No recommendation
No news or research item is a personal recommendation to deal. Hargreaves Lansdown may not share ShareCast's (powered by Digital Look) views.
(Sharecast News) - Faron Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that its board had approved the issue of the second tranche of its amortising senior unsecured convertible bonds to an entity managed by Heights Capital Management, raising 10m to extend its cash runway and strengthen its financial position ahead of a planned registrational study in high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
The AIM-traded firm said the second tranche formed part of a financing arrangement announced in April that allowed for up to three tranches of convertible bonds totalling 35m.
It requested the subscription of the second tranche in November and had now resolved to issue the bonds, due in December 2028 and convertible into new or existing shares.
The board said the proceeds "will be used for general corporate purposes, extending the company's cash runway into the second quarter of 2026," assuming amortisation and interest on both tranches were settled in shares, and would also give the company "financial flexibility to run its operations while conducting the needed business activities ahead of the registrational study in HR MDS."
Faron added that the financing would enable it to continue evaluating potential business transactions, including licensing agreements.
The board said it had reviewed the terms, investor profile and alternative funding options, concluding that issuing the bonds on a directed basis to Heights Capital was "in the best interest of the company and all of its shareholders, and that there is a weighty financial reason for the company to issue the special rights to HCM."
The 10m tranche consisted of 100 bonds issued at 92.5% of principal and carrying a 7.5% annual coupon.
They could be converted at an initial price of 2.42256 per share, representing a 20% premium to the reference price under the bond terms.
The bonds would amortise in 18 equal instalments, and Faron intended - subject to liquidity conditions and ownership limits - to make amortisation and interest payments in shares through its share-settlement option.
Each bond carries 92,341 special rights that entitle the holder to subscribe for an equivalent number of new or existing shares, with 9,234,100 special rights issued in total.
If fully converted at the initial price, the tranche would result in 4,127,864 new shares, representing about 3.5% of Faron's current share capital, though further issues may be required if adjustments are triggered under the bond terms.
Corresponding reset provisions mean the conversion price of the first tranche bonds would also be adjusted to 2.42256.
The bonds included covenants restricting additional indebtedness and limiting the company to ordinary-course operations unless otherwise approved by majority bondholders.
Faron said it would disclose each increase in its outstanding share count as conversions or share-settled payments occur.
At 1457 GMT, shares in Faron Pharmaceuticals were up 2% at 178.5p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.