Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Organization and Description of Business

v3.20.4
Organization and Description of Business
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Organization and Description of Business  
Organization and Description of Business

1. Organization and Description of Business

NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company” or “NeuBase”) is developing a modular peptide-nucleic acid (“PNA”) antisense oligone (“PATrOL™”) platform to address genetic diseases caused by mutant proteins, with a single, cohesive approach. The PATrOL™-enabled anti-gene therapies are designed to improve upon current genetic medicine strategies by combining the advantages of synthetic approaches with the precision of antisense technologies. NeuBase plans to use its platform to address diseases which have a genetic source, with an initial focus on Huntington’s Disease (“HD”) and Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (“DM1”), as well as other genetic disorders and cancer.

NeuBase is a pre-clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and continues to develop its clinical and regulatory strategy with its internal research and development team with a view toward prioritizing market introduction as quickly as possible. NeuBase’s lead programs are NT0100 and NT0200.

The NT0100 program is a PATrOL™-enabled therapeutic program being developed to target the mutant expansion in the HD messenger ribonucleic acid (“RNA”). The NT0100 includes several proprietary PNAs which have the potential to be highly selective for the mutant transcript vs. the wild-type transcribed allele and the expectation to be applicable for nearly all HD patients as it directly targets the expansion itself, and has the potential to be delivered systemically. PATrOL™-enabled drugs also have the unique ability to open RNA secondary structures and bind to either the primary nucleotide sequences or the secondary and/or tertiary structures. NeuBase believes the NT0100 program addresses an unmet need for a disease which currently has no effective therapeutics that target the core etiology of the condition. NeuBase believes there is a large opportunity in the U.S. and European markets for drugs in this space.

The NT0200 program is a PATrOL™-enabled therapeutic program being developed to target the mutant expansion in the DM1 disease mRNA. The NT0200 program includes several proprietary PNAs which have the potential to be highly selective for the mutant transcript versus the wild-type transcribed allele and the expectation to be effective for nearly all DM1 patients as it directly targets the expansion itself. NeuBase believes the NT0200 program addresses an unmet need for a disease which currently has no effective therapeutics that target the core etiology of the condition. NeuBase believes there is also a large opportunity in the U.S. and European markets for drugs in this space. 

Acquisition of Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Reverse Stock Split

On July 12, 2019, the Company (formerly known as Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. (“Ohr”)) completed a reverse acquisition transaction in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of January 2, 2019, by and among the Company, Ohr Acquisition Corp. (“Merger Sub”), and NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. (“Legacy NeuBase”), as amended by the First Amendment thereto made and entered into as of June 27, 2019 (as amended, the “Acquisition Agreement”), pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Legacy NeuBase, with Legacy NeuBase (“renamed as NeuBase Corporation”) surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Ohr Acquisition”). On July 12, 2019, immediately after completion of the Ohr Acquisition, the Company changed its name to “NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc.”

Under the terms of the Acquisition Agreement, the Company issued shares of common stock to Legacy NeuBase’s stockholders at an exchange rate of 1.019055643 shares of common stock for each share of Legacy NeuBase’s common stock outstanding immediately prior to the Ohr Acquisition (the “Exchange Ratio”). The Company also assumed all of the stock options outstanding and unexercised under the NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan with such stock options henceforth representing the right to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to the Exchange Ratio multiplied by the number of shares of Legacy NeuBase’s common stock previously represented by such options (and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole share) at an exercise price equal to the previous per share exercise price of such options divided by the Exchange Ratio (and rounding the resulting number up to the nearest whole cent).

Immediately after the Ohr Acquisition, there were 15,524,219 shares of common stock outstanding. Immediately after the Ohr Acquisition, the former stockholders, optionholders, warrantholders and noteholders of Legacy NeuBase owned, or held rights to acquire, approximately 85% of the fully-diluted common stock of the combined company, with the Company’s stockholders, optionholders and warrantholders immediately prior to the Ohr Acquisition owning, or holding rights to acquire, approximately 15% of the fully-diluted common stock of the combined company.

The Ohr Acquisition was accounted for as a “reverse asset acquisition”, whereby Legacy NeuBase was determined to be the accounting acquirer based upon the terms of the Ohr Acquisition and other factors including: (i) Legacy NeuBase stockholders and other persons holding securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable directly or indirectly for Legacy NeuBase common stock owned approximately 85% of the Company immediately following the effective time of the Ohr Acquisition, (ii) Legacy NeuBase holds all (five) board seats of the combined company and (iii) Legacy NeuBase’ management holds key positions in the management of the combined company. The historical financial statements, outstanding shares and all other historical share information have been adjusted by multiplying the respective share amount by the Exchange Ratio as if the Exchange Ratio had been in effect for all periods presented.

Prior to the Ohr Acquisition, on January 18, 2019, following a special meeting of the Company’s stockholders, the board of directors of the Company approved a one-for-twenty reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). On January 23, 2019, the Company filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split. The Company’s common stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opened on February 4, 2019.