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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 27, 2022.

Registration No. 333-

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

KIROMIC BIOPHARMA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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7707 Fannin, Suite 140

Houston, TX 77054

(832) 968-4888

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Pietro Bersani, CPA.

Chief Executive Officer

7707 Fannin, Suite 140

Houston, TX 77054

(832) 968-4888

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public:

From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement related to these securities filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is declared effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

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Up to              Shares of Common Stock

Warrants to Purchase              Shares of Common Stock

Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase up to                Shares of Common Stock

Kiromic BioPharma, Inc.

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This is a firm commitment public offering of up to         shares of common stock (and/or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof (the “pre-funded warrants”)) of Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. and warrants to purchase up to          shares of our common stock (the “common stock warrants”). The shares of common stock and common stock warrant will be sold together, with each share of common stock to be sold together with one common stock warrant. The combined purchase price for each share of common stock and accompanying common stock warrant is $       .

Each common stock warrant will have an exercise price of $        per share, will become exercisable commencing on the date of issuance, and will expire on            , 2027. The shares of common stock and accompanying common stock warrant are immediately separable and will be issued separately, but will be purchased together in this offering.

We are also offering to each purchaser whose purchase of shares of our common stock in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99)% of our outstanding shares of our common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, in lieu of shares of common stock. Each pre-funded warrant will be exercisable for one share of our common stock.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “KRBP.” On June 24, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $0.36. There is currently no established trading market for the offered common stock warrants or pre-funded warrants.We are applying to list the Common Stock Warrants for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, but we cannot assure you that we will meet all of the required listing standards. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the common stock warrants and pre-funded warrants will be limited.

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (“the JOBS Act”) and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.

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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase up to        additional shares of common stock (and/or        pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) and common stock warrants to purchase up to          shares of common stock, representing 15% of the shares of common stock (and/or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) and warrants sold in the offering, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares to purchasers on or about         , 2022.

ThinkEquity

The date of this prospectus is               , 2022

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Neither we nor the underwriter has authorized anyone to provide you any information that is different than that contained in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we may have referred you in connection with this offering. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the underwriter is not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of shares of our common stock.

No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of our common stock or possession or distribution of this prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions as to, this offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights information that we present more fully in the rest of this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before buying our shares in this offering. This summary contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, assumptions or future events. These statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors” section and the financial statements and the notes to those statements.

THE COMPANY

Overview

Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) is an artificial intelligence (“AI”) driven, end-to-end allogeneic cell therapy company, currently developing the multi-indication allogeneic T cell therapy that exploits the natural potency of the Gamma Delta T cell (“GDT”) to target solid tumors.

Our end-to-end approach consists of target discovery and validation, product development, and current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) compliant manufacturing, which we believe will allow us to leverage a new framework for the next generation of cell therapies. We also have new technologies in development that we believe will support our end-to-end approach.

From a target discovery standpoint, our proprietary target discovery engine is called “Diamond.” The Diamond platform is a suite of data mining algorithms that can process large amounts of data, identify cancer-specific immunotherapy targets using proprietary AI models. We believe that Diamond accelerates the development of new drug technologies by applying the latest in machine learning methods to quickly locate rare cancer-specific targets in vast databases of billions of genomic datapoints and eliminate targets to likely to fail prior to costly laboratory validation and development.

From a development standpoint, we utilize innovative engineered and non-engineered GDT manufacturing technologies and are developing proprietary, virus-free gene editing tools, to develop novel therapies for solid tumors that we believe will be effective and cost-efficient. Our Procel, Isocel, and Deltacel platforms consist of allogeneic cell therapy product candidates that are currently in the preclinical development stage. Our Procel product candidate consists of engineered GDTs that target PD-L1. Our Isocel product candidate consists of engineered GDTs that target Mesothelin Isoform 2 positive tumors (“Iso-Meso”). Our Deltacel product candidate consists of non-engineered GDTs that have been expanded, enriched, and activated ex-vivo through a proprietary process, and are used to treat solid tumors regardless of the specific tumor antigen expression.

We currently have one clinical trial candidate with the Procel product candidate platform titled Allogeneic Extrinsic Immune System PRO-1 (“ALEXIS-PRO-1”). We currently have one clinical trial candidate with the Isocel product candidate platform titled Allogeneic Extrinsic Immune System ISO-1 (“ALEXIS-ISO-1”). Our ALEXIS-PRO-1 clinical trial candidate is our allogeneic GDT therapy product candidate targeting PD-L1. Our ALEXIS-ISO-1 clinical trial candidate is our allogeneic GDT therapy product candidate targeting an isoform of Mesothelin that is preferentially present on tumor cells, namely Iso-Meso. The INDs for these trial candidates have been on a clinical hold since June 2021. We are currently working on addressing the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (the “FDA’s”) comments. Accordingly, we expect the clinical hold on ALEXIS-PRO-1 will be lifted in the first half of 2023 allowing us to begin the activation process for the clinical trial by the end of the second quarter of 2023. For ALEXIS-ISO-1, we are targeting the activation process for the clinical trial to begin by the end of the last quarter of 2023.

We have also entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement (the “SRA”) with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MD Anderson”) Principal Investigator to facilitate the development of our Deltacel, Procel, and Isocel product candidate platforms. We believe the SRA will generate sufficient in-vivo pre-clinical data to support three new GDT therapy IND submissions that we hope to submit, including INDs for: (1) Deltacel in combination with a standard anti-tumor modality (“IND #1”); (2) Procel in combination with a standard anti-tumor modality (“IND #2”); and (3) Isocel in combination with standard anti-tumor modality (“IND #3”). These three INDs have not been submitted to the FDA yet, and the trial candidates are described in further detail below. The beginning of the activation process for the clinical trials begins after the following two events: (1) the IND is considered effective (which would take place 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions regarding the proposed clinical trials and places the trial on a clinical hold within that 30-day time period); and (2) commencing the review and approval process by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”) or ethics committee at the first clinical trial site.

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IND #1 will evaluate Deltacel GDTs in combination with a standard anti-tumor modality. We are planning to submit this IND during the second half of 2022, and believe clinical activation will begin by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. IND #2 will explore a combination of ALEXIS-PRO-1 with a standard anti-tumor modality. We are planning to submit IND #2 during the first half of 2023, and believe clinical activation will begin by the end of the second quarter of 2023. IND #3 will evaluate a combination of ALEXIS-ISO-1 and a standard anti-tumor modality. We are planning to submit IND #3 during the second half of 2023, with clinical activation targeted to begin by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023.

From a manufacturing standpoint, we use in-house R&D laboratory facilities, an on-site animal facility for non-clinical studies, and cGMP production facilities for vector and cell manufacturing with a dedicated on-site quality control laboratory, which we believe will ensure rapid discovery, validation, development and a streamlined clinical product release. We believe that our allogeneic, off-the-shelf (“OTS”) manufacturing process will result in short lead times and low costs, opening up opportunities for outpatient treatment.

Finally, our other technologies in development consist of:

Target Discovery: Diamond (Identify, Screen, Prioritize)

Diamond addresses one of the main challenges in developing a robust clinical pipeline: target identification.

Successful development of precision immunotherapies requires identifying a distinguishing feature of tumor cells (generally referred to as a “target”). The target must be common on tumor cells but not on normal cells. It also must be accessible and able to trigger an effective immune response. It is both critical and extremely difficult to find good immunotherapy targets.

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Diamond is an integrated suite of data mining and AI algorithms that can identify and validate novel cancer immunological targets. The targets it identifies are segments of cell surface proteins (peptides) that are specific to tumor cells and that can be bound by immune T cells or B cells. Diamond generates a prioritized list of cancer immunological targets. These targets can be used to create therapies such as antibody therapies, T cell therapies, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (“CAR-T cell”) therapies and vaccine therapies.

Diamond also has a large and growing database of genomics, proteomics, cytometry, demographics, 3D structures, and gene models and annotations. The data base has approximately 2 billion data points and is an integrated collection of large public consortium datasets and Kiromic proprietary study data. The data covers 38 types of cancer and 47 types of normal human tissue with hundreds of samples and millions of datapoints for each.

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Development: Using Engineered and Non-Engineered Allogeneic GDT Based Therapies

After identifying targets on solid tumors through Diamond, we seek to use those targets to train immune cells. The trained immune cells generate a therapeutic immune response in patients. These peptides, known as tumor-specific iso-antigens (“TSIAs”), generate an immunological response and therefore eradicate cancer cells.

Our Approach

Our goal is to defeat cancer by developing immunotherapies that rely on improving target discovery and validation. With better targets, we believe that our therapies will be more effective than the current crop of immunotherapies using older targets.

We are currently in the process of completing the Nonclinical Research and Quality sections of the IND amendments for our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1, for first in-human OTS gamma delta chimeric PD-L1 GDTs, and chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR”) (Iso-Meso) GDT therapy product, respectively. Our target indications will be metastatic and progressive locally advanced solid malignancies which have no curative options. These biomarkers have been validated in-vitro and in-vivo, with preclinical animal models.

We are also in the process of compiling preclinical data that we plan to use to submit three new INDs. The first new IND being for the Deltacel product candidate platform, for a first in-human, OTS, using non-engineered GDTs that are combined with a standard anti-tumor modality. The two other INDs, being for the Procel and Isocel product candidate platforms, for a first in-human, OTS, using engineered GDTs that are combined with a standard anti-tumor modality.

Next Generation Allogeneic Therapy Summary

We believe that our next generation allogeneic approach will allow us to do the following:

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Manufacturing Allogeneic OTS Therapies

Our proprietary manufacturing approach utilizes unique in-house processes that we believe maximize yield and deliver engineered and non-engineered T cells that are significantly more potent compared to the competition. The discussion below shows our unique process compared to traditional processes.

For our allogeneic products, T cells are collected from a healthy donor. The collected cells are then sent to our central processing facility, where the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, including GDTs, are isolated.

For our Procel and Isosel product candidates, these T cells are engineered by stimulating the cells to proliferate, then transduced with a non-replicating retroviral vector. These engineered cells are then propagated in cell culture bags until sufficient cells are available. The process is often referred to as “retroviral transduction”. The engineered GDTs are then washed and frozen at the cell processing site.

For our Deltacel product candidate, which consists of non-engineered GDTs that have been expanded and enriched ex-vivo and activated through a proprietary process used to treat solid tumors, there is no retroviral transduction required because it is a non-viral approach.

This inventory will be securely stored and then shipped to oncology centers as needed.

Manufacturing Operations

We have invested resources to optimize our manufacturing process, including the development of improved analytical methods. We plan to continue to invest in process science, product characterization and manufacturing to continuously improve our production and supply chain capabilities over time.

Our product candidates are designed and manufactured via a platform comprised of defined unit operations and technologies. The process is gradually developed from small to larger scales, incorporating compliant procedures under cGMP conditions. Although we have a platform-based manufacturing model, each product is unique and for each new product candidate, a developmental phase is necessary to individually customize each engineering step and to create a robust procedure that can later be implemented in a cGMP environment to ensure the production of clinical batches. This work is performed in our research and development environment to evaluate and assess variability in each step of the process in order to define the most reliable production conditions.

For all of our ALEXIS and Deltacel trial candidates, we believe that all materials and components utilized in the production of the cell line, retroviral vector (for Procel and Isocel only) and final T cell product will be readily available from qualified suppliers in line with the clinical timelines discussed previously.

In addition, we believe we have sufficient space at our headquarters in Houston, Texas, to support clinical grade operations.

If any of our product candidates are approved, to meet projected needs for commercial sale quantities, we anticipate that we will need to obtain additional manufacturing capacity.

Benefits

We believe that the manufacturing of our therapies with these process and infrastructure results in the following key benefits:

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Our Product Pipeline and Development

Using our proprietary technologies, we are researching and developing multiple product candidates for the treatment of solid tumors. Our product candidates are allogeneic engineered and non-engineered GDTs to be used for specific patients as OTS treatments for patients with solid tumors.

