UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 15, 2021

ACELRX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-35068	41-2193603
(State of incorporation)	(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

25821 Industrial Boulevard, Suite 400

Hayward, CA 94545

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 216-3500

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value	ACRX	The Nasdaq Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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 pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 2.02         Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On November 15, 2021, AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 (the “Release”). A copy of the Release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

The information contained in this Item 2.02 and in Exhibit 99.1 shall be deemed to be “furnished” and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The information contained in this Item 2.02 and in Exhibit 99.1 shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act made by the Company, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 8.01         Other Events.

The Release includes, among other things, the following overview of Lowell Therapeutics, Inc. (“Lowell”), Niyad™ and LTX-608, and other information about the transaction:

“Lowell is a privately held company developing Niyad, a regional anticoagulant for the dialysis circuit during continuous renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury patients in the hospital. Niyad is being studied under an investigational device exemption, or IDE, and has received Breakthrough Device Designation status from the FDA. While not approved for commercial use in the U.S., the active drug component of Niyad, nafamostat, has been approved in Japan and South Korea as a regional anticoagulant for the dialysis circuit, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute pancreatitis. Niyad is a lyophilized formulation of nafamostat, a broad-spectrum, synthetic serine protease inhibitor, with anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and potential anti-viral activities. The second intended indication for Niyad is as a regional anticoagulant for the dialysis circuit for chronic kidney disease patients undergoing intermittent hemodialysis in dialysis centers. LTX-608 is Lowell’s proprietary nafamostat formulation for direct IV infusion for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).”

“Certain of Lowell’s stockholders, representing a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Lowell, have signed agreements to vote in favor of the transaction, subject to certain conditions.”

Item 9.01         Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated November 15, 2021
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

1

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: November 15, 2021	ACELRX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
	By:	/s/ Raffi Asadorian
		Raffi Asadorian Chief Financial Officer

2