424B5 1 d424b5.htm PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 424(B)(5) Prospectus Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
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Prospectus Supplement
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
File No. 333-163108

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

To Prospectus dated November 23, 2009

2,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

LOGO

OPEXA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

 

This prospectus supplement relates to the issuance and sale of up to 2,000,000 shares of our common stock through our sales agent, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC. These sales, if any, will be made pursuant to the terms of a Continuous Offering Program Agreement entered into between us and our sales agent, the form of which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under a Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 17, 2010, and is incorporated herein by reference. Our sales agreement with Rodman & Renshaw, LLC is limited to the sale of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock.

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “OPXA.” On May 14, 2010, the last reported sales price for our common stock was $2.01 per share. Sales of shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement, if any, may be made (i) in sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, which includes sales made directly on the NASDAQ Capital Market, the existing trading market for our common stock, or sales made to or through a market maker, (ii) by privately negotiated transactions and/or (iii) any other method permitted by law. Consistent with instructions that may be delivered from time to time by us, the sales agent will make all sales using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices.

The commission we will pay to our sales agent for sales of common stock sold pursuant to the Continuous Offering Program Agreement will be 1% of the gross proceeds of the sales. The net proceeds that we receive from sales of our common stock will depend on the number of shares actually sold and the offering price for such shares. If all 2,000,000 shares of common stock were sold at the May 14, 2010, closing sales price, we would receive $4,020,000 in gross proceeds, or $3,979,800 in aggregate net proceeds assuming a sales agent fee of 1%. The actual proceeds to us will vary.

In connection with the sale of common stock on our behalf, the sales agent may be deemed an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the compensation of the sales agent may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the sales agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

The aggregate market value of our outstanding common equity held by non-affiliates on April 13, 2010, was $39,157,679. During the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date hereof, we have sold securities with an aggregate market value of $8,952,136 pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3 (utilizing, for this purpose, the closing sale price on April 13, 2010, as the reference for market value with respect to warrants to acquire 1,275,000 shares of our common stock).

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus. You should carefully consider these risk factors, as well as the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before you invest.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC

The date of this Prospectus Supplement is May 17, 2010.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

     Page

About this Prospectus Supplement

   ii

Prospectus Supplement Summary

   S-1

Our Company

   S-1

The Offering

   S-4

Risk Factors

   S-5

Forward-Looking Statements

   S-20

Use of Proceeds

   S-20

Summary Financial Data

   S-21

Plan of Distribution

   S-22

Experts

   S-23

Legal Matters

   S-24

Where You Can Find More Information

   S-24
Prospectus

About This Prospectus

   1

Risk Factors

   1

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc.

   1

Forward-Looking Statements

   3

Use of Proceeds

   3

Description of Debt Securities

   4

Description of Preferred Stock

   12

Description of Depositary Shares

   12

Description of Common Stock

   14

Description of Warrants

   15

Plan of Distribution

   16

Legal Matters

   17

Experts

   17

Where You Can Find More Information

   17

 

 

You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, or incorporated by reference, is accurate only as of the dates of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

We are providing this information to you about this offering of securities in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which provides the specific details regarding the shares of our common stock that we are selling in this offering and also adds to and updates information contained in or incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the base prospectus dated November 23, 2009, included in our registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (SEC File No. 333-163108), which provides a general description of the securities we may offer from time to time under that registration statement. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a “shelf” registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time shares of our common stock up to an aggregate amount of $35,000,000, of which this offering is a part. We have previously sold 2,550,000 shares of our common stock and common stock warrants to purchase an additional 1,275,000 shares of our common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $5.1 million (net proceeds of approximately $4.7 million) pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated December 9, 2009, to the original prospectus dated November 23, 2009, to which this prospectus is also a supplement. To the extent there is a conflict between information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document incorporated by reference, on the other hand, the information in this prospectus supplement shall control.

The registration statement we filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detail of the matters discussed in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the related exhibits filed with the SEC, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information,” before making your investment decision.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement to “Opexa,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Opexa Therapeutics, Inc.

 

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary contains basic information about us and this offering. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing. Before you decide to invest in our common stock, you should read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus carefully, including the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other documents incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus.

OUR COMPANY

Our Business

We are a biopharmaceutical company developing personalized cellular therapies with the potential to treat major illnesses, including multiple sclerosis (MS). These therapies are based on our proprietary T-cell technology. The information discussed related to our product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Our product candidates are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Our lead product candidate, Tovaxin®, is a personalized T-cell therapeutic vaccine licensed from Baylor College of Medicine, which is in clinical development for the treatment of MS.

Opexa was incorporated in Texas in March 1991. Our principal executive offices are located at 2635 N. Crescent Ridge Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, and our telephone number is (281) 272-9331.

T-Cell Therapy

MS is the result of a person’s own T-cells attacking the myelin sheath that coats the nerve cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Tovaxin consists of attenuated patient-specific myelin reactive T-cells (MRTCs) against peptides from one or more of the primary proteins on the surface of the myelin sheath (myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)). Patient-specific MRTCs are expanded in culture with specific peptides identified by our proprietary assay of the patient’s peripheral blood. The cells are then attenuated, or weakened, by gamma irradiation, and returned to the patient as a subcutaneous injection. Although further testing is necessary, results from our initial human trials appear to indicate that these attenuated T-cells cause an immune response directed at the autoreactive T-cells in the patient’s body, resulting in a reduction in the level of harmful T-cells. In 2008, we completed an FDA cleared Phase 2b clinical trial of Tovaxin which enrolled 150-patients. The trial was entitled, A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Subcutaneous Tovaxin in Subjects with Clinically Isolated Syndrome or Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (Tovaxin for Early Relapsing-Remitting MS, “TERMS”).

The TERMS study was a Phase 2b multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial in 150 patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) or high risk Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS). The study involved 2:1 randomization with 100 patients receiving Tovaxin and 50 receiving placebo. According to the study protocol, patients received a total of five subcutaneous injections at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24. Top-line data from the TERMS trial is as follows:

 

   

Annualized relapse rate (ARR) for Tovaxin-treated patients was 0.214 as compared to 0.339 for placebo-treated patients, which represented a 37% decrease in ARR for Tovaxin as compared to placebo in the general population.

 

   

For patients who had more active disease as indicated by a prospective subgroup of patients with an ARR>1 in the year prior to the study, Tovaxin demonstrated a 55% reduction in ARR as compared to placebo; and an 87% reduction in relapse rate was observed in Tovaxin patients in this population

 

 

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compared to placebo during the 24 week period following the administration of the full course of treatment (p=0.039).

 

   

Patients who had an ARR>1 at study entry demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disability score as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (p=0.045) for patients treated with Tovaxin as compared to those receiving placebo. The EDSS score is a measure of disability ranging from 0-10. In addition, 28.1% of the Tovaxin patients showed an improvement in EDSS of at least one point as compared to 5.6% in the placebo group.

 

   

Patients who had an ARR>1 at study entry and were treated with Tovaxin experienced an 88% reduction in brain atrophy and a 59% reduction in absolute T-2 lesion volume as compared to placebo.

 

   

Tovaxin was safe and well tolerated with no serious adverse events related to Tovaxin treatment. The most common adverse event was injection site irritation which was generally mild and transient.

Further analysis of the TERMS clinical study of 150 patients with RRMS evaluated those patients with an annualized relapse rate of greater than or equal to one at study entry (ARR³1). More than 83% of the Tovaxin-treated group (n=85) remained relapse free at one year and the annualized relapse rate after treatment decreased to 0.20, a 42% reduction compared to placebo. The results of this expanded analysis confirm those found in the previously-reported per-protocol analysis of patients in the TERMS study with ARR>1. This post-hoc analysis, which represents 86% of the total patient population in the TERMS study, was conducted to evaluate Tovaxin treatment among study patients with the same baseline disease activity that is being targeted for inclusion in future clinical studies. Along with a marked reduction in relapses, 73% of the Tovaxin-treated patients with ARR³1 showed stabilization or improvement in MS disability, including 16.5% with a sustained improvement in their EDSS score of at least one full point. On MRI, the Tovaxin-treated group also demonstrated a reduction in brain atrophy and fewer inflammatory brain lesions that progressed to “black holes,” as compared to the placebo-treated group. Treatment with Tovaxin was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported in any Tovaxin-treated patient.

Tovaxin is a personalized T-cell vaccine based on a patient’s individual immunologic profile. Detailed immunology data analysis from the TERMS trial indicate that Tovaxin can successfully induce changes in T-cell reactivity to all three targeted myelin antigens implicated in the autoimmune attacks causing neurologic damage in MS. These changes appear epitope-specific, are sustained for six months or more, and match each patient’s Tovaxin formulation. Tovaxin is not broadly immunosuppressive, an important feature of its favorable safety profile.

Other Opportunities

Our proprietary T-cell technology has enabled us to develop intellectual property and a comprehensive sample database that may enable discovery of novel biomarkers and other relevant peptides to be used to treat MS patients.