Our product pipeline and clinical program projected timelines as of the date of this prospectus are represented in the diagrams below:

Clinical Program

Not only is cancer the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, but 90% of cancer deaths are due to metastatic disease, with the remainder due primarily to locally advanced disease. Current treatments for locally advanced disease include systemic chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, but offer only limited benefit for many subjects with locally advanced disease that is not amendable to curative surgical resection.

What makes this challenging is that solid tumors develop in complex and dynamic microenvironments that influence their growth, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, effective novel therapies are needed for subjects with advanced solid tumors.

The field of immunotherapy is currently expanding with a variety of approaches and we believe that our suite of GDT therapies is uniquely positioned to make an impact in this setting based upon our promising preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo studies which have revealed strong and specific tumor cytotoxicity with minimal adverse effects.

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As previously discussed, our INDs for ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 are currently on a clinical hold. We hope to be able to submit IND #1, IND #2, and IND #3 in the future using the in-vivo preclinical data that will be generated under the SRA with MD Anderson. Below is a graphic outlining what we believe are our upcoming clinical milestones and expected timing for achieving each milestone based on our current expectations.

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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section title “Risk Factors,” that represent challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may adversely affect our ability to effect a business combination, and may have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:

Risks Related to Our Financial Position

Risks Related to our Business

Risks Related to our Product Candidates

Risks Related to Government Regulation

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Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

Risks Related to the Securities in this Offering

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CORPORATE INFORMATION

We were first organized as a corporation in the State of Texas on August 6, 2006 under the name “Kiromic, Inc.” On May 27, 2016, we converted to a corporation in the State of Delaware under the name “Kiromic, Inc” and on December 16, 2019, we changed our name to “Kiromic BioPharma, Inc.” Our principal executive office is 7707 Fannin, Suite 140, Houston, TX 77054. Our telephone number is (832) 968-4888. Our website is www.kiromic.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus, nor is such content incorporated by reference herein, and should not be relied upon in determining whether to make an investment in our common stock.

Kiromic, Kiromic BioPharma, Diamond, Deltacel, Procel, Isocel, and our logo are some of our trademarks used in this prospectus. This prospectus also includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Solely for convenience, our trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® and ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.

IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY AND A SMALLER REPORTING COMPANY

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include:

We may take advantage of these exemptions until the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company on the date that is the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of our initial public offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the prior June 30th. We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. We are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements under the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions, as an emerging growth company, we may rely on certain of these exemptions, including without limitation, providing an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined under the Securities Act and Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company so long as either (i) the market value of shares of our common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of shares of our common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. Specifically, as a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and, similar to emerging growth companies, if we are a smaller reporting company under the requirements of (ii) above, we would not be required to obtain an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.

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THE OFFERING

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The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 15,839,112 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 24, 2022, and excludes as of June 24, 2022:

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Except as otherwise indicated herein, all information in this prospectus assumes the following:

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SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following tables present summary financial data for our business. We derived the statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We derived the statements of operations data for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 and the balance sheet data as of March 31, 2022 from our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with our audited consolidated financial statements and, in management’s opinion, contain all adjustments, consisting of normal and recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair statement of such financial data. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in any future period. You should read the following data together with our audited consolidated financial statements and the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as well as the information included in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” which appears elsewhere in this prospectus.

Our financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. Our historical results for any period are not necessarily indicative of our future performance.

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data

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Consolidated Balance Sheet Data

The table below presents our balance sheet data as of March 31, 2022:

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider all of the risks described below, as well as the other information in this prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Unless otherwise indicated, references to our business being harmed in these risk factors will include harm to our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations and the market price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position

We have incurred losses since inception and we expect to incur significant net losses in the foreseeable future.

We generated negative cash flows from operations and have incurred net operating losses each year since we started business. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred net losses of $25,588,700 and our net cash used in operating activities was $20,321,500. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we incurred net losses of $7,367,800 and our net cash used in operating activities was $7,578,900. As of March 31, 2022, our accumulated deficit was $74,584,300. We expect to continue to incur net losses and negative cash flow from operating activities for at least the next twelve months. As our focus on development of our product candidates has increased, losses have resulted primarily from expenses associated with research and development and clinical trial-related activities, as well as general and administrative expenses. While we have implemented and continue to implement cost reduction measures where possible, we nonetheless expect to continue operating in a loss position on a consolidated basis and expect that recurring operating expenses will be at higher levels for the year ending December 31, 2022. Further, we anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:

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Our ability to generate sufficient revenue from any of our products, product candidates or technologies to achieve profitability will depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the success of our research and development programs, our ability to achieve regulatory approvals, market conditions, costs and effectiveness of manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution operations related to such product candidate, and the terms of any collaboration or other strategic arrangement we may have with respect to such product candidate and levels of reimbursement from third-party payors.

We may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We do not know when or whether we will become profitable. We have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated revenue from operations. To become and remain profitable, we must succeed in developing, obtaining regulatory approval for and commercializing one or more of our product candidates. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing preclinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates, discovering and developing additional product candidates, obtaining regulatory approval for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, establishing commercialization capabilities for any approved products and achieving market acceptance for any approved products. We may never succeed in these activities. Even if we succeed in these activities, we may never generate revenue in an amount sufficient to achieve profitability.

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with biotechnology product development and commercialization, we are unable to accurately predict whether and when we will achieve profitability. If we are required by the FDA, the European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”) or any comparable regulatory authority to perform preclinical studies or clinical trials in addition to those we currently expect to conduct, or if there are any delays or complications in completing preclinical studies of our product candidates or, if preclinical studies are successful, in submitting an IND or Clinical Trial Application to the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities, and if clinical trials are successful, in submitting a Biologic License Application (“BLA”) or Marketing Authorization Application to the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities, manufacturing clinical trial supplies and completing clinical trials, our expenses could increase substantially and our ability to achieve profitability could be further delayed.

Even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. After we achieve profitability, if ever, we expect to continue to engage in substantial research and development activities and to incur substantial expenses to develop and commercialize additional product candidates. In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our revenues, expenses and profitability.

Our failure to achieve or sustain profitability would depress our market value and could impair our ability to execute our business plan, raise capital, develop additional product candidates or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company could cause our shareholders to lose all or part of their investment.

We will need substantial additional funding to develop our product candidates and conduct our future operations and to repay our outstanding debt obligations. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all

We have an ongoing need to raise additional cash from outside sources to continue funding our operations, including our continuing substantial research and development expenses. We do not currently believe that our cash balance will be sufficient to fund the development and marketing efforts required to reach profitability without raising additional capital from accessible sources of financing in the near future. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

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The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of our clinical and preclinical development efforts.

We have secured capital historically from equity offerings. To obtain additional capital, we may pursue debt and/or equity offering programs, strategic corporate partnerships, state and federal development programs, licensing arrangements, and sales of assets. We cannot be certain that additional capital will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Depending on the type and the terms of any financing we pursue, stockholders’ rights and the value of their investment in our common stock could be reduced. A financing could involve one or more types of securities including common stock, preferred stock, convertible debt or warrants to acquire common stock. These securities could be issued at or below the then prevailing market price for our common stock. In addition, if we issue secured debt securities, the holders of the debt would have a claim to our assets that would be prior to the rights of stockholders until the debt is paid. Interest on debt or other securities would increase costs and negatively impact operating results. If the issuance of new securities results in diminished rights to holders of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could be negatively impacted.

If we are unable to raise substantial additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate some or all of our research programs, product development activities and commercialization efforts.

The process of identifying product candidates and conducting preclinical and clinical trials is time consuming, expensive, uncertain and takes years to complete. We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we identify, continue the research and development of, initiate clinical or field trials of, and seek marketing approval for, product candidates. In addition, if any therapeutic product candidate that we develop alone or with collaborators obtains marketing approval, we may incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution efforts. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital when needed, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate current or future research programs, product development activities and/or commercialization efforts.

Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding on a timely basis or on favorable terms, we may be required to significantly delay, reduce or eliminate one or more of our research or product development programs and/or commercialization efforts. We may also be unable to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on business opportunities as desired. Any of these events could materially adversely affect our financial condition and business prospects.

Our financial situation creates doubt whether we will continue as a going concern.

The Company has not generated any revenues to date. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, we had a net loss of $7,367,800 and $3,854,500, respectively. There can be no assurances that we will be able to achieve a level of revenues adequate to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or obtain funding from additional financing through private placements, public offerings and/or bank financing necessary to support our working capital requirements. No assurance can be given that additional financing will be available, or if available, will be on acceptable terms. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have identified certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and if our remediation of such material weaknesses is not effective, or if we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable laws and regulations could be impaired.

In the course of preparing our financial statements, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses related to: (1) lack of internal control processes and procedures regarding the financial close and reporting process, procure to pay process, and human resources and payroll process; (2) those controls being designed without the

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appropriate segregation of duties; (3) lack of full time accounting and finance personnel; and (4) internal communication deficiencies surrounding our failure to timely disclose that the Company had received communications from the FDA on June 16 and June 17, 2021 that the FDA was placing the Company’s IND applications that the Company submitted to the FDA on May 14 and May 17, 2021 for the ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 clinical trial candidates, respectively, on clinical holds (the “June 16 and 17, 2021 FDA Communications”). In order to remediate these material weaknesses, we have hired and plan to continue to hire and engage additional accounting, finance, and system implementation specialists and we have formed a Disclosure Committee comprised of certain members of the Company’s management. We have implemented, and plan to continue to implement, new controls, new processes and technologies to implement formalized internal controls framework and procedures.

We believe we have taken the necessary actions to substantially address each of the material weaknesses discussed above, and we plan to take additional steps to improve our accounting function. However, we may not be able to fully remediate these material weaknesses until it can be confirmed that such remedial measures have been operating effectively for a sufficient period of time. Further, we cannot assure you that any such actions will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses. Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. Further, deficiencies or material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods.

Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that are filed with the SEC. The existence of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on the Nasdaq.

Risks Related to our Business

We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects and may increase the risk of your investment.

We are a company with a limited operating history. We began principal business operations in 2012 and spent the first three years of our company’s history developing and refining our core technology, and only since then have we focused our efforts on advancing the development of product candidates.

Investment in biopharmaceutical product development is a highly speculative endeavor and entails substantial upfront capital expenditures. There is significant risk that any product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or an acceptable safety profile, obtain any required regulatory approvals or become commercially viable. Our platforms and the technologies we are using are new and unproven. We have not yet commenced human clinical trials for any of our product candidates, nor have we demonstrated an ability to initiate or successfully complete any clinical trials, obtain any required marketing approvals, manufacture products, conduct sales, marketing and distribution activities, or arrange for a third party to do any of the foregoing on our behalf.

Consequently, any predictions made about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a history of successfully developing and commercializing products. Our limited operating history, particularly in light of the rapidly evolving nature of the biopharmaceutical industries and the genome editing field, may make it difficult to evaluate our technology and business prospects or to predict our future performance.

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As a company, we have never commercialized a product. We currently have no active sales force or commercial infrastructure. We may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize our product candidates.

We currently have no active sales force or commercial infrastructure. As a company, we have never commercialized a product for any indication. Even if we receive regulatory approval for one or more of our product candidates from the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities, we will need to develop robust internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities to commercialize such products, which will be expensive and time-consuming, or enter into collaborations with third parties to perform these services.

There are costs and risks involved with establishing our own sales, marketing and distribution capabilities. For example, recruiting and training a sales force is expensive and time-consuming and could delay any product launch. If the commercial launch of a product candidate for which we recruit a sales force and establish marketing capabilities is delayed or does not occur for any reason, we would have prematurely or unnecessarily incurred these commercialization expenses. This may be costly, and our investment would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel. We must also compete with other biotechnology companies to recruit, hire, train and retain marketing and sales personnel.

