Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity

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Stockholders' Equity
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Stockholders' Equity  
Stockholders' Equity

13. Stockholders’ Equity

Stock-based Compensation

As of June 30, 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”). In May 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors and stockholders approved an amendment to the 2013 Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable by 10.0 million shares, and approved an amendment to the ESPP to increase the number of shares issuable by 1.0 million. As of June 30, 2024, approximately 10.0 million 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 periods presented:

Three Months Ended June 30, 

Six Months Ended June 30, 

($ in thousands)

    

2024

    

2023

2024

    

2023

Fortress:

Employee and non-employee awards

$

2,249

$

2,271

$

4,442

$

4,708

Executive awards

 

273

 

410

 

497

 

817

Partner Companies:

 

Avenue

 

192

 

27

 

383

 

38

Checkpoint

 

1,171

 

567

 

1,881

 

1,536

Mustang

 

(619)

 

45

 

(542)

 

280

Journey

1,674

873

3,080

1,519

Other

 

58

 

24

 

115

 

50

Total stock-based compensation expense

$

4,998

$

4,217

$

9,856

$

8,948

For the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, approximately $0.7 million and $0.5 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 $4.3 million and $3.7 million, respectively, was included in general and administrative expenses in connection with grants made to employees, members of the board of directors and consultants.

For the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, approximately $1.7 million and $1.5 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 $8.1 million and $7.5 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

16,200

6.71

Options vested and expected to vest at June 30, 2024

 

558,896

$

2.32

$

16,200

 

6.52

Options vested and exercisable at June 30, 2024

18,896

$

20.55

$

 

1.26

As of June 30, 2024 and 2023, Fortress had $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively, in unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to options which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 3.6 years and 5.7 years, respectively.

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

443,024

3.01

Restricted stock vested

(17,303)

35.76

Restricted stock units granted

37,500

1.84

Restricted stock units forfeited

(10,582)

11.43

Restricted stock units vested

(49,684)

39.61

Unvested balance at June 30, 2024

1,861,655

$

21.27

As of June 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards of approximately $11.5 million and $16.0 million, respectively, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 1.3 years and 2.0 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

 

5,787,289

$

1.88

$

7,794,450

 

4.91

Issued

3,506,140

3.12

8,113

Exercised

(17,500)

1.70

Outstanding as of June 30, 2024

 

9,275,929

$

2.35

$

64,538

 

4.46

Exercisable as of June 30, 2024

 

9,275,929

$

2.35

$

64,538

 

4.46

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 and May 23, 2024). 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’ original vesting terms includes vesting in full if the employee was 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 an involuntary Separation from Service (as defined in the LTIP). The only other vesting condition – one based on the 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 June 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded stock compensation expense related to LTIP grants of approximately $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded stock compensation expense related to LTIP grants of approximately $3.3 million and $2.9 million, 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 $86.2 million of securities were available for sale under the 2021 Shelf as of June 30, 2024, subject to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3. On May 17, 2024, the Company filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-279516) on Form S-3, which was declared effective on May 30, 2024 (the “2024 Shelf”). All $50.0 million of securities were available for sale under the 2024 Shelf as of June 30, 2024, subject to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3.

At the Market Offering

During the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company issued and sold approximately 1.6 million shares at an average price of $1.87 per share for gross proceeds of $2.9 million. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company issued and sold approximately 0.1 million shares at an average price of $11.31 for gross proceeds of $1.2 million.

Registered Direct Offering

In January 2024, Fortress closed 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, were immediately exercisable, and 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 June 30, 2024, approximately $77.7 million of the securities remains available for sale through the Checkpoint 2023 S-3, subject to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form 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 $12.6 million after deducting commissions and other transaction costs. As of July 2024, all of the pre-funded warrants from the Checkpoint January 2024 Registered Direct Offering were fully exercised (see Note 19).

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 for the six months ended June 30, 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 June 30, 2024, approximately $24.6 million of the securities were available for sale under the Avenue 2021 S-3, subject to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3.

Avenue 2024 Warrant Exercises 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).

Also in April 2024, Avenue entered into definitive agreements for the immediate exercise of certain of its existing outstanding warrants for cash an aggregate of 689,680 warrants for shares of Avenue’s common stock at a reduced exercise price of $6.20 per share (the “May 2024 Warrant Inducement”). The exercised warrants are comprised of warrants to purchase shares of common stock originally issued by Avenue on October 11, 2022, each having an exercise price of $116.25 per share, Series A and Series B warrants to purchase shares of common stock originally issued by Avenue on November 2, 2023, each having an exercise price of $22.545 per share, and warrants to purchase shares of common stock originally issued by Avenue on January 9, 2024, each having an exercise price of $22.545 per share.