Stem Cell Therapy

In August 2009, we entered into an exclusive agreement with Novartis for the further development of our novel stem cell technology. This technology, which has generated preliminary data showing the potential to generate monocyte derived islet cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, was in early preclinical development at Opexa. Pursuant to this agreement, Novartis acquired our stem cell technology and Novartis will have full responsibility for funding and carrying out all research, development and commercial activities. Novartis has to date paid us $3.5 million ($3 million as an upfront payment and $0.5 million upon the completion of the first of two technology transfer milestones). We remain eligible to receive an additional $0.5 million technology transfer fee upon the completion of a second technology transfer milestone. As part of ongoing

 

 

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technology transfer activities, Novartis has requested that we perform supplemental activities as part of the second technology transfer milestone, and we are willing to do so assuming agreement between the parties regarding the scope of such activities. Although the timing of completion of the second technology transfer milestone is dependent upon resolution between the parties as to a mutually acceptable scope and thereafter as to the pace and outcome of these activities, we currently expect that the related milestone fee will be paid in 2010. We are also eligible to receive certain clinical and commercial milestone payments as well as royalty payments from the sale of any products resulting from the use of the technology and we retain an option on certain manufacturing rights. Notwithstanding the forgoing, there can be no assurance that we will receive any future payments in respect of the stem cell technology.

 

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common stock offered by Opexa

   Up to 2,000,000 shares

Common stock outstanding after this offering

   Up to 17,718,823 shares

Use of proceeds

   We intend to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including activities related to further clinical development of Tovaxin and for other working capital and operational purposes. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Risk factors

   See the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus supplement for factors to consider before deciding to purchase our securities.

NASDAQ listing

   Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “OPXA.”

The number of shares of common stock outstanding after the offering is based on 15,718,823 shares of common stock outstanding as of May 12, 2010, and excludes:

 

   

1,795,018 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options at a weighted average exercise price of $2.88 per share;

 

   

12,616,217 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $5.19 per share; and

 

   

2,504,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of our 10% Convertible Notes.

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider the following risk factors, as well as other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, before deciding to invest in our common stock. The following factors affect our business and the industry in which we operate. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known or which we currently consider immaterial may also have an adverse effect on our business. If any of the matters discussed in the following risk factors were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, or prospects could be materially adversely affected, the market price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our business is at an early stage of development. We are largely dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, Tovaxin, and we cannot be certain that Tovaxin will receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized.

Our business is at an early stage of development. We do not have any product candidates in late-stage clinical trials nor do we have any products on the market. We are still in the early stages of identifying and conducting research on potential products. We have only one product candidate, Tovaxin, which has progressed to the stage of being studied in human clinical trials in the United States. This product candidate, and any other potential products, will require regulatory approval prior to marketing in the United States and other countries. Obtaining such approval requires significant research and development and preclinical and clinical testing. We may not be able to develop any products, to obtain regulatory approvals, to continue clinical development of Tovaxin, to enter clinical trials for any other product candidates, or to commercialize any products. Tovaxin, and any other potential products, may prove to have undesirable and unintended side effects or other characteristics adversely affecting their safety, efficacy or cost-effectiveness that could prevent or limit their use. Any product using any of our technology may fail to provide the intended therapeutic benefits or to achieve therapeutic benefits equal to or better than the standard of treatment at the time of testing or production.

We have a history of operating losses and do not expect to be profitable in the near future.

We have not generated any profits since our entry into the biotechnology business and we have incurred significant operating losses. We expect to incur additional operating losses for the foreseeable future. We have not received, and we do not expect to receive for at least the next several years, any revenues from the commercialization of any potential products. We do not have any sources of revenues and may not have any in the foreseeable future.

Our ability to obtain necessary funding is uncertain.

We anticipate that we will need to raise substantial additional working capital to continue our operations beyond 2010. As we have no external sources of debt or equity capital committed for funding, we must rely upon best efforts third-party debt or equity funding and we can provide no assurance that we will be successful in any funding effort. The timing and degree of any future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

 

   

our ability to establish, enforce and maintain strategic arrangements for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing;

 

   

the accuracy of the assumptions underlying our estimates for capital needs in 2010 and beyond;

 

   

scientific progress in our research and development programs;

 

   

the magnitude and scope of our research and development programs;

 

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our progress with preclinical development and clinical trials;

 

   

the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approvals;

 

   

the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent claims; and

 

   

the number and type of product candidates that we pursue.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may need to relinquish some rights to our product candidate Tovaxin, including commercialization rights, which may harm our ability to generate revenues and achieve or sustain profitability. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, stockholders may experience substantial dilution. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that may impede our ability to operate our business. Any debt financing or additional equity that we raise may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders.

If sufficient capital is not available we may not be able to continue operations as proposed, requiring us to modify our business plan, curtail various aspects of our operations or cease operations.

Our independent auditor’s report in respect of our 2008 fiscal year expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may make raising capital more difficult.

The report of our independent auditors in respect of the 2008 fiscal year expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Specifically, it indicated an absence of obvious or reasonably assured sources of future funding that will be required by us to maintain ongoing operations. Subsequent to our 2008 fiscal year end, the going concern qualification to our financial statements was removed from our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, as proceeds from a private offering in May 2009 and a corporate transaction in August 2009 were projected to provide sufficient cash resources through December 2009. Based upon a registered direct offering of shares of our common stock and warrants to acquire our common stock in December 2009, we are currently projected to have sufficient cash reserves beyond December 2010. Although we have been successfully funded to date by attracting investors in our equity and convertible debt securities, there is no assurance that our capital raising efforts will be able to attract the capital needed to sustain our operations beyond that date. The conditions leading to the delivery of a report from our auditors expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern in respect of our 2008 financial year could return, and thus the existence of this prior report as well as the prospect of a similar future report may make it more difficult for us to raise funds. If we are unable to obtain additional funding for operations, we may not be able to continue operations as proposed, requiring us to modify our business plan, curtail various aspects of our operations or cease operations. In such event, investors may lose a portion or all of their investment.

We will depend on strategic collaborations with third parties to develop and commercialize product candidates, such as Tovaxin, and we may not have control over a number of key elements relating to the development and commercialization of any such product candidate.

A key aspect of our strategy, including with respect to Tovaxin, is to seek collaboration with a partner, such as a large pharmaceutical organization, that is willing to conduct later-stage clinical trials and further develop and commercialize a selected product candidate. To date, we have not entered into any such collaborative arrangement with respect to Tovaxin.

By entering into such as strategic collaboration, we may rely on our partner for financial resources and for development, regulatory and commercialization expertise. Our partner may fail to develop or effectively commercialize our product candidate because they:

 

   

do not have sufficient resources or decide not to devote the necessary resources due to internal constraints such as limited cash or human resources;

 

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decide to pursue a competitive potential product developed outside of the collaboration;

 

   

cannot obtain the necessary regulatory approvals;

 

   

determine that the market opportunity is not attractive; or

 

   

cannot manufacture the necessary materials in sufficient quantities from multiple sources or at a reasonable cost.

We may not be able to enter into a collaboration, including with respect to Tovaxin, on acceptable terms, if at all. We face competition in our search for partners from other organizations worldwide, many of whom are larger and are able to offer more attractive deals in terms of financial commitments, contribution of human resources, or development, manufacturing, regulatory or commercial expertise and support.

If we are not successful in attracting a partner and entering into a collaboration on acceptable terms, we may not be able to complete development of, or commercialize any product candidate, including Tovaxin. In such event, our ability to generate revenues and achieve or sustain profitability would be significantly hindered and we may not be able to continue operations as proposed, requiring us to modify our business plan, curtail various aspects of our operations or cease operations.

Third parties, including Novartis, to whom we have transferred development and commercialization rights for products covered by intellectual property rights may not be successful in their efforts, and as a result, we may not receive future royalty or other milestone payments relating to those products or rights.

We will need regulatory approvals for any product candidate, including Tovaxin, prior to introduction to the market, which will require successful testing in clinical trials. Clinical trials are subject to extensive regulatory requirements, and are very expensive, time-consuming and difficult to design and implement. Any product candidate, such as Tovaxin, may fail to achieve necessary safety and efficacy endpoints during clinical trials in which case we will be unable to generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of our products.

Human clinical trials are very expensive and difficult to design and implement, in part because they are subject to rigorous FDA requirements, and must otherwise comply with federal, state and local requirements and policies of the medical institutions where they are conducted. The clinical trial process is also time-consuming. We estimate that further clinical trials of our lead product candidate, Tovaxin, will take at least several additional years to complete. Furthermore, failure can occur at any stage of the trials, and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon or repeat clinical trials. The commencement and completion of clinical trials may be delayed by several factors, including:

 

   

FDA or IRB objection to proposed protocols;

 

   

discussions or disagreement with the FDA over the adequacy of trial design to potentially demonstrate effectiveness, and subsequent design modifications;

 

   

unforeseen safety issues;

 

   

determination of dosing issues and related adjustments;

 

   

lack of effectiveness during clinical trials;

 

   

slower than expected rates of patient recruitment;

 

   

product quality problems (e.g., sterility or purity)

 

   

challenges to patient monitoring and data collection during or after treatment (for example, patients’ failure to return for follow-up visits); and

 

   

failure of medical investigators to follow our clinical protocols.

 

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In addition, we or the FDA (based on its authority over clinical studies) may delay a proposed investigation or suspend clinical trials in progress at any time if it appears that the study may pose significant risks to the study participants or other serious deficiencies are identified. Prior to approval of our product the FDA must determine that the data demonstrate safety and effectiveness. The large majority of drug candidates that begin human clinical trials fail to demonstrate the desired safety and efficacy characteristics.

Furthermore, changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols, or otherwise modify our intended course of clinical development, to reflect these changes, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial. In light of widely publicized events concerning the safety risk of certain drug products, regulatory authorities, members of Congress, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, medical professionals and the general public have raised concerns about potential drug safety issues. These events have resulted in the withdrawal of drug products, revisions to drug labeling that further limit use of the drug products and establishment of risk management programs that may, for instance, restrict distribution of drug products. The increased attention to drug safety issues may result in a more cautious approach by the FDA to clinical trials. Data from clinical trials may receive greater scrutiny with respect to safety, which may make the FDA or other regulatory authorities more likely to terminate clinical trials before completion or require longer or additional clinical trials that may result in substantial additional expense and a delay or failure in obtaining approval or approval for a more limited indication than originally sought.