Alternatively, we may wish to establish collaborations with third parties to maximize the potential of our product candidates jurisdictions in which a product candidate has been approved. The biotechnology industry is characterized by intense competition. Therefore, we may not be successful in entering into such commercialization arrangements with third parties on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, we may have limited control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell, market and distribute our products effectively.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to develop the necessary commercial infrastructure and capabilities to successfully commercialize our product candidates or be able to establish or maintain relationships with third parties necessary to perform these services. As a result, we may not successfully commercialize any product in any jurisdiction.

We must maintain quality controls and compliance with manufacturing standards.

The manufacture of our product candidates is, and the manufacture of any future drug and/or cell-related therapeutic products would be, subject to periodic inspection by regulatory authorities and distribution partners. The manufacture of drug products for human use is subject to regulation and inspection from time to time by the FDA for compliance with the FDA’s cGMP, Quality System Regulations (“QSRs”), as well as equivalent requirements and inspections by state and non-U.S. regulatory authorities. There can be no assurance that the FDA or other authorities will not, during the course of an inspection of existing or new facilities, identify what they consider to be deficiencies in our compliance with QSRs or other requirements and request, or seek remedial action.

Failure to comply with such regulations or a potential delay in attaining compliance may adversely affect our manufacturing activities and could result in, among other things, injunctions, civil penalties, FDA refusal to grant pre- market approvals or clearances of future or pending product submissions, fines, recalls or seizures of products, total or partial suspensions of production and criminal prosecution. There can be no assurance that after such occurrences we will be able to obtain additional necessary regulatory approvals or clearances on a timely basis, if at all. Delays in receipt of or failure to receive such approvals or clearances, or the loss of previously received approvals or clearances could have a substantial negative effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our future success depends on our ability to retain our Chief Executive Officer, and other key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.

We are highly dependent on the research and development experience, technical skills, leadership and continued service of certain members of our management and scientific teams, including Pietro Bersani, our Chief Executive Officer, Scott Dahlbeck, our Chief of Staff, Mike Ryan, our Chief Bioinformatics Research Computing Officer, and Daniel Clark, our Chief Financial Officer.

Although we have employment agreements with our executive officers, these agreements do not prevent them from terminating their employment with us at any time. The loss of the services of any of these persons could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing and, if we retain commercialization responsibility for any product candidate we develop alone or with collaborators, sales and marketing personnel, will also be critical to our success. We may not be able to attract and retain these personnel on acceptable terms or at all given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and

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biotechnology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategies. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.

The inability to recruit, integrate, motivate and retain additional skilled and qualified personnel, or the loss of services of certain executives, key employees, consultants or advisors, may impede the progress of our research, development and commercialization objectives and have a material adverse effect on our business.

We will need to expand our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We will need to significantly expand our organization. If we are not able to effectively manage this expansion, that may impact our future financial performance, our ability to develop and commercialize product candidates alone or with collaborators, and our ability to compete effectively. In addition, we may have difficulty identifying, hiring and integrating new personnel if we are unable to effectively manage expansion.

Many of the biotechnology companies that we compete against for qualified personnel and consultants have greater financial and other resources, different risk profiles and a longer history than we do. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high-quality personnel and consultants, the rate and success at which we can identify and develop product candidates, enter into collaborative arrangements and otherwise operate our business will be limited.

Future growth would impose significant additional responsibilities on our management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain, motivate and integrate additional employees, consultants and contractors. Management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. Due to our limited financial resources and the limited experience of our management team in managing a company with such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage the expected expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel.

Moreover, the expected physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources from other projects, such as the development of product candidates. If we are not able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, it may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, increase our expenses more than expected, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees and reduced productivity.

Our Company’s governing documents designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of state law actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.

Our Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dictates that the Delaware Court of Chancery is the sole and exclusive forum for certain state law based actions including certain derivative actions or proceedings brought on behalf of us; an action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed by an officer, a director, employee or to our shareholders; any claim arising under Delaware corporate law; and any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

This exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or other federal securities laws for which there is exclusive federal or concurrent federal and state jurisdiction.

This choice of forum provision may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, employees and agents even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. Stockholders who do bring a claim in the Court of Chancery could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Delaware. The Court of Chancery may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in

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respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are an emerging growth company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies make our shares less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, (i) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this prospectus and our periodic reports and proxy statements and (iii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are required to provide only two years of audited financial statements and two years of selected financial data in our initial registration statement, compared to three and five years, respectively, for comparable data reported by other public companies.

We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years from our initial public offering (“IPO”), although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 (the end of our second fiscal quarter) before that time or if we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, in which cases we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31 (our fiscal year end); or, if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, we would cease to be an emerging growth company immediately. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements.

We cannot predict if investors will find our securities less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the price of our securities may be more volatile. When these exemptions cease to apply, we expect to incur additional expenses and devote increased management effort towards ensuring compliance with them, and we cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of such additional costs.

We may be subject to securities laws claims regarding past disclosures.

We may be subject to additional claims for rescission (under which a successful claimant would have the right to receive the total amount paid for his or her shares, plus interest and less any income earned on the shares, in exchange for surrender of the shares), damages (under which a successful claimant would have the right to receive the total amount paid for his or her shares, plus interest and less any income earned on the shares, in exchange for surrender of the shares) or other securities law claims resulting from our failure to timely disclose the June 16 and 17, 2021 FDA Communications.

On July 2, 2021, we consummated a public offering of $40 million of our common stock. Neither the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with respect to this offering that was filed on June 25, 2021 nor the final prospectus dated June 29, 2021 with respect to this offering contained any disclosure with respect to the June 16 and 17, 2021 FDA Communications. Our Form S-1 and final prospectus for the offering stated the following with respect to our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 product candidates: “These products are in the pre-IND stage of the FDA clinical trial process. We are currently going through the IND enabling trials process for these product candidates and we expect that first in human dosing in Phase I of clinical trials will commence in the third quarter of 2021.” Anyone who purchased shares of our common stock in the offering and anyone who purchased or sold shares of our common stock in the public market after June 16, 2021 could claim that they were misled by our failure to disclose the clinical hold on studies under the INDs for these product candidates and that they suffered damages. On March 7, 2022, certain shareholders who had purchased shares of our common stock in the Company’s public offering that closed on July 2, 2021 filed a complaint against the Company and certain our current and former officers and directors for alleged violations of Sections 11, 12, and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase of common stock in the offering. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages; rescission to the extent they still hold Kiromic securities, or if sold, rescissory damages; reasonable costs and expenses, including attorneys’ and experts’ fees; and other unspecified equitable and injunctive relief. We expect to vigorously defend against this action. We have evaluated that it is reasonably possible that the claims from entities related to Sabby Management LLC (the “Sabby Entities”) and Empery Asset Management, LP( the “Empery Entities”) may result in an estimated loss ranging between $0 and $8,100,000. Similarly, we have

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evaluated that it is reasonably possible that other unasserted claims in future litigation and losses may occur. However, we are unable to estimate any possible range of loss attributed to other unasserted claims at this time. Even if we are successful in defending against this litigation or any other unasserted claims, securities litigation is costly to defend and would likely divert management’s attention away from the business.

In addition to the above, several class action plaintiff law firms have issued press releases announcing that the firms are investigating securities law claims on behalf of stockholders of the Company. These press releases were in response to an approximately 15% decline in the Company’s stock price on July 16, 2021, the date we had first announced we had received comments from the FDA on our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 INDs. If claims are ultimately made pursuant to these investigations or otherwise, we intend to defend ourselves vigorously, but are unable to predict the outcome of any such litigation. Even if we are successful, securities litigation is costly to defend and would likely divert management’s attention away from the business.

The existence of pending and potential securities law claims may adversely affect our ability to raise capital.

We had ineffective disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2022 and earlier periods, which could result in our potential exposure to litigation and could adversely affect or ability to raise capital in the future.

We have determined that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of March 31, 2022. Our disclosure controls and procedures were ineffective due to the existence of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, including a material weakness resulting from internal communication deficiencies surrounding our failure to timely disclose the June 16 and 17, 2021 FDA Communications as previously described. We had previously determined that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2021 due to the existence of material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. We made the same determination in earlier periods as well. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

In January 2022, a Committee of our board of directors (the “Board”) has made several recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, which recommendations were accepted and adopted by the Board. The recommendations that have been adopted include among other things: (i) the appointment of an Interim CEO who has received training in appropriate disclosure controls and procedures and who will be responsible for supervising our disclosure controls and procedures, (ii) the establishment of a Disclosure Committee of our management, and (iii) the appointment of two additional independent directors to the Board. However, the fact that we experienced ineffective disclosure controls could result in further potential exposure to litigation and could adversely affect our ability to raise funds in the future.

Matters relating to or arising from our Internal Review, including regulatory investigations and proceedings, litigation matters, and potential additional expenses, may adversely affect our business and results of operations. We may also become involved in litigation from time to time that may materially adversely affect us.

Matters relating to or arising from our Internal Review, including potential regulatory investigations and proceedings, current and potential litigation matters, and potential additional expenses, may adversely affect our business and results of operations. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation — Recent Developments — Results from our Internal Review” for more information.

From time to time, we have also become and may in the future be involved in legal proceedings relating to various matters, including intellectual property, commercial, employment, former employees (including any claims brought by Dr. Chiriva arising from his termination) class action, whistleblower and other litigation and claims, as well as governmental and other regulatory investigations and proceedings. Litigation and governmental and regulatory investigations and proceedings are time-consuming, and may divert management’s attention and resources, cause us to incur significant expenses or liability or require us to change our business practices. Because of the potential risks, expenses and uncertainties of litigation, we may, from time to time, settle disputes, even where we believe that we have meritorious claims or defenses. Because litigation and governmental and regulatory investigations and proceedings are inherently unpredictable, we cannot assure you that the results of any of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on our business.

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Risks Related to our Product Candidates

Our tumor-specific cancer immunotherapy approach is based on novel ideas and technologies that are unproven and may not result in marketable products, which exposes us to unforeseen risks and makes it difficult for us to predict the time and cost of product development and potential for regulatory approval.

We are using our proprietary technologies to develop tumor-specific immunotherapy product candidates to treat cancer. Our foundational science and product development approach are based on our ability to predict the presence of a patient’s TSIA’s and develop a TSIA-directed therapy that will elicit a meaningful specific immune-system cell response (T or NK cells). We believe that this approach may offer an improved therapeutic effect by driving an intense, focused attack selectively upon a patient’s tumor. However, this approach to treating cancer is novel and the scientific research that forms the basis of our efforts to predict the presence of TSIA and to develop a CAR that targets TSIA-directed cancer immunotherapy candidates is both preliminary and limited.

Our tumor-specific immunotherapy product candidates have experienced limited testing in humans. We are currently in the process of validating different tumor-specific immunotherapy product candidates. When we validate adequate biomarkers for these product candidates, we will commence preclinical animal studies, and the results of our preclinical animal studies may not translate into humans. For example, our prediction model may fail to accurately predict the presence of TSIAs, resulting in little or no T cell activity, or our therapy may fail to elicit a significant or durable enough T or NK cell response to effectively destroy a tumor.

As such, we cannot assure you that even if we are able to develop cancer immunotherapy candidates capable of recognizing TSIA and eliciting a T cell response, that such therapy would safely and effectively treat cancers. We may spend substantial funds attempting to develop this approach and never succeed in developing a marketable therapeutic.

Furthermore, no regulatory authority has granted approval for a cancer immunotherapy based on a heterologous prime-boost approach. As such, we believe that the FDA has limited experience with evaluating our approach, which may increase the complexity, uncertainty and length of the regulatory approval process for our product candidates. We may never receive approval to market and commercialize any product candidate. Even if we obtain regulatory approval, the approval may be for targets, disease indications, lines of therapy or patient populations that are not as broad as we intended or desired or may require labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings.

We face substantial competition from other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, which may result in others discovering, developing, or commercializing products before, or more successfully, than we do.

The development and commercialization of new drug products is highly competitive. Our future success depends on our ability to demonstrate and maintain a competitive advantage with respect to the design, development, and commercialization of our product candidates. Our objective is to design, develop and commercialize new products with superior efficacy, convenience, tolerability, and safety. In many cases, the products that we intend to commercialize, if successfully commercialized, will compete with existing market-leading products.

