The proceeds of the agreement will be used to advance the second late-stage clinical trial for the development of SP-102, a viscous gel formulation of a widely used corticosteroid for epidural injections, for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain.
Scilex Holding Company (SCLX) on Thursday said that its majority-owned subsidiary, Semnur Pharmaceuticals, and Denali Capital Acquisition Corp (DECA) have entered into a purchase agreement with an investor for a $20 million private placement.
The proceeds of the agreement will be used to advance the second late-stage clinical trial for the development of SP-102, a viscous gel formulation of a widely used corticosteroid for epidural injections, for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain. Lumbosacral radicular pain, often referred to as sciatica, is a pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which extends from the lower back down the leg.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around Scilex remained within the ‘neutral’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume fell from ‘normal’ to ‘low’ levels. SCLX stock is trading 0.5% lower in the pre-market session at the time of writing.
Semnur and special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Denali entered into a plan of merger on Aug. 30, 2024, for a proposed business combination, among Semnur, the SPAC, and the SPAC’s unit Denali Merger Sub Inc. This provided for a pre-transaction equity value of Semnur at $2.5 billion.
Under the deal, the combined company will be renamed Semnur Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its common stock is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “SMNR”. The combination is now expected to close in September 2025.
An investor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 1.25 million shares of common stock of the combined company following the consummation of the merger transaction, Scilex said. The purchase price for the placement is $16.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $20 million.
The closing of the financing is subject to customary conditions and is expected to occur immediately following the consummation of the business combination, Scilex said.
The company also said that CEO Jaisim Shah resigned as Scilex CEO and will now serve as chief executive and President of Semnur. Henry Ji, who currently serves as Executive Chairman of Scilex, was appointed as Scilex’s new CEO and President and has assumed all of the duties formerly performed by Shah, the company said.
SCLX stock is up by 18% this year and down by 60% over the past 12 months.
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