Even if we obtain regulatory approvals for any product candidate, such as Tovaxin, that approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which it may be marketed. Our ability to generate revenues from the commercialization and sale of any potential products will be limited by any failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals.

We will rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and perform data collection and analysis, which may result in costs and delays that may hamper our ability to successfully develop and commercialize any product candidate, including Tovaxin.

Although we have participated in the design and management of our past clinical trials, we do not have the ability to conduct clinical trials directly for any product candidate, including Tovaxin. We will need to rely on contract research organizations, medical institutions, clinical investigators and contract laboratories to conduct our clinical trials and to perform data collection and analysis.

Our clinical trials may be delayed, suspended or terminated if:

 

   

any third party upon whom we rely does not successfully carry out its contractual duties or regulatory obligations or meet expected deadlines;

 

   

any such third party needs to be replaced; or

 

   

the quality or accuracy of the data obtained by the third party is compromised due to its failure to adhere to clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons.

Failure to perform by any third party upon whom we rely may increase our development costs, delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and prevent the commercialization of any product candidate, including Tovaxin. While we believe that there are numerous alternative sources to provide these services, we might not be able to enter into replacement arrangements without delays or additional expenditures if we were to seek such alternative sources.

If we fail to identify and license or acquire other product candidates, we will not be able to expand our business over the long term.

Given that we have limited internal discovery capabilities, our business over the long term is substantially dependent on our ability to license or acquire product candidates and further develop them for

 

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commercialization. The success of this strategy depends upon our ability to identify, select and acquire the right product candidates. We have limited experience identifying, negotiating and implementing economically viable product candidate acquisitions or licenses, which is a lengthy and complex process. Also, the market for licensing and acquiring product candidates is intensely competitive, and many of our competitors have greater resources than we do. We may not have the requisite capital resources to consummate product candidate acquisitions or licenses that we identify to fulfill our strategy.

Moreover, any product candidate acquisition that we do complete will involve numerous risks, including:

 

   

difficulties in integrating the development program for the acquired product candidate into our existing operations;

 

   

diversion of financial and management resources from existing operations;

 

   

risks of entering new potential markets or technologies;

 

   

inability to generate sufficient funding to offset acquisition costs; and

 

   

delays that may result from our having to perform unanticipated preclinical trials or other tests on the product candidate.

We are dependent upon our management team and a small number of employees.

Our business strategy is dependent upon the skills and knowledge of our management team. If any critical employee leaves, we may be unable on a timely basis to hire suitable replacements to effectively operate our business. We also operate with a very small number of employees and thus have little or no backup capability for their activities. The loss of the services of any member of our management team or the loss of a number of other employees could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

If we fail to meet our obligations under our license agreements, we may lose our rights to key technologies on which our business depends.

Our business depends on licenses from third parties. These third party license agreements impose obligations on us, such as payment obligations and obligations diligently to pursue development of commercial products under the licensed patents. If a licensor believes that we have failed to meet our obligations under a license agreement, the licensor could seek to limit or terminate our license rights, which could lead to costly and time-consuming litigation and, potentially, a loss of the licensed rights. During the period of any such litigation, our ability to carry out the development and commercialization of potential products could be significantly and negatively affected. If our license rights were restricted or ultimately lost, our ability to continue our business based on the affected technology platform could be adversely affected.

Our current research and manufacturing facility is not large enough to manufacture product candidates, such as Tovaxin, for clinical trials or, if such clinical trials are successful, commercial applications.

We conduct our research and development in a 10,200 square foot facility in The Woodlands, Texas, which includes an approximately 800 square foot suite of three rooms for the manufacture of T-cell therapies. Our current facility should have the capacity to support a U.S. pivotal Phase 3 trial for the development of Tovaxin for MS. It is not sufficient, however, to support potential European clinical studies, if required, or the commercial launch of Tovaxin. In this case, we would need to expand our manufacturing staff and facility, obtain a new facility or contract with corporate collaborators or other third parties to assist with future drug production and commercialization.

In the event that we decide to establish a commercial-scale manufacturing facility, we will require substantial additional funds and will be required to hire and train significant numbers of employees and comply with applicable regulations, which are extensive. We do not have funds available for building a manufacturing

 

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facility, and we may not be able to build a manufacturing facility that both meets regulatory requirements and is sufficient for our commercial-scale manufacturing.

We may arrange with third parties for the manufacture of our future products. However, our third-party sourcing strategy may not result in a cost-effective means for manufacturing our future products. If we employ third-party manufacturers, we will not control many aspects of the manufacturing process, including compliance by these third parties with cGMP and other regulatory requirements. We further may not be able to obtain adequate supplies from third-party manufacturers in a timely fashion for development or commercialization purposes, and commercial quantities of products may not be available from contract manufacturers at acceptable costs.

If any product we may eventually have is not accepted by the market or if users of any such product are unable to obtain adequate coverage of and reimbursement for such product from government and other third-party payors, our revenues and profitability will suffer.

Our ability to successfully commercialize any product we may eventually have will depend in significant part on the extent to which appropriate coverage of and reimbursement for such product and any related treatments are obtained from governmental authorities, private health insurers and other organizations, such as health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. We cannot provide any assurances that third-party payors will consider any product we may eventually have cost-effective or provide coverage of and reimbursement for such product, in whole or in part.

Uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of newly approved medical products and services and newly approved indications for existing products. Third-party payors may conclude that any product we may eventually have is less safe, less clinically effective, or less cost-effective than existing products, and third-party payors may not approve such product for coverage and reimbursement. If we are unable to obtain adequate coverage of and reimbursement for any product we may eventually have from third-party payors, physicians may limit how much or under what circumstances they will prescribe or administer them. Such reduction or limitation in the use of any such product would cause sales to suffer. Even if third-party payors make reimbursement available, payment levels may not be sufficient to make the sale of any such product profitable.

In addition, the trend towards managed health care in the United States and the concurrent growth of organizations such as HMOs, which could control or significantly influence the purchase of medical services and products, may result in inadequate coverage of and reimbursement for any product we may eventually have. Many third-party payors, including in particular HMOs, are pursuing various ways to reduce pharmaceutical costs, including, for instance, the use of formularies. The market for any product we may eventually have depends on access to such formularies, which are lists of medications for which third-party payors provide reimbursement. These formularies are increasingly restricted, and pharmaceutical companies face significant competition in their efforts to place their products on formularies of HMOs and other third-party payors. This increased competition has led to a downward pricing pressure in the industry. The cost containment measures that third-party payors are instituting could have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate profitably.

Any product candidate that we develop, such as Tovaxin, if approved for sale, may not gain acceptance among physicians, patients and the medical community, thereby limiting our potential to generate revenues.

Even if a product candidate, such as Tovaxin, is approved for commercial sale by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, the degree of market acceptance of any approved product candidate by physicians, healthcare professionals and third-party payors, and our profitability and growth, will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

   

demonstration of efficacy;

 

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relative convenience and ease of administration;

 

   

the prevalence and severity of any adverse side effects;

 

   

availability and cost of alternative treatments, including cheaper generic drugs;

 

   

pricing and cost effectiveness, which may be subject to regulatory control;

 

   

effectiveness of our or any of our partners’ sales and marketing strategies;

 

   

the product labeling or product insert required by the FDA or regulatory authority in other countries; and

 

   

the availability of adequate third-party insurance coverage or reimbursement.

If any product candidate that we develop does not provide a treatment regimen that is as beneficial as the current standard of care or otherwise does not provide patient benefit, that product candidate, if approved for commercial sale by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, likely will not achieve market acceptance and our ability to generate revenues from that product candidate would be substantially reduced.

We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, increased costs and risks as a result of being a public company.

As a public company, we are required to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX, as well as rules and regulations implemented by the SEC and The NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ). Changes in the laws and regulations affecting public companies, including the provisions of SOX and rules adopted by the SEC and by NASDAQ, have resulted in, and will continue to result in, increased costs to us as we respond to their requirements. Given the risks inherent in the design and operation of internal controls over financial reporting, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting is uncertain. If our internal controls are not designed or operating effectively, we may not be able to issue an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting as required or we or our independent registered public accounting firm may determine that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective. In addition, our registered public accounting firm may either disclaim an opinion as it relates to management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls or may issue an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Investors may lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and which could affect our ability to run our business as we otherwise would like to. New rules could also make it more difficult or more costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the coverage that is the same or similar to our current coverage. The impact of these events could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees, and as executive officers. We cannot predict or estimate the total amount of the costs we may incur or the timing of such costs to comply with these rules and regulations.

Under the corporate governance standards of NASDAQ, a majority of our board of directors and each member of our audit committee must be an independent director. If any vacancies on our board or our audit committee occur that need to be filled by independent directors, we may encounter difficulty in attracting qualified persons to serve on our board and, in particular, our audit committee. If we fail to attract and retain the required number of independent directors, we may be subject to SEC enforcement proceedings and delisting of our common stock from the NASDAQ Capital Market.

 

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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Patents obtained by other persons may result in infringement claims against us that are costly to defend and which may limit our ability to use the disputed technologies and prevent us from pursuing research and development or commercialization of potential products, such as Tovaxin.