Many of our potential competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing, drug development, technical and human resources than we do. Large pharmaceutical companies, in particular, have extensive experience in clinical testing, obtaining regulatory approvals, recruiting patients and manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

Large and established companies compete in the same market as our product candidates. These companies compete with us with their greater experience and resources to support their research and development efforts, conduct testing and clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals to market products, manufacture such products on a broad scale and market approved products. These companies also compete with us by having significantly greater research and marketing capabilities than we do and may also have products that have been approved or are in late stages of development and have collaborative arrangements in our target markets with leading companies and research institutions. Established pharmaceutical companies may also invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel compounds or to in-license novel compounds that could make the products that we develop obsolete. We also face competition from smaller companies who, like us, rely on investors to fund research and development and compete for co-development and licensing opportunities from large and established pharmaceutical companies.

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The genome editing field is relatively new and evolving rapidly, and other existing or future technologies may provide significant advantages over our product candidates of our Diamond and ABBIE technologies, which could materially harm our business.

To date, we have focused our efforts on optimizing our proprietary genome editing technology and exploring its potential applications. Other companies have previously undertaken research and development of genome editing technologies using sequence-specific DNA-cutting enzymes, or nucleases, that are designed to perform modifications in the DNA of living cells and organisms, or using zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (“TALENs”), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein-9 nuclease (“CRISPR/Cas9”), although none has obtained marketing approval for a product candidate developed using such technologies. Other genome editing technologies, or other existing or future technologies, may lead to the development of treatments or products that may be considered better suited for use in human therapeutics, which could reduce or eliminate our commercial opportunity.

We are heavily dependent on the successful development and translation of our technologies, and due to the early stages of our product development operations, we cannot give any assurance that any product candidates will be successfully developed and commercialized. To date, we have invested substantially all of our efforts and financial resources to develop our technologies and advance our current product development programs, including conducting preclinical studies and other early research and development activities, and providing general and administrative support for these operations.

Our future success is dependent on our ability to successfully develop and, where applicable, obtain regulatory approval for, including marketing approval for, and then successfully commercialize, product candidates, either alone or with collaborators. We have not yet developed and commercialized any product candidates, and we may not be able to do so, alone or with collaborators. Our research and development programs may not lead to the successful identification, development, or commercialization of any products.

We may expend our limited resources pursuing particular research programs or product candidates that may be less successful or profitable than other programs or product candidates.

Research programs to identify new product candidates and product development platforms require substantial technical, financial, and human resources. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential programs, product candidates or product development platforms that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful. Clinical trials of any of our product candidates is not assured despite the expenditure of significant resources in pursuit of their development, and our spending on current and future research and development programs, product candidates and product development platforms may not yield any commercially viable products.

Additionally, if we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through collaboration, licensing or other strategic arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate.

If we experience delays or difficulties in patient enrollment for clinical trials, our research and development efforts and the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals could be significantly delayed or prevented.

Commencement and successful and timely completion of clinical trials require us to enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials as required by the FDA, the EMA or comparable regulatory authorities. Any delay or difficulty in patient enrollment could significantly delay or otherwise hinder our research and development efforts and delay or prevent receipt of necessary regulatory approvals. Despite diligent planning of our clinical trials and analysis of their feasibility regarding patient recruitment, we may experience difficulties, delays or inability in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons, including:

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Further, challenges in recruiting and enrolling suitable patients to participate in clinical trials could increase costs, affect the timing and outcome of our planned clinical trials and result in delays to our current development plan for our product candidates.

Delays in the commencement and completion of clinical trials could increase costs and delay or prevent regulatory approval and commercialization of our product candidates.

We cannot guarantee that clinical trials of our product candidates will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of the clinical trial process, and other events may cause us to temporarily or permanently stop a clinical trial. Events that may prevent successful or timely commencement and completion of clinical development include:

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We may be required to perform additional or unanticipated clinical trials to obtain approval or be subject to post-marketing testing requirements to maintain regulatory approval. If our immunotherapy candidates prove to be ineffective, unsafe or commercially unviable, our entire technology platform and pipeline would have little, if any, value, which would have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Diamond and ABBIE are novel technologies, making it difficult to predict the time, cost, and potential success of product candidate development. We have not yet been able to assess the safety and efficacy of any product candidates in humans. Our success depends on our ability to develop and commercialize product candidates using our novel genome editing technology ABBIE. The novel nature of our technology makes it difficult to accurately predict the developmental challenges we may face for product candidates as they proceed through research, preclinical and clinical or field trials.

There have been a limited number of clinical trials of products created with genome editing technologies, none of which has utilized our technology, and no therapeutic product candidates created with other genome editing technologies have received marketing approval in the U.S. or Europe. Because our therapeutic research programs are all in research or preclinical stages, we have not yet been able to assess the safety or efficacy of any product candidates in humans.

Current or future product candidates may not meet safety and efficacy requirements for continued development or ultimate approval in humans and may cause significant adverse events or toxicities. All of our product candidates are designed to act at the level of DNA, and because animal DNA differs from human DNA, it will be difficult for us to test our therapeutic product candidates in animal

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models for either safety or efficacy, and any testing that we conduct may not translate to their effects in humans. Moreover, animal models may not exist for some of the targets, diseases or indications that we intend to pursue.

Our product candidates may not be able to properly implement desired genetic edits with sufficient accuracy to be viable therapeutic products, and there may be long-term effects associated with them that we cannot predict at this time. Any problems we experience related to the development of our genome editing technology or any of our collaborators’ research programs or product candidates may cause significant delays or unanticipated costs, and we may not be able to satisfactorily solve such problems. These factors may prevent us or our collaborators from completing our preclinical studies or any clinical trials that we or our collaborators may initiate, or profitably commercializing any product candidates on a timely basis, or at all.

Results from preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of results from late-stage or other clinical trials.

Positive and promising results from preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of results from late-stage clinical trials or from clinical trials of the same product candidates. The primary objectives of our current Phase 1 clinical trials are to establish safety and tolerability and to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose. Results from those and future early-stage clinical trials may not be representative of results from later-stage clinical trials. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. Late-stage clinical trials could differ in significant ways from early-stage clinical trials, including changes to inclusion and exclusion criteria, efficacy endpoints, dosing regimen and statistical design. In particular, we expect there may be greater variability in results for products processed and administered on a patient-by-patient basis, as for our cellular therapy product candidates, than for ”OTS” products, like many other drugs. Many companies in the biotechnology industry have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials after achieving encouraging or positive results in early-stage development. There can be no assurance that we will not face similar setbacks. Therefore, despite positive results observed in early-stage clinical trials, our product candidates may fail to demonstrate sufficient efficacy in our pivotal or confirmatory clinical trials.

Preliminary interim or ”top-line” data that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

From time to time, we may announce or publish preliminary interim or ”top-line” data from clinical trials. Positive preliminary data may not be predictive of such trial’s subsequent or overall results. Preliminary data are subject to the risk that one or more of the outcomes may materially change as more data become available. Additionally, preliminary data are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available.

Therefore, positive preliminary results in any ongoing clinical trial may not be predictive of such results in the completed trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully evaluate all data. As a result, preliminary data that we report may differ from future results from the same clinical trials, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Preliminary data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Material adverse changes in the final data compared to preliminary data could significantly harm our business prospects.

Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and could limit commercialization of any products that we develop alone or with collaborators.

We face an inherent risk of product liability and professional indemnity exposure related to the testing in clinical trials of our product candidates. We will face an even greater liability risk if we commercially sell any products that we or our collaborators may develop for human use.

Manufacturing defects, errors in product distribution or storage processes, improper administration or application and known or unknown side effects of product usage may result in liability claims against us or third parties with which we have relationships. These actions could include claims resulting from acts by our collaborators, licensees and subcontractors over which we have little or no control. For example, our liability could be sought by patients participating in clinical trials for potential therapeutic product candidates as a result of unexpected side effects, improper product administration or the deterioration of a patient’s condition, patient injury or even death.

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Criminal or civil proceedings might be filed against us by patients, regulatory authorities, biopharmaceutical companies and any other third party using or marketing any product candidates or products that we develop alone or with collaborators. On occasion, large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on products that had unanticipated adverse effects. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that product candidates or products we develop alone or with collaborators caused harm, we could incur substantial liabilities.

Clinical development does not always fully characterize the safety and efficacy profile of a new medicine, and it is always possible that a drug or biologic, even after regulatory approval, may exhibit unforeseen side effects. If our product candidates were to cause adverse side effects during clinical trials or after approval, we may be exposed to substantial liabilities.

Product liability insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. We anticipate that we will need to increase our insurance coverage when we begin clinical trials and if our collaborators or ourselves successfully commercialize any products.

Our product candidates are complex and difficult to manufacture. We could experience manufacturing problems that result in delays in our development or commercialization programs.

Our product candidates are cellular products or biologics and the process of manufacturing our products is complex, highly regulated and subject to multiple risks. The manufacture of our cellular product candidates involves complex processes which include, for example, harvesting white blood cells from healthy donors, transporting them from blood banks to our cGMP facility for donor GDT expansion, engineering, and cryopreservation, and finally shipping of the T cell product back to the patient for treatment. As a result of the complexities, the cost to manufacture cellular products per dose is generally higher than traditional small molecule chemical compounds or biologics, and the manufacturing process is less reliable, more variable and is more difficult to reproduce. Our manufacturing process may be susceptible to product loss or failure due to logistical issues associated with the collection of patients’ blood cells, shipping such material to the manufacturing site, shipping the final product back to the patient, and infusing the patient with the product. Product loss or failure may also be caused by manufacturing issues associated with the variability in patient starting material especially from heavily treated cancer patients, interruptions in the manufacturing process, contamination, equipment failure, assay failures, improper installation or operation of equipment, vendor or operator error, inconsistency in cell growth, and variability in product characteristics. Even minor deviations from normal manufacturing processes could result in reduced production yields, product defects, and other supply disruptions. If for any reason we lose a patient’s starting material, or any intermediate product at any point in the process, or if any product does not meet the preset specifications, the manufacturing process for that patient will need to be restarted, sometimes including re-collection of blood cells from the patient, and the resulting delay may adversely affect that patient’s outcome. It may even happen, that failed product manufacture may prevent a patient from getting a T cell product. If microbial, environmental or other contaminations are discovered in our product candidates or in the manufacturing facilities in which our product candidates are made, such manufacturing facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination. If such contaminations or other product quality issues are not discovered and if as a result thereof patients are exposed to a health risk, we may be held liable. Our insurance may not cover those cases, or the financial coverage may not be sufficient.

Because our Procel and Isocel product candidates are manufactured specifically for each individual patient, we will be required to maintain a chain of identity with respect to the patient’s cellular material as it moves from the patient to the manufacturing facility, through the manufacturing process, and back to the patient. Maintaining such a chain of identity is difficult and complex, and failure to do so could result in adverse patient outcomes, loss of product, or regulatory action including withdrawal of our products from the market. Further, as product candidates are developed through preclinical to late-stage clinical trials towards approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods, are altered along the way to optimize processes and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives, and any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials or otherwise necessitate the conduct of additional studies, including bridging clinical trials, which can be costly and time-consuming.

In addition, the manufacturing process and facilities for any products that we may develop is subject to FDA and comparable regulatory authority approval processes, and we will need to meet all applicable regulatory authority requirements, including cGMP and cGTP requirements, on an ongoing basis, including requirements pertaining to quality control, quality assurance, and the maintenance of records and documentation. The FDA and comparable regulatory authorities enforce these requirements through facility inspections. Manufacturing facilities must be approved by the FDA pursuant to inspections that will be conducted after we

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submit our marketing applications. Manufacturers are also subject to continuing FDA and comparable regulatory authority inspections following marketing approval. Further, we must supply all necessary chemistry, manufacturing, and control documentation in support of a BLA on a timely basis.

