On December 29, 2017 SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SLS) (SELLAS Inc.) reported that the proposed merger of the businesses of SELLAS Life Sciences Group Ltd. (SELLAS Ltd.) and Galena Biopharma, Inc. (Galena) has closed effective December 29, 2017, following approval by Galena’s stockholders (Press release, Sellas Life Sciences, DEC 29, 2017, View Source [SID1234526857]). Upon completion of the merger, Galena was renamed "SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc." and now features a late-stage pipeline led by novel immunotherapies targeting a broad range of indications in hematologic and solid malignancies. SELLAS Inc. is expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 2, 2018, under the ticker symbol "SLS".
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"This public listing provides us with the opportunity to further develop our novel immunotherapies for a wide range of cancers with unmet medical needs as a public company," said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS Inc. "Over the past year, we have advanced the development of galinpepimut-S (GPS), our Wilms Tumor 1-targeting immunotherapy, through collaborations with Merck & Co., among others, as well as our ongoing Phase 2 trials of GPS in patients with multiple myeloma, as a monotherapy, and with ovarian cancer, in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s nivolumab. We also had successful End-of-Phase 2 meetings with the FDA pertaining to our planned Phase 3 studies in acute myeloid leukemia and malignant pleural mesothelioma. We are excited by the potential of GPS, both as a monotherapy and in combination with other agents to serve as a promising therapy for patients with a broad array of cancers."
"I am delighted to be working with Angelos and the rest of the SELLAS Inc. team, who have been responsible for building the company and progressing its novel, high potential pipeline to address the unmet needs of patients battling various types of cancer. The transition to being a publicly traded company marks a significant milestone, providing the opportunity for greater financial resources and enhanced corporate structure to better advance the company’s clinical programs," noted Jane Wasman, newly-appointed Chair of SELLAS Inc.’s Board of Directors.
Following completion of the merger, the combined company will relocate its headquarters to New York City, NY, and operate under the management team of SELLAS Ltd.: Dr. Angelos M. Stergiou (Chief Executive Officer), Aleksey N. Krylov (Interim Chief Financial Officer), Dr. Nicolas J. Sarlis (Chief Medical Officer), and Dr. Gregory M. Torre (Chief Regulatory Officer). The Board of Directors now is led by Jane Wasman (Chair), along with Stephen F. Ghiglieri, Fabio Lopez, Dr. David A. Scheinberg, Dr. Angelos M. Stergiou, Robert L. Van Nostrand and John Varian.
Guggenheim Securities acted as SELLAS Ltd.’s financial advisor for the transaction, and Cooley LLP and Conyers Dill & Pearman acted as SELLAS Ltd.’s legal counsel. Canaccord Genuity Inc. acted as Galena’s financial advisor for the transaction and Paul Hastings LLP and BeesMont Law Limited acted as Galena’s legal counsel.
About the Transaction
In connection with and prior to the closing of the merger, Galena effected a 1-for-30 reverse stock split of its common stock. As a result of the reverse stock split, every 30 shares of Galena common stock issued and outstanding or held by Galena in treasury immediately prior to the effective time of the reverse stock split was automatically reclassified into one fully paid and nonassessable share of Galena common stock. Pursuant to the merger, the holders of SELLAS Ltd. shares outstanding immediately prior to the merger received 43.9972 shares of Galena common stock in exchange for each SELLAS Ltd. share in the merger. Post-merger and post-reverse split, SELLAS Inc. now has approximately 5,766,891 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, with prior SELLAS Ltd. securityholders collectively owning approximately 67.5% of the combined company, and prior Galena securityholders collectively owning approximately 32.5% of the combined company, in each case on a fully diluted basis, without taking into account certain out-of-the-money Galena warrants.
About SELLAS Inc.’s Pipeline
The combined company features a late-stage pipeline led by novel immunotherapies targeting a broad range of indications in hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. SELLAS Inc. plans to initiate a Phase 3 trial of GPS for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2018, pending funding availability, and has also successfully completed a Phase 2 study of GPS in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). End-of-Phase 2 meetings have been completed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for GPS in both indications.
In addition, SELLAS Inc. is currently conducting two Phase 2 trials of GPS, in multiple myeloma as a monotherapy, as well as in a combination trial in ovarian cancer with nivolumab (OPDIVO; Bristol-Myers Squibb). SELLAS Inc. is currently preparing for an open label, 5-arm ‘basket’ type combination trial of GPS in combination with the anti-PD-1 therapy pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA; Merck & Co.). SELLAS Inc. also assumes Galena’s Phase 2 investigator-sponsored nelipepimut-S clinical trials in breast cancer and a controlled release version of anagrelide for potential internal development or strategic partnership.