If third party patents or patent applications contain claims infringed by either our licensed technology or other technology required to make or use our potential products, such as Tovaxin, and such claims are ultimately determined to be valid, there can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain licenses to these patents at a reasonable cost, if at all, or be able to develop or obtain alternative technology. If we are unable to obtain such licenses at a reasonable cost, we may not be able to develop any affected product candidate, such as Tovaxin, commercially. There can be no assurance that we will not be obliged to defend ourselves in court against allegations of infringement of third party patents. Patent litigation is very expensive and could consume substantial resources and create significant uncertainties. An adverse outcome in such a suit could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require disputed rights to be licensed from third parties, or require us to cease using such technology.

If we are unable to obtain patent protection and other proprietary rights, our operations will be significantly harmed.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent upon obtaining patent protection relating to our technologies. The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including ours, are uncertain and involve complex and evolving legal and factual questions. The coverage sought in a patent application can be denied or significantly reduced before or after the patent is issued. Consequently, we do not know whether pending patent applications for our technology will result in the issuance of patents, or if any issued patents will provide significant protection or commercial advantage or will be circumvented by others. Since patent applications are secret until the applications are published (usually 18 months after the earliest effective filing date), and since publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that the inventors of our owned or licensed intellectual property rights were the first to make the inventions at issue or that any patent applications at issue were the first to be filed for such inventions. There can be no assurance that patents will issue from pending patent applications or, if issued, that such patents will be of commercial benefit to us, afford us adequate protection from competing products, or not be challenged or declared invalid.

For our licensed intellectual property, we have limited control over the amount or timing of resources that are devoted to the prosecution of such intellectual property. Due to this lack of control and general uncertainties in the patent prosecution process, we cannot be sure that any licensed patents will be mature from licensed applications or, if they do, that they will be maintained. Issued U.S. patents require the payment of maintenance fees to continue to be in force. We rely on licensors to do this and their failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of patents not timely maintained. Many foreign patent offices also require the payment of periodic annuities to keep patents and patent applications in good standing. As we do not maintain control over the payment of annuities, we cannot assure you that our licensors will timely pay such annuities and that the granted patents and pending patent applications will not become abandoned. In addition, our licensors may have selected a limited amount of foreign patent protection, and therefore applications have not been filed in, and foreign patents may not have been perfected in, all commercially significant countries.

The patent protection of product candidates, such as Tovaxin, involves complex legal and factual questions. To the extent that it would be necessary or advantageous for any of our licensors to cooperate or lead in the enforcement of our licensed intellectual property rights, we cannot control the amount or timing of resources such licensors devote on our behalf or the priority they place on enforcing such rights. We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights against third party infringement, which may be difficult to detect. Additionally, challenges may be made to the ownership of our intellectual property rights, our ability to enforce them, or our underlying licenses.

 

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We cannot be certain that any of the patents issued to us or to our licensors will provide adequate protection from competing products. Our success will depend, in part, on whether we or our licensors can:

 

   

obtain and maintain patents to protect our product candidates such as Tovaxin;

 

   

obtain and maintain any required or desirable licenses to use certain technologies of third parties, which may be protected by patents;

 

   

protect our trade secrets and know-how;

 

   

operate without infringing the intellectual property and proprietary rights of others;

 

   

enforce the issued patents under which we hold rights; and

 

   

develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable.

The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights (owned or licensed) is uncertain. For example:

 

   

we or our licensor might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by pending patent applications or issued patents owned by, or licensed to, us;

 

   

we or our licensor might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;

 

   

•others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of the technologies owned by, or licensed to, us;

 

   

it is possible that none of the pending patent applications owned by, or licensed to, us will result in issued patents;

 

   

any patents under which we hold rights may not provide us with a basis for commercially viable products, may not provide us with any competitive advantages or may be challenged by third parties as invalid, or unenforceable under U.S. or foreign laws; or

 

   

any of the issued patents under which we hold rights may not be valid or enforceable or may be circumvented successfully in light of the continuing evolution of domestic and foreign patent laws.

Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and other proprietary information and may not adequately protect our intellectual property, which could limit our ability to compete.

We rely in part on trade secret protection in order to protect our proprietary trade secrets and unpatented know-how. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect, and we cannot be certain that others will not develop the same or similar technologies on their own. We have taken steps, including entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators and other advisors, to protect our trade secrets and unpatented know-how. These agreements generally require that the other party keep confidential and not disclose to third parties all confidential information developed by the party or made known to the party by us during the course of the party’s relationship with us. We also typically obtain agreements from these parties which provide that inventions conceived by the party in the course of rendering services to us will be our exclusive property. However, these agreements may not be honored and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to us. Further, we have limited control, if any, over the protection of trade secrets developed by our licensors. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally obtained and is using our trade secrets or know-how is difficult, expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States may be less willing to protect trade secrets or know-how. The failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive position.

 

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A dispute concerning the infringement or misappropriation of our proprietary rights or the proprietary rights of others could be time consuming and costly, and an unfavorable outcome could harm our business.

A number of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other companies, universities and research institutions have filed patent applications or have been issued patents relating to cell therapy, T-cells, and other technologies potentially relevant to or required by our product candidate Tovaxin. We cannot predict which, if any, of such applications will issue as patents or the claims that might be allowed. We are aware of a number of patent applications and patents claiming use of modified cells to treat disease, disorder or injury.

There is significant litigation in our industry regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. While we are not currently subject to any pending intellectual property litigation, and are not aware of any such threatened litigation, we may be exposed to future litigation by third parties based on claims that our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, or their methods of use, manufacturing or other technologies or activities infringe the intellectual property rights of such third parties. If our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, or their methods of manufacture are found to infringe any such patents, we may have to pay significant damages or seek licenses under such patents. We have not conducted comprehensive searches of patents issued to third parties relating to Tovaxin. Consequently, no assurance can be given that third-party patents containing claims covering Tovaxin, its method of use or manufacture do not exist or have not been filed and will not be issued in the future. Because some patent applications in the United States may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued, and because patent applications in the United States and many foreign jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, we cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications that will mature into issued patents that relate to our current or future product candidates that could have a material effect in developing and commercializing one or more of our product candidates. A patent holder could prevent us from importing, making, using or selling the patented compounds. We may need to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the scope and validity of third-party proprietary rights. Similarly, we may be subject to claims that we have inappropriately used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of third parties. If we become involved in litigation, it could consume a substantial portion of our managerial and financial resources, regardless of whether we win or lose. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. We may not be able to afford the costs of litigation. Any legal action against us or our collaborators could lead to:

 

   

payment of actual damages, royalties, lost profits, potentially treble damages and attorneys’ fees, if we are found to have willfully infringed a third party’s patent rights;

 

   

injunctive or other equitable relief that may effectively block our ability to further develop, commercialize and sell our products;

 

   

we or our collaborators having to enter into license arrangements that may not be available on commercially acceptable terms if at all; or

 

   

significant cost and expense, as well as distraction of our management from our business.

As a result, we could be prevented from commercializing current or future product candidates.

Risks Related to Our Industry

We are subject to stringent regulation of our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, which could delay development and commercialization.

We, our third-party contractors, suppliers and partners, and our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, are subject to stringent regulation by the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the United States and by comparable authorities in other countries. None of our product candidates can be marketed in the United States until it has been approved by the FDA. No product candidate of ours has been approved, and we may never receive FDA approval for any product candidate. Obtaining FDA approval typically takes many years and requires substantial

 

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resources. Even if regulatory approval is obtained, the FDA may impose significant restrictions on the indicated uses, conditions for use and labeling of such products. Additionally, the FDA may require post-approval studies, including additional research and development and clinical trials. These regulatory requirements may limit the size of the market for the product or result in the incurrence of additional costs. Any delay or failure in obtaining required approvals could substantially reduce our ability to generate revenues.

In addition, both before and after regulatory approval, we, our partners and our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, are subject to numerous FDA requirements covering, among other things, testing, manufacturing, quality control, labeling, advertising, promotion, distribution and export. The FDA’s requirements may change and additional government regulations may be promulgated that could affect us, our partners and our product candidates, such as Tovaxin. Given the number of recent high profile adverse safety events with certain drug products, the FDA may require, as a condition of approval, costly risk management programs, which may include safety surveillance, restricted distribution and use, patient education, enhanced labeling, special packaging or labeling, expedited reporting of certain adverse events, preapproval of promotional materials and restrictions on direct-to-consumer advertising. Furthermore, heightened Congressional scrutiny on the adequacy of the FDA’s drug approval process and the agency’s efforts to assure the safety of marketed drugs resulted in the enactment of legislation addressing drug safety issues, the FDA Amendments Act of 2007. This legislation provides the FDA with expanded authority over drug products after approval and the FDA’s exercise of this authority could result in delays or increased costs during the period of product development, clinical trials and regulatory review and approval, and increased costs to assure compliance with new post-approval regulatory requirements. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from this or future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad.

In order to market any of our products outside of the United States, we and our strategic partners and licensees must establish and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy. Approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods and the time required to obtain approval in other countries might differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process in other countries may include all of the risks detailed above regarding FDA approval in the United States. Approval by the FDA does not automatically lead to the approval of authorities outside of the United States and, similarly, approval by other regulatory authorities outside the United States will not automatically lead to FDA approval. In addition, regulatory approval in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. Our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, may not be approved for all indications that we request, which would limit uses and adversely impact our potential royalties and product sales. Such approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which any potential product may be marketed or require costly, post-marketing follow-up studies.

If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements in the United States and other countries, among other things, we may be subject to fines and other civil penalties, delays in approving or failure to approve a product, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions, interruption of manufacturing or clinical trials, injunctions and criminal prosecution, any of which would harm our business.

We may need to change our business practices to comply with health care fraud and abuse regulations, and our failure to comply with such laws could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are successful in achieving approval to market one or more of our product candidates, our operations will be directly, or indirectly through our customers, subject to various state and federal fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing, and education programs.

