Phase 3 trial in patients with cIAI, twice-daily intravenous (IV) XERAVA met the primary endpoint by demonstrating statistical non-inferiority of clinical response compared to ertapenem and was well-tolerated. In the second Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with cIAI, twice-daily IV XERAVA met the primary endpoint by demonstrating statistical non-inferiority of clinical response compared to meropenem and was well-tolerated. In both trials, XERAVA achieved high cure rates in patients with Gram-negative pathogens, including resistant isolates.

XERAVA Important Safety Information

XERAVA is a tetracycline class antibacterial indicated for the treatment of complicated intra‑abdominal infections in patients 18 years of age and older.

XERAVA is not indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections.

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of XERAVA and other antibacterial drugs, XERAVA should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.

XERAVA is contraindicated for use in patients with known hypersensitivity to eravacycline, tetracycline-class antibacterial drugs or to any of the excipients. Life-threatening hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) reactions have been reported with XERAVA.

The use of XERAVA during tooth development (last half of pregnancy, infancy and childhood to the age of eight years) may cause permanent discoloration of the teeth (yellow-gray-brown) and enamel hypoplasia.

The use of XERAVA during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, infancy and childhood up to the age of eight years may cause reversible inhibition of bone growth.

Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis.

The most common adverse reactions observed in clinical trials (incidence ≥ 3%) were infusion site reactions, nausea, and vomiting.

XERAVA is structurally similar to tetracycline-class antibacterial drugs and may have similar adverse reactions. Adverse reactions including photosensitivity, pseudotumor cerebri, and anti‑anabolic action which has led to increased blood urea nitrogen, azotemia, acidosis, hyperphosphatemia, pancreatitis, and abnormal liver function tests, have been reported for other tetracycline-class antibacterial drugs, and may occur with XERAVA. Discontinue XERAVA if any of these adverse reactions are suspected.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc., at 1-833-7-XERAVA (1-833-793-7282) or FDA at 1‑800‑FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Alector Reports Recent Business Highlights and Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results

On November 12, 2019 Alector, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALEC), a clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering immuno-neurology, reported Company highlights and financial results for the third quarter of 2019 (Press release, Alector, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550976]).

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"We continue to integrate insight from human genetics, immunology, and neuroscience to advance our portfolio of novel therapeutics. AL001 has advanced to a Phase 2 trial in two genetically defined patient populations suffering from frontotemporal dementia. In addition, AL002 and AL003 are currently being evaluated in Phase 1b clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease patients," said Arnon Rosenthal, Ph.D., Alector’s chief executive officer. "We are looking forward to our first presentation of data from the AL002 program taking place at the CTAD annual meeting and an update on our clinical and development pipelines at our R&D Day in December."

Recent Business Highlights

Initiated the AL001 Phase 2 clinical study and dosed multiple frontotemporal dementia patients – In September 2019, Alector dosed the first frontotemporal dementia patient with a progranulin mutation (FTD-GRN) in its Phase 2 clinical study of AL001 followed by the enrollment of the first frontotemporal dementia patient with a C9orf72 mutation (FTD-C9orf72) in October 2019. This Phase 2 study will assess the longitudinal safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AL001, as well as its effects on biomarkers of neurodegeneration and on cognition. The study will continue to enroll FTD-GRN patients and a cohort of FTD-C9orf72 patients.

Initiated screening of Alzheimer’s disease patients for the AL003 Phase 1b clinical study – In November 2019, Alector initiated screening of Alzheimer’s disease patients that carry one or two copies of the SIGLEC 3 risk allele (~80% of the AD population) for the Phase 1b clinical study of AL003. AL003 is one of two clinical program candidates Alector is developing for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. AL003 is a monoclonal antibody that that blocks the function of SIGLEC 3, an inhibitory receptor on microglia.

The Phase 1b study will assess the safety and tolerability of multiple doses and importantly, also measure target engagement and target-specific biomarker changes related to AL003.

Alector to present data from AL002 program in an oral presentation at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference – On December 6, 2019, Alector will give an oral presentation on AL002 Phase 1 progress at the CTAD conference being held in San Diego. AL002 is being developed by Alector for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. AL002 is a monoclonal antibody that enhances the activity of TREM2.

Alector to host its first annual R&D Day in New York City – On December 13, 2019, Alector will host an R&D Day presentation for analysts and investors. The R&D Day will include presentations by Alector management about the Company’s clinical and development pipeline and key opinion leaders focusing on the human genetics of neurodegeneration. A live webcast and replay of the event will be made available.

Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results

Revenue. Collaboration revenue for the third quarter of 2019 was $2.7 million compared to $6.5 million for the same period in 2018. Alector recognizes revenue from the upfront payments under the AbbVie Agreement over time as the services are provided. Revenues are recognized as the program costs are incurred by measuring actual costs incurred to date compared to the overall total expected costs to satisfy the performance obligation. Changes in estimates for revenue recognized over time are recognized on a cumulative basis.