Any failure to follow cGMP and cGTP or other regulatory requirements or any delay, interruption or other issues that arise in the manufacture, fill and finish, packaging, or storage of our product candidates as a result of a failure of our facilities or the facilities or operations of third parties to comply with regulatory requirements or pass any regulatory authority inspection could significantly impair our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates, including leading to significant delays in the availability of drug product for our clinical trials or the termination of or hold on a clinical trial, or the delay or prevention of a filing or approval of marketing applications for our product candidates.

If we are unable to obtain sufficient quantities of raw materials and supplies, at acceptable prices and on a timely basis, it could harm our business.

We are dependent on third parties for the supply of various biological materials, such as cells, cytokines and antibodies, and the manufacture of product supplies, such as media, plasmids, mRNA and viral vectors, that are necessary to produce our product candidates. The supply of these materials could be reduced or interrupted at any time. In such case, identifying and engaging an alternative supplier or manufacturer could result in delay, and we may not be able to find other acceptable suppliers or manufacturers on acceptable terms, or at all.

Changing suppliers or manufacturers may involve substantial costs and is likely to result in a delay in our desired clinical and commercial timelines. If we change suppliers or manufacturers for commercial production, applicable regulatory agencies may require us to conduct additional studies or trials. If key suppliers or manufacturers are lost, or if the supply of the materials is diminished or discontinued, we or our collaborators may not be able to develop, manufacture and market product candidates in a timely and competitive manner, or at all. If any of our product candidates receives approval, we will likely need to seek alternative sources of supply of raw materials or manufactured product supplies and there can be no assurance that we will be able to establish such relationships to provide such supplies on commercially reasonable terms or at acceptable quality levels, if at all.

If we are unable to identify and procure additional sources of supply that fit our required needs, we could face substantial delays or incur additional costs in procuring such materials.

The market opportunities for our product candidates may be smaller than we estimate.

Our projections of both the number of people who have the cancers we are targeting, as well as the subset of people with these cancers who are in a position to receive our product candidates, and who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product candidates, are based on our beliefs and estimates that have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, surveys of clinics, patient foundations, or market research by third parties, and may prove to be incorrect. These estimates may be inaccurate or based on imprecise data. We do not have verifiable internal marketing data regarding the potential size of the commercial market for our product candidates, nor have we obtained current independent marketing surveys to verify the potential size of the commercial markets for our current product candidates or any future product candidates. Since our current product candidates and any future product candidates will represent novel approaches to treating various conditions, it may be difficult, in any event, to accurately estimate the potential revenues from these product candidates. The number of patients in the addressable markets may turn out to be lower than expected, patients may not be otherwise amenable to treatment with our product candidates or new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

The FDA regulatory approval process is lengthy and time-consuming, and we may experience significant delays in the clinical development and regulatory approval of our product candidates.

The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, sale, import, export, marketing, and distribution of drug products, including biologics, are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States. We are not permitted to market any biological drug product in the U.S. until we receive approval of a BLA from the FDA. We have not previously submitted a BLA to the FDA, or similar approval filings to comparable foreign authorities. A BLA must include extensive preclinical and clinical

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data and supporting information to establish the product candidate’s safety and effectiveness for each desired indication. The BLA must also include significant information regarding the chemistry, manufacturing and controls for the product. We have not received approval from regulatory authorities to market any product candidate in any jurisdiction, and it is possible that neither our current product candidates nor any product candidates that we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals necessary for us to commence product sales.

The pathway to regulatory approvals is time consuming and unpredictable, involves substantial costs and consumes management time and attention. It is not possible to predict the timing or success of obtaining regulatory approvals with any degree of certainty, and as a result, it is difficult to forecast our future financial results or prospects. Any unexpected development in the regulatory approval process, including delays or denials of regulatory approvals or significant modifications to our product candidates required by our regulators, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, and could substantially harm our stock price.

We expect the novel nature of our product candidates to create further challenges in obtaining regulatory approval. For example, the FDA has limited experience with commercial development of allogeneic T cell therapies for cancer. We may also request regulatory approval of future CAR-based product candidates by target, regardless of cancer type or origin, which the FDA may have difficulty accepting if our clinical trials only involved cancers of certain origins. The FDA may also require a panel of experts, referred to as an Advisory Committee, to deliberate on the adequacy of the safety and efficacy data to support licensure. The opinion of the Advisory Committee, although not binding, may have a significant impact on our ability to obtain licensure of the product candidates based on the completed clinical trials, as the FDA often adheres to the Advisory Committee’s recommendations.

Accordingly, the regulatory approval pathway for our product candidates may be uncertain, complex, expensive and lengthy, and approval may not be obtained.

Clinical testing is expensive, time consuming and uncertain as to outcome. We cannot guarantee that clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Events that may prevent successful or timely completion of clinical development include:

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We could also encounter delays if physicians encounter unresolved ethical issues associated with enrolling patients in clinical trials of our product candidates in lieu of prescribing existing treatments that have established safety and efficacy profiles. Further, a clinical trial may be suspended or terminated by us, the IRBs for the institutions in which such trials are being conducted or by the FDA or other regulatory authorities due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product candidate, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions, lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial, or based on a recommendation by the Data Safety Monitoring Committee. The FDA’s review of our data of our ongoing clinical trials may, depending on the data, also result in the delay, suspension or termination of one or more clinical trials, which would also delay or prevent the initiation of our other planned clinical trials. If we experience termination of, or delays in the completion of, any clinical trial of our product candidates, the commercial prospects for our product candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenue will be delayed. In addition, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our product development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenue.

Many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.

We may find it difficult to enroll patients in our clinical trials, which could delay or prevent clinical trials of our product candidates.

Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in clinical trials of our product candidates is critical to our success. The timing of our clinical trials depends on the speed at which we can recruit patients to participate in testing our product candidates. If patients are unwilling to participate in our trials because of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel or healthcare institution policies, negative publicity from adverse events in the biotechnology industries, public perception of vaccine safety issues or for other reasons, including competitive clinical trials for similar patient populations, the timeline for recruiting patients, conducting studies and obtaining regulatory approval of potential products may be delayed. These delays could result in increased costs, delays in advancing our product development, delays in testing the effectiveness of our technology or termination of the clinical trials altogether.

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We may not be able to identify, recruit and enroll a sufficient number of patients, or those with required or desired characteristics to achieve diversity in a trial, to complete our clinical trials in a timely manner. Patient enrollment is affected by several factors, including:

We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials if we cannot enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in the clinical trials required by regulatory agencies.

Even if we enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to initiate our clinical trials, we may be unable to maintain participation of these patients throughout the course of the clinical trial as required by the clinical trial protocol, in which event we may be unable to use the research results from those patients.

If we have difficulty enrolling and maintaining the enrollment of a sufficient number of patients to conduct our clinical trials as planned, we may need to delay, limit or terminate ongoing or planned clinical trials, any of which would have an adverse effect on our business.

Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit their commercial potential.

Significant adverse events caused by our product candidates or even competing products in development that utilize a common mechanism of action could cause us, an IRB or ethics committee, and/or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in clinical trial challenges such as difficulties in patient recruitment, retention, and adherence, the denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other regulatory authorities and potential product liability claims. Serious adverse events deemed to be caused by our product candidates could have a material adverse effect on the development of our product candidates and our business as a whole.

Our understanding of the relationship between our product candidates and these events, as well as our understanding of adverse events reported in future clinical trials of other product candidates, may change as we gather more information, and additional unexpected adverse events may be observed. In addition, the side effect profile of pharmaceutical drugs cannot be fully established based on preapproval clinical trials involving a limited number of patients. Routine review and analysis of post-marketing safety surveillance and clinical trials will provide additional information, for example, potential evidence of rare, population-specific or long-term

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adverse reactions, and may adversely affect the commercialization of the product, and even lead to the suspension or revocation of product marketing authorization.

If we or others identify undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates either before or after receipt of marketing approval, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining marketing approvals for and market acceptance of our product candidates and could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

We expect the product candidates we develop will be regulated as biological products, or biologics, and therefore they may be subject to competition sooner than anticipated.

The BPCIA was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act to establish an abbreviated pathway for the approval of biosimilar and interchangeable biological products. The regulatory pathway establishes legal authority for the FDA to review and approve biosimilar biologics, including the possible designation of a biosimilar as “interchangeable” based on its similarity to an approved biologic. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product cannot be approved by the FDA until 12 years after the reference product was approved under a BLA. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation, and meaning are subject to uncertainty. While it is uncertain when such processes intended to implement the BPCIA may be fully adopted by the FDA, any such processes could have a material adverse effect on the future commercial prospects for our biological products.

We believe that if any of the product candidates we develop that are approved in the U.S. as a biological product under a BLA, the BLA should qualify for the 12-year period of exclusivity. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider the subject product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, once approved, will be substituted for any one of the reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing.

The regulatory landscape that will govern our product candidates is uncertain; regulations relating to more established gene therapy and cell therapy products are still developing, and changes in regulatory requirements could result in delays or discontinuation of development of our product candidates or unexpected costs in obtaining regulatory approval.

Because we are developing novel CAR-T cell immunotherapy product candidates that are unique biological entities, the regulatory requirements that we will be subject to are not entirely clear. Even with respect to more established products that fit into the categories of gene therapies or cell therapies, the regulatory landscape is still developing. For example, regulatory requirements governing gene therapy products and cell therapy products have changed frequently and may continue to change in the future. Moreover, there is substantial, and sometimes uncoordinated, overlap in those responsible for regulation of existing gene therapy products and cell therapy products. For example, in the U.S., the FDA has established the Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, formerly known as the Office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies, within its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to consolidate the review of gene therapy and related products, and the Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee to advise the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research on its review. Gene therapy clinical trials are also subject to review and oversight by an IBC, a

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local institutional committee that reviews and oversees basic and clinical research conducted at the institution participating in the clinical trial. Although the FDA decides whether individual gene therapy protocols may proceed, review process and determinations of other reviewing bodies can impede or delay the initiation of a clinical study, even if the FDA has reviewed the study and approved its initiation. Conversely, the FDA can place an IND application on clinical hold even if such other entities have provided a favorable review. Furthermore, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an independent IRB at or servicing each institution at which a clinical trial will be conducted. In addition, adverse developments in clinical trials of gene therapy products conducted by others may cause the FDA or other regulatory bodies to change the requirements for approval of any of our product candidates.

Complex regulatory environments exist in other jurisdictions in which we might consider seeking regulatory approvals for our product candidates, further complicating the regulatory landscape. For example, in the EU a special committee called the Committee for Advanced Therapies was established within the EMA in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on advanced-therapy medicinal products to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of advanced-therapy medicinal products, and to follow scientific developments in the field. Advanced-therapy medicinal products include gene therapy products as well as somatic cell therapy products and tissue engineered products.

These various regulatory review committees and advisory groups and new or revised guidelines that they promulgate from time to time may lengthen the regulatory review process, require us to perform additional studies, increase our development costs, lead to changes in regulatory positions and interpretations, delay or prevent approval and commercialization of our product candidates or lead to significant post-approval limitations or restrictions. Because the regulatory landscape for our CAR-T cell immunotherapy product candidates is new, we may face even more cumbersome and complex regulations than those emerging for gene therapy products and cell therapy products.

Furthermore, even if our product candidates obtain required regulatory approvals, such approvals may later be withdrawn as a result of changes in regulations or the interpretation of regulations by applicable regulatory agencies.

Delay or failure to obtain, or unexpected costs in obtaining, the regulatory approval necessary to bring a potential product to market could decrease our ability to generate sufficient product revenue to maintain our business.

The FDA may disagree with our regulatory plan and we may fail to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates.