 

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The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Several courts have interpreted the statute’s intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of federal healthcare covered business, the statute has been violated. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. Recognizing that the Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and may technically prohibit many innocuous or beneficial arrangements, Congress authorized the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or OIG, to issue a series of regulations, known as the “safe harbors.” These safe harbors set forth provisions that, if all their applicable requirements are met, will assure healthcare providers and other parties that they will not be prosecuted under the Anti-Kickback Statute. The failure of a transaction or arrangement to fit precisely within one or more safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy each applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities such as the OIG. Penalties for violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute include criminal penalties and civil sanctions such as fines, imprisonment and possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Many states have also adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare items or services reimbursed by any source, not only the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The federal False Claims Act prohibits persons from knowingly filing or causing to be filed a false claim to, or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from, the federal government. Suits filed under the False Claims Act, known as “qui tam” actions, can be brought by any individual on behalf of the government and such individuals, sometimes known as “relators” or, more commonly, as “whistleblowers,” may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. The frequency of filing of qui tam actions has increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of healthcare companies to have to defend a False Claims Act action. When an entity is determined to have violated the federal False Claims Act, it may be required to pay up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus civil penalties. Various states have also enacted laws modeled after the federal False Claims Act.

In addition to the laws described above, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 created two new federal crimes: healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment or exclusion from government sponsored programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines or imprisonment.

If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above and other applicable state and federal fraud and abuse laws, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government healthcare programs, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

If our competitors develop and market products that are more effective than our product candidates, they may reduce or eliminate our commercial opportunities.

Competition in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly the market for MS products, is intense, and we expect such competition to continue to increase. We face competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as numerous academic and research institutions and governmental agencies, in the United States and abroad. Our competitors have products that have been approved or are in advanced development and may succeed in developing drugs that are more effective, safer and more affordable or more easily administered

 

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than ours, or that achieve patent protection or commercialization sooner than our products. Our most significant competitors are fully integrated pharmaceutical companies and more established biotechnology companies. These companies have significantly greater capital resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, testing, obtaining regulatory approvals, and marketing than we currently do. However, smaller companies also may prove to be significant competitors, particularly through proprietary research discoveries and collaboration arrangements with large pharmaceutical and established biotechnology companies. In addition to the competitors with existing products that have been approved, many of our competitors are further along in the process of product development and also operate large, company-funded research and development programs. As a result, our competitors may develop more competitive or affordable products, or achieve earlier patent protection or further product commercialization than we are able to achieve. Competitive products may render any products or product candidates that we develop obsolete.

Our competitors may also develop alternative therapies that could further limit the market for any products that we may develop.

Rapid technological change could make our products obsolete.

Biopharmaceutical technologies have undergone rapid and significant change, and we expect that they will continue to do so. As a result, there is significant risk that our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by new discoveries before we recover any expenses incurred in connection with their development. If our product candidates, such as Tovaxin, are rendered obsolete by advancements in biopharmaceutical technologies, our future prospects will suffer.

Consumers may sue us for product liability, which could result in substantial liabilities that exceed our available resources and damage our reputation.

Developing and commercializing drug products entails significant product liability risks. Liability claims may arise from our and our collaborators’ use of products in clinical trials and the commercial sale of those products.

In the event that any of our product candidates becomes an approved product and is commercialized, consumers may make product liability claims directly against us and/or our collaborators, and our collaborators or others selling these products may seek contribution from us if they incur any loss or expenses related to such claims. We have insurance that covers clinical trial activities. We believe our current insurance coverage is reasonably adequate at this time. However, we will need to increase and expand this coverage as we commence additional clinical trials, as well as larger scale trials, and if any product candidate is approved for commercial sale. This insurance may be prohibitively expensive or may not fully cover our potential liabilities. Our inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage at an acceptable cost or otherwise to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the regulatory approval or commercialization of products that we or one of our collaborators develop. Product liability claims could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Liability from such claims could exceed our total assets if we do not prevail in any lawsuit brought by a third party alleging that an injury was caused by one or more of our products.

Health care reform measures could adversely affect our business.

The business and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are affected by the efforts of governmental and third-party payors to contain or reduce the costs of health care. In the United States and in foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and we expect that there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at changing the health care system. For example, in some countries other than the United States, pricing of prescription drugs is subject to government control, and we expect proposals to implement similar controls in the United States to continue. Another example of reform that could affect our business is drug reimportation into the United States (i.e., the reimportation of approved drugs originally

 

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manufactured in the United States back into the United States from other countries where the drugs were sold at lower prices). Initiatives in this regard could decrease the price we or any potential collaborators receive for our product candidates if they are ever approved for sale, adversely affecting our future revenue growth and potential profitability. Moreover, the pendency or approval of such proposals could result in a decrease in our stock price or adversely affect our ability to raise capital or to obtain strategic partnerships or licenses.

Risks Related to Our Securities

There is currently a limited market for our securities, and any trading market that exists in our securities may be highly illiquid and may not reflect the underlying value of our net assets or business prospects.

Although our common stock and Series E warrants are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market, there is currently a limited market for our securities and there can be no assurance that an improved market will ever develop. Investors are cautioned not to rely on the possibility that an active trading market may develop.

Our stock may be delisted from NASDAQ, which could affect its market price and liquidity.

We are required to meet certain qualitative and financial tests (including a minimum stockholders’ equity requirement and bid price for our common stock of $1.00 per share) to maintain the listing of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market. During portions of 2008 and 2009, our stockholders’ equity was below the continued listing standard requirement of $2.5 million and the bid price for our common stock was below $1.00 per share for periods of time, and our common stock was in jeopardy of being delisted. We may receive additional future notices from NASDAQ that we have failed to meet these requirements. If we are unable to cure any such failures in a timely manner and our common stock were delisted, it could be more difficult to buy or sell our common stock and to obtain accurate quotations, and the price of our stock could suffer a material decline. Delisting may also impair our ability to raise capital.

As our share price is volatile, and you may not be able to resell our shares at a profit or at all.

The market prices for securities of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and early-stage drug discovery and development companies like us in particular, have historically been highly volatile and may continue to be highly volatile in the future. The following factors, in addition to other risk factors described in this section, may have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock:

 

   

the development status of any drug candidates, such as Tovaxin, including clinical study results and determinations by regulatory authorities with respect thereto;

 

   

the initiation, termination, or reduction in the scope of any collaboration arrangements or any disputes or developments regarding such collaborations;

 

   

announcements of technological innovations, new commercial products or other material events by our competitors or us;

 

   

disputes or other developments concerning our proprietary rights;

 

   

changes in, or failure to meet, securities analysts’ or investors’ expectations of our financial performance;

 

   

additions or departures of key personnel;

 

   

discussions of our business, products, financial performance, prospects or stock price by the financial and scientific press and online investor communities;

 

   

public concern as to, and legislative action with respect to, the pricing and availability of prescription drugs or the safety of drugs and drug delivery techniques; or

 

   

regulatory developments in the United States and in foreign countries.

 

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Broad market and industry factors, as well as economic and political factors, also may materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

We may be or become the target of securities litigation, which is costly and time-consuming to defend.

In the past, following periods of market volatility in the price of a company’s securities or the reporting of unfavorable news, security holders have often instituted class action litigation. If the market value of our securities experience adverse fluctuations and we become involved in this type of litigation, regardless of the outcome, we could incur substantial legal costs and our management’s attention could be diverted from the operation of our business, causing our business to suffer.

Our “blank check” preferred stock could be issued to prevent a business combination not desired by management or our current majority stockholders.

Our articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock with such designations, rights and preferences as may be determined by our board of directors without stockholder approval. Our preferred stock could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying, or preventing a change in our control and as a method of preventing stockholders from receiving a premium for their shares in connection with a change of control.

Future sales of our common stock in the public market could lower our stock price.

We sold 2,550,000 shares of our common stock, and warrants to acquire another 1,275,000 shares, in a registered direct transaction in December 2009. We may sell additional shares of common stock in subsequent public or private offerings. We may also issue additional shares of common stock to finance future acquisitions. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock.

We presently do not intend to pay cash dividends on our common stock.

We currently anticipate that no cash dividends will be paid on the common stock in the foreseeable future. While our dividend policy will be based on the operating results and capital needs of the business, it is anticipated that all earnings, if any, will be retained to finance the future expansion of our business.

Our stockholders may experience substantial dilution in the value of their investment if we issue additional shares of our capital stock.

Our charter allows us to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of our common stock and to issue and designate the rights of, without stockholder approval, up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. In the event we issue additional shares of our capital stock, dilution to our stockholders could result. In addition, if we issue and designate a class of convertible preferred stock, these securities may provide for rights, preferences or privileges senior to, and thus adverse to, those of holders of our common stock.

Our management has significant flexibility in using the net proceeds of this offering.

We intend generally to use the net proceeds from this offering for activities related to further clinical development of Tovaxin and for other general corporate purposes. However, depending on future developments and circumstances, we may use some of the proceeds for other purposes. Therefore, our management will have significant flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. The actual amounts and timing of expenditures will vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including the amount of cash used in our

 

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operations and our research and development efforts. Management’s failure to use these funds effectively would have an adverse effect on the value of our common stock and could make it more difficult and costly to raise funds in the future.

You will experience immediate dilution in the book value per share of the common stock you purchase.