R&D Expenses. Total research and development expenses for the third quarter of 2019 were $28.5 million compared to $20.4 million for the same period in 2018. The increase was driven by higher personnel-related expenses as headcount grew to support the advancement of the clinical and preclinical programs, increased expenditures related to the clinical trials, increased laboratory expenses for the development of our pipeline, and increased facilities and other unallocated research and development expenses to support the growth of the business.

G&A Expenses. Total general and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2019 were $8.3 million compared to $2.9 million for the same period in 2018. This increase was primarily due to higher personnel-related expenses, increased facilities and general overhead expenses, and increased expenses related to information technology, accounting, legal, human resources, and other administrative functions to support the growth of the business.

Net Loss. For the third quarter of 2019, Alector reported a net loss of $31.7 million, compared to a net loss of $15.3 million for the same period in 2018.

Cash Position. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $381.4 million as of September 30, 2019.

Akebia Secures $100 Million Non-Dilutive Term Loan Financing; Reports Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results

On November 12, 2019 Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for people living with kidney disease, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, Akebia, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234550994]). The Company will host a conference call today, Tuesday, November 12, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2019 financial results and recent business highlights.

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Akebia also announced that it has entered into a $100 million non-dilutive, definitive term loan agreement with funds managed by Pharmakon Advisors LP, the investment manager of the BioPharma Credit funds. The loans provide Akebia with up to $100 million of borrowing capacity available in two tranches. Subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, Akebia expects to draw $80 million at an initial closing later this month, and an additional tranche of $20 million is available for draw at Akebia’s option until December 31, 2020. Additional information on the loan agreement will be included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2019 that is expected to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today, November 12, 2019.

"Akebia continues to make great progress advancing our strategy. We achieved a primary objective of the Company by strengthening our balance sheet with $80 to $100 million non-dilutive, tranched term loans, on very competitive terms, to further support our clinical development program for vadadustat, our investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and other strategic goals. Importantly, we believe these loans, the first tranche of which is expected to close later this month, in combination with our other cash resources, are expected to extend our cash runway into 2021, well past our expected top-line data readouts of our global Phase 3 clinical studies of vadadustat. Auryxia product revenue allows us to service the debt," stated John P. Butler, Chief Executive Officer of Akebia. "As we believe we are now within two quarters of our first readout of our global Phase 3 studies of vadadustat with top-line data of INNO2VATE on track for Q2’FY20 and PRO2TECT for mid-2020, subject to the accrual of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), we’re working to sharpen the timelines for completion and keying in on NDA and MAA related activities and commercial plans for vadadustat, upon approval."

Butler continued, "We have a tremendous amount of confidence in the program that we’ve designed for vadadustat and believe we are positioned well for clinical, regulatory and commercial success. We expect vadadustat to be the first drug of the HIF class to deliver clear data that directly compares its outcomes to the current standard of care in both dialysis and non-dialysis patients for the treatment of anemia due to CKD. We believe these data will be highly informative for physicians, patients and payers as they make important decisions about patient care, and a key consideration when differentiating between HIFs in the class."

Recent Highlights

Auryxia (ferric citrate) net product revenue increased 13 percent year-over-year to $30.0 million for the third quarter of 2019. Total Auryxia prescriptions increased 15.5 percent year-over-year to 51,700 in the third quarter of 2019.
In November, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), Akebia’s development and commercialization collaboration partner in Japan for vadadustat, presented positive 24-week and 52-week data from two Phase 3 active-controlled pivotal studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of vadadustat in Japanese patients with anemia due to CKD, at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2019. Each study met its primary endpoint based on mean hemoglobin level at week 20 and 24, and showed vadadustat’s effect on hemoglobin was sustained through to 52 weeks in each study. (See recent related press release here.) In July, MTPC submitted a Japanese New Drug Application (JNDA) to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan for marketing approval of vadadustat as a treatment for anemia due to CKD. The JNDA is the first regulatory submission for marketing approval of vadadustat and, if approved, is expected to lead to the first launch of vadadustat worldwide, next year.
Nine abstracts, including several associated with vadadustat and Auryxia, Akebia’s FDA-approved drug, were presented at ASN in November.
In October, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee reviewed unblinded safety and efficacy data from Akebia’s global Phase 3 studies of vadadustat, as planned, and recommended continuation of the studies without modifications.
In October, Akebia filed a complaint in federal district court against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The lawsuit challenges a September 2018 decision by CMS that rescinded Medicare Part D coverage of Auryxia, when used for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adult patients with CKD not on dialysis. The legal action also seeks to reverse a related decision by CMS that imposed a prior authorization requirement for Auryxia when used for the control of serum phosphorus levels in adult patients with CKD on dialysis.
In April and August, Akebia completed enrollment in its global Phase 3 program, INNO2VATE and PRO2TECT, respectively, evaluating the safety and efficacy of vadadustat in dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent CKD subjects with anemia due to CKD. The Company continues to expect to report top-line data from the INNO2VATE and PRO2TECT studies in Q2’FY20 and mid-2020, respectively, subject to the accrual of MACE.
Financial Results

Total revenue for the third quarter of 2019 was $92.0 million, compared to $53.2 million in the pre-merger third quarter of 2018.

