Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity

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Stockholders' Equity
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Stockholders' Equity  
Stockholders' Equity

13. Stockholders’ Equity

Stock-based Compensation

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had the following equity compensation plans: the Fortress Biotech, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2013 Plan”), the Fortress Biotech, Inc. 2012 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) and the Fortress Biotech, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”). As of March 31, 2024, approximately 38,000 shares were available for issuance under the 2013 Plan.

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense from stock option, employee stock purchase programs and restricted Common Stock awards and warrants for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

Three Months Ended March 31, 

($ in thousands)

    

2024

    

2023

Fortress:

Employee and non-employee awards

$

2,193

$

2,437

Executive awards

 

224

 

407

Partner Companies:

 

Avenue

 

191

 

11

Checkpoint

 

709

 

969

Mustang

 

77

 

235

Journey

1,406

646

Other

 

57

 

26

Total stock-based compensation expense

$

4,857

$

4,731

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately $1.1 million and $0.9 million, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense was included in research and development expenses in connection with equity grants made to employees and consultants and approximately $3.7 million and $3.8 million, respectively, was included in general and administrative expenses in connection with grants made to employees, members of the board of directors and consultants.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes Fortress stock option activities excluding activity related to Fortress subsidiaries and partner companies:

Weighted average

Total

remaining

Weighted average

weighted average

contractual life

    

Number of shares

    

exercise price

    

intrinsic value

    

(years)

Options vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2023

 

18,896

$

20.55

$

 

1.76

Granted

540,000

1.68

216,000

Options vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2024

 

558,896

$

2.32

$

216,000

 

6.77

Options vested and exercisable at March 31, 2024

18,896

$

20.55

$

 

1.76

As of March 31, 2024, Fortress had $0.4 million in unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to options which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 3.8 years.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes Fortress restricted stock awards and restricted stock units activities, excluding activities related to Fortress subsidiaries and partner companies:

    

    

Weighted

average grant

Number of shares

price

Unvested balance at December 31, 2023

1,458,700

$

28.05

Restricted stock granted

444,261

3.01

Restricted stock vested

607

36.89

Restricted stock units vested

(17,206)

46.74

Unvested balance at March 31, 2024

1,886,362

$

21.99

As of March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards of approximately $13.2 million and $19.6 million, respectively, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 1.4 years and 2.1 years, respectively.

Warrants

The following table summarizes Fortress warrant activities, excluding activities related to Fortress subsidiaries and partner companies:

Total weighted

Weighted average

average

remaining

Number of

Weighted average

 intrinsic

contractual life

    

shares

    

exercise price

    

value

    

(years)

Outstanding as of December 31, 2023

 

5,787,288

$

1.88

$

7,794,450

 

4.91

Exercised

(17,500)

1.70

Outstanding as of March 31, 2024

 

5,769,788

$

1.88

$

1,692,750

 

4.66

Exercisable as of March 31, 2024

 

5,769,788

$

1.88

$

1,692,750

 

4.66

Long-Term Incentive Program (“LTIP”)

On July 15, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the LTIP for the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Rosenwald, and Executive Vice Chairman, Strategic Development, Mr. Weiss (amended and restated with stockholder approval on June 7, 2017). The LTIP consists of a program to grant equity interests in the Company and in the Company’s subsidiaries, and a performance-based bonus program that is designed to result in performance-based compensation that is deductible without limit under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

On January 1, 2024 and 2023, the Compensation Committee granted 216,465 shares each to Dr. Rosenwald and Mr. Weiss. These equity grants were made in accordance with the LTIP, and each award represents 1% of total outstanding shares of the Company as of the dates of such grants. The shares will vest in full if the employee is either in the service of the Company as an employee, Board member or consultant (or any combination of the foregoing) on the tenth anniversary of the LTIP, or the eligible employee has had an involuntary Separation from Service (as defined in the LTIP). The only other vesting condition – one based on achievement of an increase in the Company’s market capitalization – has already been achieved, with respect to each annual award under the LTIP. The shares awarded under the LTIP will also vest in full (and the Company’s repurchase option on each tranche of shares granted thereunder will accordingly lapse) upon the occurrence of a Corporate Transaction (as defined in the LTIP), if the eligible employee is in service to the Company on the date of such Corporate Transaction. The fair value of each grant on the grant date was approximately $0.7 million for the 2024 grant and $0.8 million for the 2023 grant. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded stock compensation expense related to LTIP grants of approximately $1.7 million and $1.4 million, respectively, and for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, on the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations.