Because the price per share of our common stock being offered is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering at the current market value, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

When used in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by referenced in this prospectus supplement, the words “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” “could,” “intends,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements in this prospectus supplement under the headings “Our Company” and “Risk Factors.” These forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding current or future financial payments, returns, royalties, performance and position, management’s strategy, plans and objectives for future operations, plans and objectives for product development, plans and objectives for present and future clinical trials and results of such trials, plans and objectives for regulatory approval, litigation, intellectual property, product development, manufacturing plans and performance, and management’s initiatives and strategies, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those risks discussed in “Risk Factors,” as well as, without limitation, risks associated with: market conditions, our capital position, the ability of the Company to enter into and benefit from a partnering arrangement for the Company’s product candidate, Tovaxin, on reasonably satisfactory terms (if at all), and our dependence (if partnered) on the resources and abilities of any partner for the further development of Tovaxin, our ability to compete with larger, better financed pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, new approaches to the treatment of our targeted diseases, our expectation of incurring continued losses, our uncertainty of developing a marketable product, our ability to raise additional capital to continue our treatment development programs, the success of our clinical trials, our ability to develop and commercialize products, our ability to obtain required regulatory approvals, our compliance with all Food and Drug Administration regulations, our ability to obtain, maintain and protect intellectual property rights (including for Tovaxin), the risk of litigation regarding our intellectual property rights, the success of third party development and commercialization efforts with respect to products covered by intellectual property rights transferred by the Company, our limited manufacturing capabilities, our dependence on third-party manufacturers, our ability to hire and retain skilled personnel, our volatile stock price, and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus supplement. We assume no obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any changes in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. You should, however, review additional disclosures we make in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

USE OF PROCEEDS

If all 2,000,000 shares of common stock were sold at the May 14, 2010, closing sales price, we would receive $4,020,000 in gross proceeds, or $3,979,800 in aggregate net proceeds assuming a sales agent fee of 1%.

 

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However, there can be no assurance we will sell any or all of the shares offered hereby. Because there is no minimum offering amount required, we may sell less than all of the shares offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us.

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for general corporate purposes, including activities related to further clinical development of Tovaxin and for other working capital and operational purposes. General corporate purposes may include additions to working capital, financing of capital expenditures, repayment or redemption of existing indebtedness, and future acquisitions and strategic investment opportunities, although we have no current commitments for any such acquisition or investment. Our management will retain broad discretion as to the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering.

Until we use the net proceeds of this offering, we intend to invest the funds in short-term, interest bearing investments.

SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

The summary historical financial data presented below was derived from our financial statements. The financial data is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement. For copies of the financial information we incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

     Three Months
Ended

March 31, 2010
    Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
 
       2009     2008  
     (unaudited)              

Statements of Expenses Data:

      

Research and development

   $ 783,534      $ 2,107,833      $ 8,388,734   

General and administrative

     484,425        2,020,572        3,341,415   

Depreciation and amortization

     49,646        214,851        234,325   

Loss on disposal of assets

     —          1,771        2,831   
                        

Operating loss

   $ (1,317,605   $ (4,345,027   $ (11,967,305

Interest income

     185        1,764        100,235   

Other income and expense, net

     —          554,242        34,901   

Loss on derivative instruments

     —          (366,774     —     

Gain on sale of technology

     —          3,000,000        —     

Interest expense

     (105,075     (278,127     (19,983
                        

Net loss

   $ (1,422,495   $ (1,433,922   $ (11,852,152
                        

Net loss per share

   $ (0.09   $ (0.11   $ (1.12

Weighted average shares outstanding

     15,523,710        12,556,056        10,551,321   
     March 31, 2010     December 31,  
       2009     2008  
     (unaudited)              

Selected Balance Sheet Data:

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 7,092,036      $ 8,181,582      $ 1,243,187   

Other current assets

     199,117        187,306        86,705   

Fixed assets, net

     900,264        949,910        1,166,530   

Total assets

     8,191,417        9,318,798        2,496,422   

Total current liabilities

     901,158        833,974        906,247   

Total long term liabilities

     1,175,282        1,109,676        102,778   

Total stockholders’ equity

     6,114,977        7,375,148        1,487,397   

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3, we are permitted to utilize the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and prospectus forms a part to sell a maximum amount of securities equal to one-third of the aggregate market value of the outstanding voting and non-voting common equity held by our non-affiliates in any 12-month period. We may, from time to time, offer the securities registered hereby up to an amount which, when considered with other sales made pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3 within the then preceding 12-month period, would represent this maximum amount.

We have entered into a Continuous Offering Program Agreement, dated as of May 14, 2010, with Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, under which we may sell an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock from time to time through Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, as our agent for the offer and sale of the common stock. Based on the trading price of our common stock, we may not be able to sell all 2,000,000 shares offered hereby. Consistent with instructions that may be delivered from time to time by us, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC may sell the common stock (i) in “at the market” offerings as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NASDAQ Capital Market, the existing trading market for the common stock, or sales made to or through a market maker, (ii) in privately negotiated transactions, subject to our prior approval, or (iii) by any other method permitted by law.

Each time that we wish to issue and sell common stock under the Continuous Offering Program Agreement, we will provide Rodman & Renshaw, LLC with a placement notice describing the number of shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares of common stock that may be sold in any one day, and any minimum price below which sales may not be made.

Upon receipt of a placement notice from us, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Continuous Offering Program Agreement, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The settlement between us and Rodman & Renshaw, LLC of our common stock will occur on the third trading day following the date on which the sale was made. The obligation of Rodman & Renshaw, LLC under the Continuous Offering Program Agreement to sell our common stock pursuant to a placement notice is subject to a number of conditions.

We will pay Rodman & Renshaw, LLC a commission equal to 1% of the gross proceeds of the sales price of all common stock sold through it as sales agent under the Continuous Offering Program Agreement. Based on the closing price of our common stock on May 14, 2010, because our Continuous Offering Program Agreement with Rodman & Renshaw, LLC is limited to the sale of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock, if all such 2,000,000 shares of common stock were sold at the May 14, 2010 closing sales price, we would receive $4,020,000 in gross proceeds, or $3,979,800 in aggregate net proceeds after deducting the sales agent fee of 1%. The actual proceeds to us will vary. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to the closing, the actual total (if any) may be substantially less than the amount set forth above. We have also agreed to reimburse certain of Rodman & Renshaw’s legal fees, up to a maximum of $15,000.

In connection with the sale of our common stock contemplated in this prospectus supplement, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the compensation paid to Rodman & Renshaw, LLC may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to indemnify Rodman & Renshaw, LLC against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

Sales of our common stock as contemplated in this prospectus supplement will be settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation or by such other means as we and Rodman & Renshaw, LLC may agree upon.

 

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The offering of our common stock pursuant to the Continuous Offering Program Agreement will terminate on the earliest of (i) 30 months from May 14, 2010, (ii) the sale of all of our common stock subject to the Continuous Offering Program Agreement or (iii) termination of the Continuous Offering Program Agreement by us or Rodman & Renshaw, LLC. The Continuous Offering Program Agreement may be terminated at any time by either us or Rodman & Renshaw, LLC.

In connection with this offering, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC has advised us that they will not engage in stabilizing transactions.

This is a brief summary of the material provisions of the Continuous Offering Program Agreement and does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. The Continuous Offering Program Agreement has been included as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC in connection with this offering and incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Other than the electronic formats of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus made available by the sales agent, the information contained on, or accessible through, either the sales agent’s website or any other website maintained by it is not part of the prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part, has not been approved or endorsed by us and should not be relied upon by investors.

The transfer agent for our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, New York, New York.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “OPXA.”

EXPERTS

The financial statements of Opexa as of December 31, 2009, and for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, have been audited by MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, and are incorporated in reliance upon their report dated March 4, 2010, given upon such firm’s authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of any securities offered by this prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Diego, California.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is part of the registration statement but the registration statement includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy the registration statement and any document we file with the SEC at the public reference room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, such as ours, that file documents electronically with the SEC. The address of that site on the world wide web is http://www.sec.gov. The information on the SEC’s web site is not part of this prospectus, and any references to this web site or any other web site are inactive textual references only.

The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than by including them in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus from the date those documents are filed. We have filed with the SEC, and incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009;

 

   

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010;

 

   

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed April 27, 2010 and May 17, 2010; and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on August 30, 2006, as amended by our Form 8-12B/A filed on August 31, 2006.

We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC under the terms of Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are made between the date of this prospectus supplement and the termination of any offering of securities offered by this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to furnish and not file in accordance with SEC rules.

You may request a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference but not delivered with this prospectus, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and number: Investor Relations, Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., 2635 N. Crescent Ridge Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, telephone (281) 272-9331. We will not, however, send exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. We also maintain a website at http://www.opexatherapeutics.com. However, the information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

* * *

 

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PROSPECTUS

$35,000,000

LOGO

OPEXA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Debt Securities

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Depositary Shares

Warrants

 

 

We may, from time to time, offer and sell debt securities, preferred stock, either separately or represented by depositary shares, common stock or warrants, either separately or in units, in one or more offerings. The debt securities, preferred stock and warrants may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common or preferred stock or debt securities. We will specify in the accompanying prospectus supplement more specific information about any such offering. The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold under this prospectus will not exceed $35,000,000.

We may offer these securities independently or together in any combination for sale directly to investors or through underwriters, dealers or agents. We will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and their compensation in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

This prospectus may not be used to sell any of these securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is traded on NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “OPXA.” On November 12, 2009, the last reported sales price for our common stock was $2.09 per share. The aggregate market value of our outstanding common equity held by non-affiliates on September 16, 2009 was $43,908,622. During the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date hereof, we have offered securities with an aggregate market value of $8,050,000 and sold securities with an aggregate market value of $96,400 pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is November 23, 2009.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page
Prospectus

About This Prospectus

   1

Risk Factors

   1

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc.