Auryxia net product revenue for the third quarter of 2019 was $30.0 million, compared to $26.6 million, as reported by Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Keryx) prior to its merger with the Company, during the same period in 2018. This represents a 13 percent increase in net product revenue from the third quarter of 2018.

Collaboration and license revenue for the third quarter of 2019 was $62.0 million, compared with $53.2 million in the third quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to increased collaboration revenue of $6.8 million from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd (Otsuka). In accordance with the Company’s collaboration agreements, Otsuka began funding 80 percent of the development costs for vadadustat in the second quarter of 2019.

Cost of goods sold was $38.3 million for the third quarter of 2019, consisting of $11.2 million of costs associated with the manufacture of Auryxia and non-cash charges of $27.1 million related to the application of purchase accounting as a result of the merger with Keryx. These non-cash, merger-related charges include a $18.0 million inventory step-up charge and $9.1 million of amortization of intangibles.

Research and development expenses were $74.5 million for the third quarter of 2019 compared to $70.6 million for the third quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in headcount and other costs to support its research and development programs and clinical and preclinical activities. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in external costs related to PRO2TECT and INNO2VATE Phase 3 studies as they advance toward readout.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $34.2 million for the third quarter of 2019 compared to $10.4 million for the third quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to commercialization costs associated with Auryxia, as there were no comparable commercialization costs in the third quarter of 2018.

The Company reported a net loss for the third quarter of 2019 of $54.6 million, or ($0.46) per share, as compared to a net loss of $26.0 million, or ($0.46) per share, for the third quarter of 2018. The Company’s net loss for the third quarter of 2019 includes the impact of non-cash charges of $27.1 million related to the application of purchase accounting as a result of the merger with Keryx, offset by an income tax benefit of $1.3 million.

The Company ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities of $145.6 million. "We are pleased to have further strengthened our balance sheet and extended our operating cash runway with our very recent non-dilutive, tranched term loans for up to $100 million, with the first $80 million tranche expected to close later this month. We expect these loans, coupled with the committed research and development funding from our collaborators and the receipt of a regulatory milestone from MTPC, assuming approval of vadadustat in Japan, to provide us with the cash resources to fund our current operating plan into Q1 of 2021," stated Jason A. Amello, Chief Financial Officer of Akebia.

Conference Call

Akebia will host a conference call today, Tuesday, November 12, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2019 financial results and recent business updates. To listen to the conference call, please dial (877) 458-0977 (domestic) or (484) 653-6724 (international) using conference ID number 9996464. The call will also be webcast LIVE and can be accessed via the Investors section of the Company’s website at View Source

A replay of the conference call will be available two hours after the completion of the call through November 18, 2019. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and reference conference ID number 9996464. An online archive of the conference call can be accessed via the Investors section of the Company’s website at View Source

AbbVie Prices $30 Billion of Senior Unsecured Notes

On November 12, 2019 AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) ("AbbVie") reported that it has priced its previously announced private offering (the "Offering") of senior unsecured notes in a combined aggregate principal amount of $30 billion (collectively, the "Notes") (Press release, AbbVie, NOV 12, 2019, View Source [SID1234551010]). The Notes will be issued in ten tranches: (i) $750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of senior floating rate notes due May 2021, (ii) $750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of senior floating rate notes due November 2021, (iii) $750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of senior floating rate notes due 2022, (iv) $1,750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2.150% senior notes due 2021, (v) $3,000,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2.300% senior notes due 2022, (vi) $3,750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2.600% senior notes due 2024, (vii) $4,000,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2.950% senior notes due 2026, (viii) $5,500,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 3.200% senior notes due 2029, (ix) $4,000,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 4.050% senior notes due 2039 and (x) $5,750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 4.250% senior notes due 2049. AbbVie expects that the closing of the Offering will occur on November 21, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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The Offering is being conducted in connection with AbbVie’s previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of Allergan plc ("Allergan"). AbbVie expects to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund a portion of the aggregate cash consideration due to Allergan shareholders in connection with the Acquisition and to pay related fees and expenses, with any remaining net proceeds being used for general corporate purposes. The Offering is not conditioned upon the consummation of the Acquisition. However, if (i) the Acquisition has not been consummated on or prior to January 30, 2021 or (ii) prior to such date, AbbVie notifies the trustee in respect of the Notes that it will not pursue the consummation of the Acquisition, then AbbVie will be required to redeem all of the Notes then outstanding at a special mandatory redemption price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the applicable special mandatory redemption date.

The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), any state securities laws or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or for the benefit of U.S. persons, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws. Accordingly, the Notes are being offered in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be "qualified institutional buyers," as that term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, or outside the United States to non-"U.S. persons" in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.

A confidential offering memorandum for the Offering of the Notes has been made available to such eligible persons. The Offering is being conducted in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in such confidential offering memorandum.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, the Notes or any other security. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.