If our planned Phase 1 clinical trials for ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 and our other initial product candidates are completed and, assuming positive data, we expect to advance to potential registrational trials. The general approach for FDA approval of a new biologic or drug is for the sponsor to provide dispositive data from two well-controlled, Phase 3 clinical trials of the relevant biologic or drug in the relevant patient population. Phase 3 clinical trials typically involve hundreds of patients, have significant costs and take years to complete. If the results from our clinical trials are sufficiently compelling, we intend to discuss with the FDA submission of a BLA for the relevant product candidate. However, we do not have any agreement or guidance from the FDA that our regulatory development plans will be sufficient for submission of a BLA. For example, the FDA may require that we conduct a comparative trial against an approved therapy including potentially an approved autologous T cell therapy, which would significantly delay our development timelines and require substantially more resources. In addition, the FDA may only allow us to evaluate patients that have failed or who are ineligible for autologous therapy, which are extremely difficult patients to treat and patients with advanced and aggressive cancer, and our product candidates may fail to improve outcomes for such patients.

The FDA may grant accelerated approval for our product candidates and, as a condition for accelerated approval, the FDA may require a sponsor of a drug or biologic receiving accelerated approval to perform post-marketing studies to verify and describe the predicted effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical endpoint, and the drug or biologic may be subject to withdrawal procedures by the FDA that are more accelerated than those available for regular approvals. We believe that an accelerated approval strategy is warranted given the limited alternatives for patients that our initial product candidates target, but the FDA may ultimately require a Phase 3 clinical trial prior to approval, particularly since our product candidates represent a novel treatment. In addition, the standard of care may change with the approval of new products in the same indications that we are studying. This may result in the FDA or other regulatory agencies requesting additional studies to show that our product candidate is superior to the new products.

Our clinical trial results may also not support approval. In addition, our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

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We may seek orphan drug designation for some or all of our product candidates across various indications, but we may be unable to obtain such designations or to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including market exclusivity, which may cause our revenue, if any, to be reduced.

We may seek orphan drug designation for at least one of our product candidates in specific orphan indications in which there is a medically plausible basis for the use of these products. Even if we obtain orphan drug designation, exclusive marketing rights in the U.S. may be limited if we seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan designated indication and may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if we are unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition, or if a subsequent applicant demonstrates clinical superiority over our products, if approved. In addition, although we may seek orphan drug designation for other product candidates, we may never receive such designations.

Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in other jurisdictions.

Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction, while a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. For example, even if the FDA grants marketing approval of a product candidate, comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions must also approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion of the product candidate in those countries. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from, and greater than, those in the U.S., including additional preclinical studies or clinical trials as clinical studies conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the U.S., a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our products is also subject to approval.

We may also submit marketing applications in other countries. Regulatory authorities in jurisdictions outside of the U.S. have requirements for approval of product candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing in those jurisdictions. Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets and/or receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed.

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Even if we receive regulatory approval for our product candidates, such products will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and other restrictions, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our product candidates.

Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to conditions of approval. We may also be required to conduct post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product potentially over many years. If the FDA or other regulatory authority approves any of our product candidates, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, import, export, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with cGMP and GTP, and compliance with cGMP, GTP, and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Any such restrictions may result in significant additional expense or could limit sales of the approved product. If we, or any of the third parties on which we rely, fail to meet those requirements, the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities outside the United States could initiate enforcement action. Other consequences include the issuance of fines, warning letters, untitled letters or holds on clinical trials, product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of our product candidates, and permanent injunctions and consent decrees, including the imposition of civil or criminal penalties, among other consequences, that could significantly impair our ability to successfully commercialize a given product.

Later discovery of previously unknown problems with an approved product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing operations or processes, may result in, among other things:

In addition, applicable regulatory policies of governmental authorities, such as the FDA, may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could affect any regulatory approval that we may receive for our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that may have been obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would adversely affect our business.

Healthcare reform measures may have a material adverse effect on or prevent our product candidates’ commercial success.

There have been, and we expect there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes to health care systems in the United States and abroad that could impact our ability to sell our products profitably. The United States government and other governments have shown significant interest in pursuing healthcare reform. For example, in 2010, the Affordable Care Act was enacted, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers in the United States. Healthcare reform measures like the Affordable Care Act may adversely impact the pricing of healthcare products and services in the United States or internationally and the amount of reimbursement available from governmental agencies or other third-party payors. Certain provisions of the ACA have been subject to judicial challenges, as well as efforts to modify them or alter their interpretation or implementation. It is unclear how efforts to challenge or modify the ACA or its implementing regulations, or portions thereof, will affect our business.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted and we expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could result in

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more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for our product candidates, if commercialized, and could seriously harm our future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenues, attain profitability, or successfully commercialize our product candidates.

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

We expect to depend on collaborations with third parties for certain research, development and commercialization activities, and if any such collaborations are not successful, it may harm our business and prospects.

Working with collaborators including under the SRA, poses several significant risks, including the following:

Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. If our collaborations do not result in the successful development and commercialization of product candidates or technologies, or if one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may not receive any future funding or milestone or royalty payments under the collaboration.

Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. If our collaborations do not result in the successful development and commercialization of product candidates or technologies, or if one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may not receive any future funding or milestone or royalty payments under the collaboration.

If we do not receive the funding we expect under these agreements, our development of product candidates or technologies could be delayed, and we may need additional resources to develop such product candidates or technologies. In addition, if one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may find it more difficult to find a suitable replacement collaborator or attract new collaborators and may need to raise additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates or technologies.

Our relationships with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs and third party payors in connection with our current and future business activities may be subject to federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, transparency laws, government price reporting, and health information privacy and security laws, which could expose us to, among other things, criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, exclusion from governmental healthcare programs, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.

These events could delay development programs and negatively impact the perception of our company in business and financial communities. Failure to develop or maintain relationships with any current collaborators could result in the loss of opportunity to work

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with that collaborator or reputational damage that could impact our relationships with other collaborators in the relatively small industry communities in which we operate.

Moreover, all of the risks relating to product development, regulatory approval and commercialization described in this prospectus apply to the activities of our collaborators. If our existing collaboration agreements or any collaborative or strategic relationships we may establish in the future are not effective and successful, it may damage our reputation and business prospects, delay or prevent the development and commercialization of product candidates and inhibit or preclude our ability to realize any revenues.

Healthcare providers and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs, third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our products for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:

Some state laws require biotechnology companies to comply with the biotechnology industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures. Some state laws require biotechnology companies to report information on the pricing of certain drug products.

State and foreign laws also govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. For instance, the

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collection and use of health data in the EU is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), which extends the geographical scope of EU data protection law to non-EU entities under certain conditions, tightens existing EU data protection principles, creates new obligations for companies and new rights for individuals. Failure to comply with the GDPR may result in substantial fines and other administrative penalties. The GDPR may increase our responsibility and liability in relation to personal data that we process and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with the GDPR. This may be onerous and if our efforts to comply with GDPR or other applicable EU laws and regulations are not successful, it could adversely affect our business in the EU. Moreover, the United Kingdom leaving the EU has created uncertainty with regard to data protection regulation in the United Kingdom. The European Commission has adopted an Adequacy Decision concerning the level of data protection in the UK. Personal data may now flow freely from the EEA to the UK, however, the European Commission may suspend the Adequacy Decision if it considers that the UK no longer provides for an adequate level of data protection. In addition, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. The CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability, and similar laws have been proposed at the federal level and in other states.

Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve on-going substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, integrity oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

Defending against any such actions can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant financial and personnel resources. Therefore, even if we are successful in defending against any such actions that may be brought against us, our business may be impaired. Further, if any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

Patents and patent applications involve highly complex legal and factual questions, which, if determined adversely to us, could negatively impact our business position.

The patent positions of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and other actors in our fields of business can be highly uncertain and typically involve complex scientific, legal and factual analyses. In particular, the interpretation and breadth of claims allowed in some patents covering biopharmaceutical compositions may be uncertain and difficult to determine, and are often affected materially by the facts and circumstances that pertain to the patented compositions and the related patent claims. The standards of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and its foreign counterparts are sometimes uncertain and could change in the future.

Consequently, the issuance and scope of patents cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents, if issued, may be challenged, invalidated or designed around. U.S. patents and patent applications may also be subject to interference or derivation proceedings, and U.S. patents may be subject to reexamination, post-grant review and/ or inter parties review proceedings in the USPTO.

International patents may also be subject to opposition or comparable proceedings in the corresponding international patent office, which could result in either loss of the patent or denial of the patent application, or loss or reduction in the scope of one or more of the claims of the patent or patent application. In addition, such interference, derivation, reexamination, post-grant review, inter parties review and opposition proceedings may be costly. Accordingly, rights under any issued patents may not provide us with sufficient protection against competitive products or processes.

Furthermore, even if not challenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our technology and any product candidates or products that we develop alone or with collaborators or prevent others from designing their products to avoid being covered by our claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents and patent applications that we hold with

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respect to our product candidates or potential products is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, and could threaten our or their ability to successfully commercialize, such product candidates or potential products.

In addition, changes in, or different interpretations of, patent laws in the U.S. and other countries may permit others to use our discoveries or to develop and commercialize our technology and product candidates or products without providing any compensation to us, or may limit the scope of patent protection that we are able to obtain. The laws of some countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as U.S. laws, and those countries may lack adequate rules and procedures for defending our intellectual property rights.

Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to be paid to the USPTO and various governmental patent agencies outside of the U.S. in several stages over the lifetime of the patents and/or applications. We rely on our outside counsel and employ an outside firm to pay these fees due to USPTO and non-U.S. patent agencies. The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. Although an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

If the patent applications we hold or have in-licensed with respect to our current and future research and development programs and product candidates fail to issue, if their validity, breadth or strength of protection is threatened, or if they fail to provide meaningful exclusivity for our technology or any products and product candidates that we or our collaborators may develop, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop product candidates, encourage competitors to develop competing products or technologies and threaten our or our collaborators’ ability to commercialize future product candidates. Any such outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our ability to compete effectively in our markets may decline if we do not adequately protect our proprietary rights, and our proprietary rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantages.

We rely on patent protection as well as trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property rights protection and contractual restrictions to protect Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS and other product candidates. Our commercial success depends upon obtaining and maintaining proprietary rights to our intellectual property estate, including rights relating to Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS and other product candidates, as well as successfully defending these rights against third-party challenges and successfully enforcing these rights to prevent third-party infringement. We will only be able to protect Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS and other product candidates from unauthorized use by third parties to the extent that valid and enforceable patents or effectively protected trade secrets cover them.

Our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection for Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS and other product candidates is uncertain due to a number of factors, including the following factors:

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Even if we have or obtain patents covering Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS or any other product candidates or compositions, others may have filed, and in the future may file, patent applications covering compositions, products or methods that are similar or identical to ours, which could materially affect our ability to successfully develop any product candidates or to successfully commercialize any approved products alone or with collaborators. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending applications unknown to us that may later result in issued patents that may cover Diamond, ABBIE, and ALEXIS or any other product candidates or compositions. These patent applications may have priority over patent applications filed by us.

The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our owned and licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the U.S. and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and products.

In the U.S., the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Various extensions may be available; however the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited.

Without patent protection for current or future product candidates, we may be open to competition from generic versions of such potential products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to those we or our collaborators may develop.

In addition, we also try to protect our trade secrets, know-how and other proprietary information through non-disclosure and confidentiality provisions in our agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, consultants and research partners. Such agreements may not be enforceable or may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets, know-how and/or other proprietary information in the event of unauthorized uses or disclosure or other breaches of the provisions, and we may not be able to prevent such unauthorized uses or disclosure. Moreover, if a party having an agreement with us has an overlapping or

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conflicting obligation to a third party, our rights in and to certain intellectual property could be undermined. Monitoring unauthorized and inadvertent disclosure and uses is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to prevent such disclosure and uses are, or will be, adequate. In addition, monitoring unauthorized disclosure and uses of our trade secrets is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to prevent such disclosure and uses are, or will be, adequate. If we were to enforce a claim that a third-party had illegally obtained and was using our trade secrets, it would be expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome would be unpredictable, and any remedy may be inadequate. In addition, courts outside the U.S. may be less willing to protect trade secrets.