   1

Forward-Looking Statements

   3

Use of Proceeds

   3

Description of Debt Securities

   4

Description of Preferred Stock

   12

Description of Depositary Shares

   12

Description of Common Stock

   14

Description of Warrants

   15

Plan of Distribution

   16

Legal Matters

   17

Experts

   17

Where You Can Find More Information

   17

 

 

You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the registration statement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, or incorporated by reference, is accurate only as of the dates of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a “shelf” registration, or continuous offering, process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, issue and sell any combination of debt securities, preferred stock, either separately or represented by depositary shares, common stock or warrants, either separately or in units, in one or more offerings with a maximum aggregate offering price of $35,000,000.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering and the offered securities. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a prospectus supplement. The registration statement we filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detail of the matters discussed in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the related exhibits filed with the SEC and any prospectus supplement, together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information,” before making your investment decision.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement to “Opexa,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Opexa Therapeutics, Inc.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves risk. The prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering will contain a discussion of risks applicable to an investment in the securities offered. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement together with all of the other information contained in the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

OPEXA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Our Business

We are a biopharmaceutical company developing autologous cellular therapies with the potential to treat major illnesses, including multiple sclerosis (MS). These therapies are based on our proprietary T-cell technology. The information discussed related to our product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Our product candidates are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Our lead product candidate, Tovaxin®, is an individualized T-cell therapeutic vaccine licensed from Baylor College of Medicine, which is in clinical development for the treatment for MS.

Opexa was incorporated in Texas in March 1991. Our principal executive offices are located at 2635 N. Crescent Ridge Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, and our telephone number is (281) 272-933.

T-Cell Therapy

Multiple sclerosis is the result of a person’s own T-cells attacking the myelin sheath that coats the nerve cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Tovaxin consists of attenuated patient-specific myelin reactive T-cells (MRTCs) against peptides from one or more of the primary proteins on the surface of the myelin sheath (myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)). Patient- specific MRTCs are expanded in culture with specific peptides identified by our proprietary test of the patient’s

 

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peripheral blood. The cells are then attenuated, or weakened, by gamma irradiation, and returned to the patient as a subcutaneous injection. Although further testing is necessary, results from our initial human trials appear to indicate that these attenuated T-cells cause an immune response directed at the autoreactive T-cells in the patient’s body, resulting in a reduction in the level of harmful T-cells. In 2008, we completed an FDA cleared Phase IIb clinical trial of Tovaxin which enrolled 150-patients. The trial was entitled, A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Subcutaneous Tovaxin in Subjects with Clinically Isolated Syndrome or Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (Tovaxin for Early Relapsing-remitting MS, “TERMS”).

The TERMS study was a Phase IIb multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial in 150 patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) or high risk Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS). The study involved 2:1 randomization with 100 patients receiving Tovaxin and 50 receiving placebo. According to the study protocol, patients received a total of five subcutaneous injections at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24. Top-line data from the TERMS trial is as follows:

 

   

Annualized relapse rate (ARR) for Tovaxin-treated patients was 0.214 as compared to 0.339 for placebo-treated patients, which represented a 37% decrease in ARR for Tovaxin as compared to placebo in the general population.

 

   

For patients who had more active disease as indicated by an ARR>1 in the year prior to the study, Tovaxin demonstrated a 55% reduction in ARR as compared to placebo; and an 87% reduction in relapse rate was observed in Tovaxin patients in this population compared to placebo during the 24 week period following the administration of the full course of treatment (p=0.039).

 

   

Patients who had an ARR>1 at entry demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disability score as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (p=0.045) for patients treated with Tovaxin as compared to those receiving placebo. The EDSS score is a measure of disability ranging from 0-10. In addition 28.1% of the Tovaxin patients showed an improvement in EDSS of at least one point as compared to 5.6% in the placebo group.

 

   

Patients who had an ARR>1 at entry and were treated with Tovaxin experienced an 88% reduction in brain atrophy and a 59% reduction in absolute T-2 lesion volume as compared to placebo.

 

   

Tovaxin was safe and well tolerated with no serious adverse events related to Tovaxin treatment. The most common adverse event was injection site irritation.

Further analysis of the TERMS clinical study of 150 patients with RRMS evaluated those patients with an annualized relapse rate of one or greater than or equal to one at study entry (ARR³1). More than 83% of the Tovaxin-treated group (n=85) remained relapse free at one year and the annualized relapse rate after treatment decreased to 0.20, a 42% reduction compared to placebo. The results of this expanded analysis confirm those found in the previously-reported per-protocol analysis of patients in the TERMS study with ARR>1. This post-hoc analysis which represents 86% of the total patient population in the TERMS study was conducted to evaluate Tovaxin treatment among study patients with the same baseline disease activity that is being targeted for inclusion in the forthcoming Phase IIb study. Along with a marked reduction in relapses, 73% of the Tovaxin-treated patients with ARR³1 showed stabilization or improvement in MS disability, including 16.5% with a sustained improvement in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of at least one full point. On MRI, the Tovaxin-treated group also demonstrated a reduction in brain atrophy and fewer inflammatory brain lesions that progressed to “black holes,” as compared to the placebo-treated group. Treatment with Tovaxin was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported in any Tovaxin-treated patient.

Tovaxin is a personalized T-cell vaccine based on a patient’s individual immunologic profile. Detailed immunology data analysis from the TERMS trial indicate that Tovaxin can successfully induce changes in T-cell reactivity to all three targeted myelin antigens implicated in the autoimmune attacks causing neurologic damage in MS. These changes appear epitope-specific, are sustained for 6 months or more, and match each patient’s

 

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Tovaxin formulation. Tovaxin is not broadly immunosuppressive, an important feature of its favorable safety profile.

Other Opportunities

Our proprietary T-cell technology has enabled us to develop intellectual property and a comprehensive sample database that may enable discovery of novel biomarkers and other relevant peptides to be used to treat MS patients.

Stem Cell Therapy

In August 2009, we entered into an exclusive agreement with Novartis for the further development of our novel stem cell technology. This technology, which has generated preliminary data showing the potential to generate monocyte derived islet cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, was in early preclinical development at Opexa. Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis acquired the stem cell technology from us and Novartis will have full responsibility for funding and carrying out all research, development and commercialization activities. To date we have received $3.5 million from Novartis of which $3 million was attributable to an upfront cash payment and $0.5 million resulted from the completion of the first of two technology transfer milestones. We will receive an additional $0.5 million technology transfer fee upon the completion of the second technology transfer milestone which is anticipated to occur within the next six months. We are also eligible to receive certain clinical and commercial milestone payments as well as royalty payments from the sale of any products resulting from the use of the technology and we retain an option on certain manufacturing rights.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

When used in this prospectus, the words “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” “could,” “intends,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We will discuss many of these risks and uncertainties in greater detail in any prospectus supplement under the heading “Risk Factors.” Additional cautionary statements or discussions of risks and uncertainties that could affect our results or the achievement of the expectations described in forward-looking statements may also be contained in the documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. You should, however, review additional disclosures we make in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we state otherwise in the accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include additions to working capital, financing of capital expenditures, repayment or redemption of existing indebtedness, and future acquisitions and strategic investment opportunities. Pending the application of net proceeds, we expect to invest the net proceeds in investment grade, interest-bearing securities.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following is a summary of the general terms of the debt securities. We will file a prospectus supplement that may contain additional terms when we issue debt securities. The terms presented here, together with the terms in a related prospectus supplement, will be a description of the material terms of the debt securities. You should also read the indenture under which the debt securities are to be issued. We have filed a form of indenture governing different types of debt securities with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. All capitalized terms have the meanings specified in the indenture.

We may issue, from time to time, debt securities, in one or more series. The debt securities we offer will be issued under an indenture between us and the trustee named in the indenture. These debt securities that we may issue include senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, convertible debt securities and exchangeable debt securities. The following is a summary of the material provisions of the indenture filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. For each series of debt securities, the applicable prospectus supplement for the series may change and supplement the summary below.

General Terms of the Indenture

The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and they may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us. For each series of debt securities, any restrictive covenants for those debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement for those debt securities.

We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may, for United States federal income tax purposes, be treated as if they were issued with “original issue discount,” or OID, because of interest payment and other characteristics. Special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with original issue discount will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.

You should refer to the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of debt securities for a description of the following terms of the debt securities offered by that prospectus supplement and by this prospectus:

 

   

the title and authorized denominations of those debt securities;

 

   

any limit on the aggregate principal amount of that series of debt securities;

 

   

the date or dates on which principal and premium, if any, of the debt securities of that series is payable;

 

   

interest rates, and the dates from which interest, if any, on the debt securities of that series will accrue, and the dates when interest is payable and the maturity;

 

   

the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of the extensions;

 

   

if the amount of payments of principal or interest is to be determined by reference to an index or formula, or based on a coin or currency other than that in which the debt securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which these amounts are determined and the calculation agent, if any, with respect thereto;

 

   

the place or places where and the manner in which principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the debt securities of that series will be payable and the place or places where those debt securities may be presented for transfer and, if applicable, conversion or exchange;

 

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the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, the currency or currencies in which, and other terms and conditions upon which those debt securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option or the option of a holder of those securities, if we or a holder is to have that option;

 

   

our obligation or right, if any, to redeem, repay or purchase those debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provision or at the option of a holder of those securities, and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities will be redeemed, repaid or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to that obligation;

 

   

the terms, if any, on which the debt securities of that series will be subordinate in right and priority of payment to our other debt;

 

   

the denominations in which those debt securities will be issuable;

 

   

if other than the entire principal amount of the debt securities when issued, the portion of the principal amount payable upon acceleration of maturity as a result of a default on our obligations;

 

   

whether those debt securities will be issued in fully registered form without coupons or in a form registered as to principal only with coupons or in bearer form with coupons;

 

   

whether any securities of that series are to be issued in whole or in part the form of one or more global securities and the depositary for those global securities;

 

   

if other than United States dollars, the currency or currencies in which payment of principal of or any premium or interest on those debt securities will be payable;

 

   

if the principal of or any premium or interest on the debt securities of that series is to be payable, or is to be payable at our election or the election of a holder of those securities, in securities or other property, the type and amount of those securities or other property, or the manner of determining that amount, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such election may be made;

 

   

the events of default and covenants relating to the debt securities that are in addition to, modify or delete those described in this prospectus;

 

   

conversion or exchange provisions, if any, including conversion or exchange prices or rates and adjustments thereto;

 

   

whether and upon what terms the debt securities may be defeased, if different from the provisions set forth in the indenture;

 

   

the nature and terms of any security for any secured debt securities;

 

   

the terms applicable to any debt securities issued at a discount from their stated principal amount; and

 

   

any other specific terms of any debt securities.