In consideration for the immediate exercise of the warrants for cash in the May 2024 Warrant Inducement, Avenue issued two new unregistered series of warrants to purchase up to a total of 1,379,360 shares of Avenue common stock for a payment of $0.125 per warrant. The warrants have an exercise price of $6.20 per share, and terms of eighteen months for one series and five years for the other series. Total net proceeds to Avenue were approximately $3.7 million after deducting placement agent fees and other expenses payable by Avenue.

In May 2024, Avenue entered into an At-the-Market Offering Agreement (the “Avenue ATM”) under which Avenue may offer and sell, from time to time at its sole discretion, up to $3.9 million of shares of its common stock. The offer and sale of the shares will be made pursuant to a base prospectus forming a part of the 2021 Avenue S-3, and the related prospectus supplement dated May 10, 2024. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, Avenue issued 87,683 shares through the Avenue ATM for net proceeds of $0.3 million.

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 exercises noted above. Accordingly, Avenue issued 25,567 shares of common stock to Fortress for the six-month period ended June 30, 2024.

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

On April 23, 2021, Mustang filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255476) (the “Mustang 2021 S-3”), which was declared effective on May 24, 2021. Under the Mustang 2021 S-3, Mustang was able to sell up to a total of $200.0 million of its securities. In the six months ended June 30, 2024, Mustang sold approximately $4.4 million of securities under the Mustang 2021 S-3 until its expiration on May 24, 2024.

On May 31, 2024, Mustang filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-279891) (the “Mustang 2024 S-3”), which was declared effective on June 12, 2024. Under the Mustang 2024 S-3, Mustang may sell up to a total of $40.0 million of its securities. As of June 30, 2024, approximately $37.5 million of the Mustang 2024 S-3 remains available for sales of securities, subject to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3.

On May 31, 2024, Mustang entered into an At-the-Market Offering Agreement (the “Mustang ATM”) relating to the sale of shares of common stock pursuant to the Mustang 2024 S-3. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, Mustang issued no shares through the Mustang ATM.

Mustang Public Offering

In May 2024, Mustang closed on a public offering of 1,160,000 shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 15,717,638 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof), and three series of 16,877,638 warrants each for a total of 50,632,914 warrants with a combined public offering price of $0.237 per share (or per share common stock equivalent in lieu thereof) and accompanying warrants with an exercise price of $0.237 per share. The Series A-1 warrants have a five-year term, the Series A-2 warrants have a twenty-four month term, and the Series A-3 warrants have a nine month term. The warrants contain customary anti-dilution adjustments to the exercise price, including share splits, share dividends, rights offerings and pro rata distributions. The net proceeds of the public offering, after deducting the fees and expenses of the placement agent and other offering expenses payable by Mustang was approximately $3.3 million.  All of the 15,717,638 pre-funded warrants were exercised as of June 30, 2024.

Mustang also amended certain existing warrants to purchase up to 2,588,236 shares of common stock previously issued in October 2023 with an exercise price of $1.58 per share such that the amended warrants have a reduced exercise price of $0.237 per share, and have a five-year term from date of shareholder approval.

Mustang Registered Direct Offering

In June 2024, Mustang closed on a registered direct offering of 3,025,000 shares of common stock at $0.41 per share (or common stock equivalent) priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 3,105,000 shares of common stock, at a price per pre-funded warrant equal to $0.4099, the price per share of common stock, less $0.001.  The pre-funded warrants have an exercise price of $0.001 per share, became exercisable upon issuance and remain exercisable until exercised in full. In a concurrent private placement, Mustang also agreed to issue and sell unregistered warrants to purchase up to 6,130,000 shares of its common stock, with an exercise price of $0.41 per share, exercisable beginning on the effective date of stockholder approval of the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants and will expire five years from the date of stockholder approval.  Net proceeds were approximately $2.2 million, after placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses of approximately $0.3 million. All of the 3,105,000 pre-funded warrants were exercised as of June 30, 2024.

Pursuant to the Company’s Founders Agreement with Mustang, Mustang issued to Fortress 2.5% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock issued in the financings noted above. Accordingly, Mustang issued 575,191 shares of common stock to Fortress for the six-month period ended June 30, 2024.

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 six months ended June 30, 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 June 30, 2024, 3,861,553 shares remain available for issuance under the Journey ATM Sales Agreement.