Capital Raises

2021 Shelf

On July 23, 2021, the Company filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-258145) on Form S-3, which was declared effective on July 30, 2021 (the "2021 Shelf"). Approximately $88.2 million of securities remain available for sale under the 2021 Shelf as of March 31, 2024.

At the Market Offering

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, the Company issued and sold approximately 0.5 million shares at an average price of $1.99 for gross proceeds of $0.9 million. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2023 the Company issued and sold approximately 40,000 shares at an average price of $11.43 for gross proceeds of $0.5 million.

Registered Direct Offering

In January 2024, Fortress closed on a registered direct offering of an aggregate of 3,303,305 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase up to 3,303,305 shares of its common stock at a combined purchase price of $3.33 per share of common stock and accompanying warrant priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The warrants have an exercise price of $3.21 per share, are immediately exercisable, and will expire five years following the date of issue. Net proceeds to Fortress, after deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses, were approximately $10.2 million.

Checkpoint 2023 Shelf Registration Statement

In March 2023, Checkpoint filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-270843) on Form S-3 (the “Checkpoint 2023 S-3”), which was declared effective May 5, 2023. Under the Checkpoint 2023 S-3, Checkpoint may sell up to a total of $150 million of its securities. As of March 31, 2024, approximately $77.7 million of the securities remains available for sale through the Checkpoint 2023 S-3.

Checkpoint Registered Direct Offering

In January 2024, Checkpoint closed on a registered direct offering (the “Checkpoint January 2024 Registered Direct Offering”) with a single institutional investor for the issuance and sale of 1,275,000 shares of its common stock and 6,481,233 pre-funded warrants. Each pre-funded warrant was exercisable for one share of Checkpoint common stock. The Checkpoint common stock and the pre-funded warrants were sold together with common stock warrants (the “Checkpoint January 2024 Common Warrants”) to purchase up to 7,756,233 shares of Checkpoint common stock, at a purchase price of $1.805 per share of common stock and $1.8049 per pre-funded warrant. The pre-funded warrants were funded in full at closing except for a nominal exercise price of $0.0001 and are exercisable commencing on the closing date and will terminate when such pre-funded warrants are exercised in full. The Checkpoint January 2024 Common Warrants are exercisable immediately upon issuance and will expire five years following the issuance date and have an exercise price of $1.68 per share. Checkpoint also issued the placement agent warrants to purchase up to 465,374 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $2.2563 per share. Net proceeds to Checkpoint from the Checkpoint January 2024 Registered Direct Offering were $12.8 million after deducting commissions and other transaction costs. As of May 7, 2024, 3,825,233 pre-funded warrants from the Checkpoint January 2024 Registered Direct Offering were fully exercised.

Pursuant to the Company’s Founders Agreement with Checkpoint, Checkpoint issued to Fortress 2.5% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock issued in the registered direct offering noted above. Accordingly, Checkpoint issued 193,905 shares of common stock to Fortress at a weighted average price of $2.04 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Avenue 2021 Shelf Registration Statement

In December 2021, Avenue filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-261520) on Form S-3 (the “Avenue 2021 S-3”), which was declared effective on December 10, 2021. As of March 31, 2024, approximately $24.9 million of the securities remains available for sale through the Avenue 2021 S-3, subject to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3.