We rely on trade secrets to protect our proprietary technologies, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

Because we may rely on third parties to manufacture our potential product candidates, and because we collaborate with various organizations and academic institutions on the advancement of our current and potential product candidates, we must, at times, share trade secrets with them. We seek to protect our proprietary technology in part by entering into confidentiality agreements and, if applicable, material transfer agreements, collaborative research agreements, consulting agreements or other similar agreements with our manufacturers, collaborators, advisors, employees and consultants prior to beginning research or disclosing proprietary information. These agreements typically limit the rights of the third parties to use or disclose our confidential information, such as trade secrets. Despite the contractual provisions employed when working with third parties, the need to share trade secrets and other confidential information increases the risk that such trade secrets become known by our competitors, are inadvertently incorporated into the technology of others, are used inappropriately to create new inventions or are disclosed or used in violation of these agreements. Given that our proprietary position is based, in part, on our know-how and trade secrets, a competitor’s discovery of our trade secrets or other unauthorized use or disclosure would impair our competitive position and may have a material adverse effect on our business.

If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.

We are a party to a number of intellectual property license agreements that are important to our business and expect to enter into additional license agreements in the future. Our existing license agreements impose, and we expect that future license agreements will impose, various diligence, milestone payment, royalty and other obligations on us. Additionally, we may need to outsource and rely on third parties for many aspects of the development, sales and marketing of any products covered under our current and future license agreements. Delay or failure by these third parties could adversely affect the continuation of our license agreements with our licensors. If we fail to comply with any of our obligations under these agreements, or we are subject to a bankruptcy, our licensors may have the right to terminate the license, in which event we would not be able to market any products covered by the license.

In some cases, patent prosecution of our licensed technology is controlled solely by the licensor. If such licensor fails to obtain and maintain patent or other protection for the proprietary intellectual property we license from such licensor, we could lose our rights to such intellectual property or the exclusivity of such rights, and our competitors could market competing products using such intellectual property. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to develop or license replacement technology.

If we are unable to do so, we or our collaborators may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected product candidates, which could harm our business significantly. In other cases, we control the prosecution of patents resulting from licensed technology. In the event we breach any of our obligations related to such prosecution, we may incur significant liability to our licensing partners.

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Licensing of intellectual property is of critical importance to our business and involves complex legal, business and scientific issues and is complicated by the rapid pace of scientific discovery in our industry. Disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a licensing agreement, including:

If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the U.S. can be less extensive. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the U.S., or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the U.S. or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.

We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties or that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

We may now and in the future employ individuals who were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any of our employee’s former employer or other third parties. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could adversely impact our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

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Risks Related to the Securities in this Offering

The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our common stock in this offering.

The market price for our common stock is likely to be volatile. In addition, the market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to several factors, most of which we cannot control, including:

In addition, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has caused broad stock market and industry fluctuations. We may incur rapid and substantial decreases in our stock price in the future that are unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. Additionally, recently, securities of certain companies have experienced significant and extreme volatility in stock price due short sellers of shares of common stock, known as a “short squeeze.” Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their shares at or above the purchase price. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

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An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained and you may not be able to sell your shares at or above the public offering price, or at all.

Although our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, an active, liquid trading market for our shares may not be sustained. In the absence of an active trading market for our common stock, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the public offering price or at the time that you would like to sell.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, and you must rely on price appreciation of your shares for return on your investment.

We have paid no cash dividends on any class of our stock to date and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the near term. For the foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our stock. Accordingly, investors must be prepared to rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation to earn an investment return, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our shares. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our board deems relevant.

If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution in the book value of your shares.

The offering price of our common stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. As a result, and assuming no value is attributed to the Common Stock Warrants and no Pre-Funded Warrants are sold in this offering, the investor purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $        per share, after giving effect to the sale of an aggregate of          shares of our common stock at an offering price of $       per share, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us. See “Dilution” on page 52 of this prospectus supplement for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase shares in this offering.

If an active, liquid trading market for our Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants does not develop, you may not be able to sell your Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants quickly or at or above the price you paid for it.

The Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants issued in this offering will be exercisable commencing on the date of issuance and expire on              , 2027. The Common Stock Warrants will have an initial exercise price equal to $       . In the event that our common stock price does not exceed the exercise price of the Common Stock Warrants during the period when the warrants are exercisable, the warrants may not have any value.

There is no established trading market for the Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants to be sold in this offering, and the market for the Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants may be highly volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance. We are applying to list the Common Stock Warrants for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, but we cannot assure you that we will meet all of the required listing standards. Although we will apply to list our Common Stock Warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market in connection with this offering, an active trading market for shares of our Common Stock Warrants may never develop or be sustained following this offering and it may be difficult for you to sell your Common Stock Warrants at the time you wish to sell them, at a price that is attractive to you, or at all.

We do not plan on applying to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market, any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system. Accordingly, we do not expect an active market for our Pre-Funded Warrants to develop or be sustained and it may be difficult for you to sell your Pre-Funded Warrants at the time you wish to sell them, at a price that is attractive to you, or at all.

If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such warrants on a “cashless basis.”

If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis.” As a result, the number of shares of common stock that holders will receive upon exercise of the Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holders exercised their warrants for cash. If

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we are unable to maintain a current and effective prospectus, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company may be reduced.

Holders of our Common Stock Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until such holders exercise their warrants and acquire our common stock.

Until you acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of your Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants, you will have no rights with respect to the shares of our common stock underlying such warrants. Upon exercise of your Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

We will not receive any meaningful amount of additional funds upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.

Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable until it is fully exercised and by means of payment of the nominal cash purchase price upon exercise. Accordingly, we will not receive any meaningful additional funds upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.

Significant holders or beneficial holders of shares of our common stock may not be permitted to exercise the Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants that they hold.

A holder of the Common Stock Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants will not be entitled to exercise any portion of any Pre-Funded Warrant that, upon giving effect to such exercise, would cause: (i) the aggregate number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by such holder (together with its affiliates) to exceed 4.99% (or, upon election of holder, 9.99%) of the number of shares of our common stock immediately after giving effect to the exercise; or (ii) the combined voting power of our securities beneficially owned by such holder (together with its affiliates) to exceed 4.99% (or, upon election of holder, 9.99%) of the combined voting power of all of our securities outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants. As a result, you may not be able to exercise your Pre-Funded Warrants for shares of our common stock at a time when it would be financially beneficial for you to do so. In such a circumstance, you could seek to sell your pre-funded warrants to realize value, but you may be unable to do so in the absence of an established trading market and due to applicable transfer restrictions.

We may issue additional debt and equity securities, which are senior to our common stock as to distributions and in liquidation, which could materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by entering into additional debt or debt-like financing that is secured by all or up to all of our assets, or issuing debt or equity securities, which could include issuances of commercial paper, medium-term notes, senior notes, subordinated notes or shares. In the event of our liquidation, our lenders and holders of our debt securities would receive a distribution of our available assets before distributions to our stockholders. In addition, any additional preferred stock, if issued by our company, may have a preference with respect to distributions and upon liquidation, which could further limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. Because our decision to incur debt and issue securities in our future offerings will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings and debt financing.

Further, market conditions could require us to accept less favorable terms for the issuance of our securities in the future. Thus, you will bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the value of your common stock and diluting your interest in our company.

Failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in the delisting of our common stock, negatively impact the price of our common stock and negatively impact our ability to raise additional capital.

On March 18, 2022, we were notified by Nasdaq that on March 17, 2022 the average closing price of our common stock over the prior 30 consecutive trading days had fallen below $1.00 per share, which is the minimum average closing price required to maintain listing on Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (the “Minimum Bid Requirement”). To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days before September 14, 2022. On June 24, 2022, the closing price of our common stock was $0.36 per share.

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In the event that we do not regain compliance by September 14, 2022, we may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period. To qualify, we would be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market with the exception of the Minimum Bid Requirement and provide Nasdaq with written notice of our intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. In the event we choose to effect a reverse stock split, there can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain the requisite stockholder votes to effect such reverse stock split. However, if it appears to Listing Qualifications staff that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we do not meet the other listing standards, Nasdaq could provide notice that our common stock will become subject to delisting.

We intend to actively monitor the closing bid price of our common stock and will evaluate available options to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement or maintain compliance with the other listing requirements. If we fail to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, including the Minimum Bid Requirement, our common stock will be subject to delisting. In the event we receive notice that our common stock is being delisted, Nasdaq rules permit us to appeal any delisting determination by the Nasdaq staff to a Hearings Panel. If our common stock were to be delisted by Nasdaq, our common stock would be subject to rules that impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell our securities. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by these requirements could discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock. This would adversely affect the ability of investors to trade our common stock and would adversely affect the value of our common stock. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock. The delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq would also adversely affect our ability to complete future financings.

We have broad discretion in how we use the net proceeds from this offering and may not use these proceeds effectively, which could affect our results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds,” and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether we are using the proceeds appropriately. Our management might not use the net proceeds from this offering in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. If we do not use these proceeds in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results or cause delays to our clinical development timelines, which could cause our stock price to decline.

We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and continued capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and continued disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the start of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, the conflict in Ukraine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets. Additionally, Russia’s prior annexation of Crimea, recent recognition of two separatist republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and subsequent military interventions in Ukraine have led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia, Belarus, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, and the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, including agreement to remove certain Russian financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed and/or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds. Any of the abovementioned factors could affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this Registration Statement.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the sections titled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Business,” contains express or implied forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements about:

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We often, although not always, identify forward-looking statements by using words or phrases such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue”. These statements are only predictions, and are subject to change due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this prospectus represent our views as of the date of this prospectus. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain.

This prospectus also contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our programs and product candidates. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, and other data from our own internal estimates and research as well as from reports, research surveys, studies, and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any third-party information presented in this prospectus, their estimates, in particular, as they relate to projections, involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the          shares of common stock in this offering will be approximately $         , or $          if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase        additional shares (and/or Pre-Funded Warrants issued in lieu thereof) and accompanying Common Stock Warrants, at an offering price of $          per share of common stock (and/or Pre-Funded Warrants issued in lieu thereof) and accompanying Common Stock Warrants and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and excluding any proceeds that we may receive upon exercise of the Common Stock Warrants being offered hereunder.

We plan to use the net proceeds of this offering primarily to (i) facilitate the IND submission and clinical trial activation of IND #1, which is for our Deltacel product candidate in combination with a standard anti-tumor modality, (ii) resubmit the IND for of our ALEXIS-PRO-1 clinical trial candidate, and the corresponding trial activation, (iii) intellectual property protection and reinforcement, (iv) IND applications and IND enabling trials for our other product candidates, (v) working capital and (vi) general corporate purposes. We also intend to use net proceeds and our existing cash and cash equivalents, (i) for research and development activities related to our pre-clinical and discovery programs (ii) for personnel expenses, working capital and other general corporate purposes, including but not limited to legal fees associated with pending matters, and (iii) to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products, or technologies, or to obtain the right to use such complementary technologies.

Our expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above and we expect that we will require additional funds in order to fully accomplish the specified uses of the proceeds of this offering.

Our cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022 was $15,123,100. We do not believe this amount will be sufficient to fund our current and planned operations through the 12 months following the date of this prospectus, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Further, the expected net proceeds from this offering will not be sufficient for us to fund any of our product candidates through regulatory approval. As a result of the foregoing, we will need to raise substantial additional capital to complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

Due to the many inherent uncertainties in the development of our programs and product candidates, the amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our research and development, the timing of patient enrollment and evolving regulatory requirements, the timing and success of preclinical studies, our ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, the timing of regulatory submissions, any strategic alliances that we may enter into with third parties for our product candidates or strategic opportunities that become available to us, and any unforeseen cash needs.

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including short-term and long-term interest-bearing instruments, investment-grade securities, and direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government. We cannot predict whether the proceeds invested will yield a favorable return. Our management will retain broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds we receive from this public offering, and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the growth and development of our business. We do not intend to pay cash dividends to our stockholders in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Investors should not purchase our common stock with the expectation of receiving cash dividends.

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our total capitalization as of March 31, 2022:

You should read this table together with our consolidated financial statements, the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

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DILUTION

If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering (assuming no value is attributed to the Common Stock Warrants and no Pre-Funded Warrants are sold in the offering), your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and our net tangible book value per share after this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the public offering price per share is substantially in excess of the net tangible book value per share attributable to the existing stockholders for our presently outstanding common stock.

Our net tangible book value was approximately $20,032,100 or $1.29 per share, as of March 31, 2022. Our net tangible book value represents the amount of our total consolidated tangible assets (which is calculated by subtracting net intangible assets, deferred tax assets, and prepaid offering expenses from our total consolidated assets), less the amount of our total consolidated liabilities.

After giving effect to the sale and issuance by us of        shares of common stock and accompanying Common Stock Warrant in this offering assuming an offering price of  $       per share (assuming no value is attributed to the Common Stock Warrants and no Pre-Funded Warrants are sold in the offering), and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2022 would have been $          or $         per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $         per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $       per share to new investors. The following table illustrates this per share dilution (assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants):

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If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, our as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no value is attributed to the Common Stock Warrants and no Pre-Funded Warrants are sold in the offering) would be $    and dilution per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering would be $     assuming an offering price of  $     per share of common stock and accompanying Common Stock Warrant, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only. Our net tangible book value following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the offering price of our shares and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 15,839,112 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 24, 2022 and assumes the sale and issuance by us of the shares of common stock being offered hereunder (and no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants) and excludes as of June 24, 2022:

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion together with our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those which we discuss under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. is an AI driven, end-to-end allogeneic cell therapy company, currently developing multi-indication allogeneic T cell therapies that exploits the natural potency of GDTs to target solid tumors. Our end-to-end approach consists of target discovery and validation, product development, and GMP manufacturing, which we believe will allow us to leverage a new framework for the next generation of cell therapies. We also have new technologies in development that we believe will support our end-to-end approach.

From a development standpoint, we utilize innovative engineered and non-engineered GDT manufacturing technologies and are developing proprietary, virus-free gene editing tools, to develop novel therapies for solid tumors that we believe will be effective and cost-efficient. Our Procel, Isocel, and Deltacel product platform candidates consists of allogeneic cell therapy candidates that are currently in the preclinical development stage. Our Procel product candidate consists of engineered GDTs targeting PD-L1. Our Isocel product candidate consists of engineered GDTs targeting Iso-Meso. Our Deltacel product candidate consists of non-engineered GDTs that have been expanded, enriched, and activated ex-vivo through a proprietary process, and are used to treat solid tumors regardless of the specific tumor antigen expression.

We currently have one clinical trial candidate with the Procel product candidate platform titled ALEXIS-PRO-1. We currently have one clinical trial candidate with the Isocel product candidate platform titled ALEXIS-ISO-1. Our ALEXIS-PRO-1 clinical trial candidate is our allogeneic GDT therapy product candidate targeting PD-L1. Our ALEXIS-ISO-1 clinical trial candidate is our allogeneic GDT therapy product candidate targeting an isoform of Mesothelin that is preferentially present on tumor cells, namely Iso-Meso. The IND applications for these trial candidates have been on a clinical hold since June 2021. We are currently working on addressing the FDA’s comments. Accordingly, we expect the clinical hold on ALEXIS-PRO-1 will be lifted in the first half of 2023 allowing us to begin the activation process for the clinical trial by the end of the second quarter of 2023. For ALEXIS-ISO-1, we are targeting the activation process for the clinical trial to begin by the end of the last quarter of 2023. The beginning of the activation process for the clinical trials begins after the following two events: (1) the IND is considered effective (which would take place 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions regarding the proposed clinical trials and places the trial on a clinical hold within that 30-day time period); and (2) commencing the review and approval process by an independent IRB or ethics committee at the first clinical trial site.

We have also entered into an SRA with MD Anderson Principal Investigator to facilitate the development of our Deltacel, Procel, and Isocel product candidate platforms. We believe the SRA will generate sufficient in-vivo pre-clinical data to support three new GDT therapy IND submissions that we hope to submit, including INDs for: (1) IND #1; (2) IND #2; and (3) IND #3. These three INDs have not been submitted to the FDA yet, and the trial candidates are described in further detail below.

IND #1 will evaluate Deltacel GDTs in combination with a standard anti-tumor modality. We are planning to submit this IND during the second half of 2022, and believe clinical activation will begin by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. IND #2 combines the standard anti-tumor modality and our genetically engineered product candidate targeting PD-L1, which is the target associated with the ALEXIS-PRO-1 clinical trial candidate on the Procel product candidate platform. We are planning to submit this IND during the first half of 2023, and believe clinical activation will begin by the end of the second quarter of 2023. IND #3 combines the standard anti-tumor modality and our genetically engineered product candidate targeting Iso-Meso, the target associated with the ALEXIS-ISO-1 clinical trial candidate on the Isocel product candidate platform. We are planning to submit this IND during the second half of 2023, with clinical activation targeted to begin by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023.

We have not generated any revenue from sales to date, and we continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. As a result, we are not and have never been profitable and have incurred losses in each period since we began principal business operations in 2012.

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Recent Developments

Going Concern

We do not have sufficient cash on hand and available liquidity to meet our obligations through the twelve months following the date of this prospectus. Therefore, this condition raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans were updated to evaluate different strategies to obtain the required funding of future operations. These plans may include, but are not limited to, additional funding from current or new investors; however, if we are unable to raise additional funding to meet working capital needs, we will be forced to delay or reduce the scope of our research programs and/or limit or cease operations. The negative cash flows and lack of financial resources raised substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern, and that substantial doubt has not been alleviated.

Clinical Update

On June 21, 2022 the Company announced its revised pipeline to prioritize submission of IND #1, the Deltacel product candidate in combination with a standard antitumor modality.The Company believes that this action advances its non-viral, non-engineered product candidate while also reducing costs, and mitigating current supply chain headwinds associated with a virus-based approach. The Company also announced that it will also pursue new INDs for IND #2 and IND #3, which are the Procel and Isocel product candidates in combination with a standard antitumor modality in 2023. Clinical activation for IND #2 is expected to begin by the end of the second quarter of 2023. Clinical activation for IND #3 is targeted to begin by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023.

In the same press release, the Company announced its revised clinical timeline. Pursuant to the announcement, the Company plans to re-submit the IND for ALEXIS-PRO-1 in the first half of 2023, with clinical activation expected to begin by the end of second quarter 2023. Also, the Company plans to re-submit the IND for ALEXIS-ISO-1 in the second half of 2023, with clinical activation targeted to begin by the end of fourth quarter 2023.

Results from our Internal Review

On or about August 17 and 23, 2021, Tony Tontat, who at the time was the Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors (“the Board”), submitted substantially identical reports (the “Complaints”) through our complaint hotline. These Complaints, alleged, among other topics, risks associated with our public disclosures in our securities filings and in statements made to the public, investors, and potential investors regarding (i) the anticipated timing of the FDA authorization of our IND applications and (ii) the anticipated timing of human clinical trials. These Complaints were subsequently submitted to the Audit Committee of the Board.

After receiving the Complaints, the Audit Committee recommended that the Board form, and the Board did in turn form, a Special Committee comprised of three independent directors (the “Special Committee”) to review the Complaints and other related issues (the “Internal Review”). The Special Committee retained an independent counsel to assist it in conducting the Internal Review.

On February 2, 2022, following the conclusion of the Internal Review, the Special Committee reported the results of its Internal Review to the Board. The Board approved certain actions to address the fact that we had received communications from the FDA on June 16 and June 17, 2021. On July 13, 2021, we received the FDA’s formal clinical hold letters, which asked us to address key components regarding the chemical, manufacturing, and control components of the IND applications. On July 16, 2021, we issued a press release disclosing that we had received comments from the FDA on our two INDs, but did not use the term “clinical hold.” On August 13, 2021, we issued a press release announcing that these INDs were placed on clinical hold. We did not disclose the June 16 and 17, 2021 FDA Communications in (i) our Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-257427) that was filed on June 25, 2021 and declared effective on June 29, 2021, nor the final prospectus contained therein dated June 29, 2021 (collectively, the “Registration Statement”); or (ii) our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021 that was filed with the SEC on August 13, 2021. We consummated a public offering of $40 million of our common stock pursuant to the Registration Statement on July 2, 2021.

In the course of the Internal Review, the Special Committee also identified that Mr. Tontat submitted incorrect information regarding his educational background to us. Specifically, although Mr. Tontat represented to us that he held a BA in Economics from Harvard University, it was determined that he had actually received an ALB, a degree conferred by the Harvard Extension School. We have

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implemented changes to our vetting process for prospective director and officer candidates including the implementation of thorough background checks to verify background information provided by such candidates.

Upon completion of the Internal Review, the Company voluntarily contacted the SEC to report certain information about the Internal Review. Since that time, the Company has been voluntarily cooperating with requests for information from the SEC and intends to fully cooperate with any further requests from the SEC.

Remediation Actions resulting from the Internal Review

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Under the terms of the Executive Employment Agreement between Mr. Rotino and the Company effective as of July 1, 2020, as amended October 21, 2020, as the result of the termination of Mr. Rotino’s employment, Mr. Rotino is deemed to have resigned as a member of the Board effective as of February 9, 2022.

Principal Factors Affecting Our Financial Performance

Our operating results are primarily affected by the following factors:

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Operations

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China (the “COVID-19 Outbreak”) and the risks to the international community as the virus spreads globally beyond its point of origin. In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 Outbreak as a pandemic, based on the rapid increase in exposure globally.

The full impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak continues to evolve as of the date of this report. As a result, we cannot estimate the full magnitude that the pandemic will have on our business. If the COVID-19 Outbreak continues, it may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity, and future results of operations for the future. We are actively monitoring the impact of the global pandemic on our financial condition, liquidity, operations, industry, and workforce. Given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 Outbreak and the global responses to curb its spread, we are not able to estimate the effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity for the future. While we have not currently experienced any potential delays or increased costs as a result of these measures, we may do so in the future.

Impact of the War in Ukraine on Our Operations

The short and long-term implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are difficult to predict at this time. The imposition of sanctions and counter sanctions may have an adverse effect on the economic markets generally and could impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Components of Results of Operations

Revenue

To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from product sales in the foreseeable future.

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Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research activities, including our discovery efforts and the development of our product candidates. These include the following:

Research and development activities are central to our business model. We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase substantially for the foreseeable future and will comprise a larger percentage of our total expenses as we initiate a Phase 1/2a clinical trial for our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 product candidates and continue to discover and develop additional product candidates.

We cannot determine with certainty the duration and costs of future clinical trials of our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 product candidates, or any other product candidate we may develop or if, when or to what extent we will generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. We may never succeed in obtaining marketing approval for any product candidate. The duration, costs and timing of clinical trials and development of our ALEXIS-PRO-1 and ALEXIS-ISO-1 product candidates and any other our product candidate we may develop will depend on a variety of factors, including:

A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of a product candidate could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. For example, if the FDA or another regulatory authority were to require us to conduct clinical trials beyond those that we anticipate will be required for the completion of clinical development of a product candidate, or if we experience significant delays in our clinical trials due to slower than expected

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patient enrollment or other reasons, we would be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of clinical development.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in our executive, finance, business development, operations and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to intellectual property and corporate matters; professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services; insurance costs; travel expenses; and facility-related expenses, which include direct depreciation costs and expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other operating costs that are not specifically attributable to research activities.

We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our personnel headcount to support our continued research activities and development of product candidates. We also expect to incur increased expenses associated with being a public company, including costs of accounting, audit, legal, regulatory and tax-related services associated with maintaining compliance with Nasdaq and SEC requirements; director and officer insurance costs; and investor and public relations costs.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021

The following table sets forth key components of our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.

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