Avenue 2024 Warrant Exercise and Private Placement

On January 5, 2024, Avenue entered into (i) an inducement offer letter agreement (the “January 2023 Investor Inducement Letter”) with a certain investor (the “January 2023 Investor”) in connection with certain outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 25,871 shares of Common Stock, originally issued to the January 2023 Investor on January 31, 2023 (the “January 2023 Warrants”) and (ii) an inducement offer letter agreement (the “November 2023 Investor Inducement Letter Agreement” and, together with the January 2023 Investor Inducement Letter, the “January 2024 Warrant Inducement”) with certain investors (the “November 2023 Investors” and, together with the January 2023 Investor, the “Holders”) in connection with certain outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 194,667 shares of Common Stock, originally issued to the November 2023 Investors on November 2, 2023 (the “November 2023 Warrants” and, together with the January 2023 Warrants, the “Existing Warrants”). The January 2023 Warrants had an exercise price of $116.25 per share, and the November 2023 Warrants had an exercise price of $22.545 per share.

Pursuant to the January 2024 Warrant Inducement, (i) the January 2023 Investor agreed to exercise its January 2023 Warrants for cash at a reduced exercise price of $22.545 per share and (ii) the November 2023 Investors agreed to exercise their November 2023 Warrants for cash at the existing exercise price of $22.545, in each case in consideration for Avenue’s agreement to issue in a private placement (x) Series A Warrants to purchase up to 220,538 shares of Avenue Common Stock and (y) Series B Warrants to purchase up to 220,538 shares of Avenue Common Stock. The net proceeds to Avenue from the exercise of the warrants was approximately $4.5 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering costs, but without giving effect to the exercise of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants issued in the January 2024 Warrant Inducement.

The fair value of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants was allocated between the January 2023 Warrants and the November 2023 Warrants on a weighted basis, with approximately $0.6 million allocated to the January 2023 Warrants and recorded to loss on common stock warrant liabilities in the condensed consolidated statement of operations, and the approximately $4.3 million allocated to the November 2023 Warrants deemed to be a dividend such that it was included in net loss attributable to common stockholders in the calculation of net loss per share in the condensed consolidated statement of operations (see Note 12).

Pursuant to the Company’s Founders Agreement with Avenue, Avenue issued to Fortress 2.5% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock issued in the warrant exercise noted above. Accordingly, Avenue recorded 5,513 shares of common stock as issuable to Fortress at a weighted average price of $14.25 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Mustang 2021 Shelf Registration Statement and At-the-Market Offering (the “Mustang ATM”)

On April 23, 2021, Mustang filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-255476) on Form S-3 (the “Mustang 2021 S-3”), which was declared effective on May 24, 2021. Under the Mustang 2021 S-3, Mustang may sell up to a total of $200 million of its securities. As of March 31, 2024, approximately $195.6 million of the Mustang 2021 S-3 remained available for sales of securities. The Mustang 2021 S-3 expires on May 24, 2024.

On July 2018, Mustang entered into an At-the-Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “Mustang ATM”) relating to the sale of shares of common stock pursuant to the Mustang 2021 S-3. Under the Mustang ATM, Mustang pays the sales agents for the program a commission rate of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of any shares of common stock. On April 14, 2023, the Mustang ATM was amended to add the limitations imposed by General Instruction I.B.6 to Form S-3. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, Mustang issued no shares through the Mustang ATM.

Journey 2022 Shelf Registration Statement and At-the-Market Offering

On December 30, 2022, Journey filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269079) (the “Journey 2022 S-3”), which was declared effective on January 26, 2023. The Journey 2022 S-3 covers the offering, issuance and sale by Journey of up to an aggregate of $150.0 million of Journey’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, and units. In connection with the Journey 2022 S-3, Journey entered into a sales agreement relating to the sale of shares of Journey’s common stock in an at-the-market offering (the “Journey ATM Sales Agreement”). In accordance with the terms of the Journey ATM Sales Agreement, Journey may offer and sell up to 4,900,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, from time to time. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, Journey issued and sold approximately 0.3 million shares of common stock at an average price of $5.28 per share for gross proceeds of $1.5 million under the Journey ATM Sales Agreement. At March 31, 2024, 3,861,553 shares remain available for issuance under the Journey 2022 S-3.