The applicable prospectus supplement will present material United States federal income tax considerations for holders of any debt securities and the securities exchange or quotation system on which any debt securities are to be listed or quoted.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

Debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our equity securities or other securities. The terms and conditions of conversion or exchange will be stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms will include, among others, the following:

 

   

the conversion or exchange price;

 

   

the conversion or exchange period;

 

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provisions regarding our ability or the ability of any holder to convert or exchange the debt securities;

 

   

events requiring adjustment to the conversion or exchange price; and

 

   

provisions affecting conversion or exchange in the event of our redemption of the debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

The terms of the indenture prevent us from (i) consolidating or merging with or into, or transferring or leasing all or substantially all of our assets to, any person, unless the successor corporation or person to which our assets are transferred or leased is organized under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia and it expressly assumes our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture or (ii) completing such a transaction unless immediately after completing the transaction, no event of default under the indenture, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default under the indenture, has occurred and is continuing. When the person to whom our assets are transferred or leased has assumed our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture, we will be discharged from all our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture except in limited circumstances.

This covenant would not apply to any recapitalization transaction, a change of control affecting us or a highly leveraged transaction, unless the transaction or change of control were structured to include a merger or consolidation or transfer or lease of all or substantially all of our assets.

Events of Default

The indenture provides that the following will be “events of default” with respect to any series of debt securities:

 

   

failure to pay interest for 30 days after the date payment is due and payable;

 

   

failure to pay principal or premium, if any, on any debt security when due, either at maturity, upon any redemption, by declaration or otherwise and, in the case of technical or administrative difficulties, only if such default persists for a period of more than three business days;

 

   

failure to make sinking fund payments when due and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;

 

   

failure to perform other covenants for 60 days after notice that performance was required;

 

   

events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization relating to us; or

 

   

any other event of default provided in the applicable officer’s certificate, resolution of our board of directors or the supplemental indenture under which we issue a series of debt securities.

An event of default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an event of default for any other series of debt securities issued under the indenture. For each series of debt securities, any modifications to the above events of default will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement for those debt securities.

The indenture provides that if an event of default specified in the first, second, third, fourth or sixth bullets above occurs and is continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the principal amount of all those debt securities (or, in the case of discount securities or indexed securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) to be due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the fifth bullet above occurs and is continuing, then the principal amount of all those debt securities (or, in the case of discount securities or indexed securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) will be due and payable immediately, without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any

 

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holder. In certain cases, holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of holders of all those debt securities, rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration.

The indenture imposes limitations on suits brought by holders of debt securities against us. Except for actions for payment of overdue principal or interest, no holder of debt securities of any series may institute any action against us under the indenture unless:

 

   

the holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of default and continuance of such default;

 

   

the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the affected series have requested that the trustee institute the action;

 

   

the requesting holders have offered the trustee indemnity for the reasonable expenses and liabilities that may be incurred by bringing the action;

 

   

the trustee has not instituted the action within 60 days of the request and offer of indemnity; and

 

   

the trustee has not received inconsistent direction by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the affected series.

We will be required to file annually with the trustee a certificate, signed by one of our officers, stating whether or not the officer knows of any default by us in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any condition or covenant of the indenture.

Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

We can discharge or decrease our obligations under the indenture as stated below.

We may discharge obligations to holders of any series of debt securities that have not already been delivered to the trustee for cancellation and that have either become due and payable or are by their terms to become due and payable, or are scheduled for redemption, within one year. We may effect a discharge by irrevocably depositing with the trustee cash or government obligations denominated in the currency of the debt securities, as trust funds, in an amount certified to be enough to pay when due, whether at maturity, upon redemption or otherwise, the principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities and any mandatory sinking fund payments.

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may also discharge any and all of our obligations to holders of any series of debt securities at any time, which we refer to as defeasance. We may also be released from the obligations imposed by any covenants of any outstanding series of debt securities and provisions of the indenture, and we may omit to comply with those covenants without creating an event of default under the trust declaration, which we refer to as covenant defeasance. We may effect defeasance and covenant defeasance only if, among other things:

 

   

we irrevocably deposit with the trustee cash or government obligations denominated in the currency of the debt securities, as trust funds, in an amount certified to be enough to pay at maturity, or upon redemption, the principal (including any mandatory sinking fund payments) of, and any premium and interest on, all outstanding debt securities of the series; and

 

   

we deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel from a nationally recognized law firm to the effect that the holders of the series of debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance or covenant defeasance and that defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter the holders’ U.S. federal income tax treatment of principal, and any premium and interest payments on, the series of debt securities.

 

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In the case of a defeasance by us, the opinion we deliver must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service issued, or a change in U.S. federal income tax law occurring, after the date of the indenture, since such a result would not occur under the U.S. federal income tax laws in effect on that date.

Although we may discharge or decrease our obligations under the indenture as described in the two preceding paragraphs, we may not avoid, among other things, our duty to register the transfer or exchange of any series of debt securities, to replace any temporary, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen series of debt securities or to maintain an office or agency in respect of any series of debt securities.

Modification of the Indenture

The indenture provides that we and the trustee may enter into supplemental indentures without the consent of the holders of debt securities to, among other things:

 

   

evidence the assumption by a successor entity of our obligations;

 

   

add to our covenants for the benefit of the holders of debt securities, or to surrender any rights or power conferred upon us;

 

   

add any additional events of default;

 

   

cure any ambiguity or correct any inconsistency or defect in the indenture;

 

   

add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the indenture in a manner that will become effective only when there is no outstanding debt security which is entitled to the benefit of the provision as to which the modification would apply;

 

   

secure any debt securities;

 

   

establish the forms or terms of debt securities of any series;

 

   

evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee and add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture as is necessary for the administration of the trusts by more than one trustee;

 

   

modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of the indenture as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 or under any similar federal statute later enacted, and to add to the indenture such other provisions as may be expressly required by the Trust Indenture Act; and

 

   

make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the indenture that will not be inconsistent with any provision of the indenture as long as the new provisions do not adversely affect the interests of the holders of any outstanding debt securities of any series created prior to the modification.

The indenture also provides that we and the trustee may, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of debt securities of each series of debt securities affected by such supplemental indenture then outstanding, add any provisions to, or change in any manner, eliminate or modify in any way the provisions of, the indenture or any supplemental indenture or modify in any manner the rights of the holders of the debt securities. We and the trustee may not, however, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected thereby:

 

   

extend the final maturity of any debt security;

 

   

reduce the principal amount or premium, if any;

 

   

reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest;

 

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reduce the amount of the principal of any debt security issued with an original issue discount that is payable upon acceleration;

 

   

change the currency in which the principal, and any premium or interest, is payable;

 

   

impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on any debt security when due;

 

   

if applicable, adversely affect the right of a holder to convert or exchange a debt security; or

 

   

reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities of any series whose consent is required for any modification of the indenture or for waivers of compliance with or defaults under the indenture with respect to debt securities of that series.

The indenture provides that the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series, by notice to the relevant trustee, may on behalf of the holders of the debt securities of that series waive any default and its consequences under the indenture except:

 

   

a default in the payment of, any premium and any interest on, or principal of, any such debt security held by a nonconsenting holder; or

 

   

a default in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of each series affected.

Registered Global Securities and Book Entry System

The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in book-entry form and will be represented by one or more fully registered global securities. We will deposit any registered global securities with a depositary or with a nominee for a depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of such depositary or nominee. In such case, we will issue one or more registered global securities denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of all of the debt securities of the series to be issued and represented by such registered global security or securities. This means that we will not issue certificates to each holder.

Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole:

 

   

by the depositary for the registered global security to its nominee;

 

   

by a nominee of the depositary to the depositary or another nominee of the depositary; or

 

   

by the depositary or its nominee to a successor of the depositary or a nominee of the successor.

The prospectus supplement relating to a series of debt securities will describe the specific terms of the depositary arrangement involving any portion of the series represented by a registered global security. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements for debt securities:

 

   

ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons that have accounts with the depositary for such registered global security, these persons being referred to as “participants,” or persons that may hold interests through participants;

 

   

upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary for the registered global security will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal amounts of the debt securities represented by the registered global security beneficially owned by the participants;

 

   

any dealers, underwriters, or agents participating in the distribution of the debt securities will designate the accounts to be credited; and

 

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ownership of beneficial interest in the registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of the ownership interest will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary for the registered global security for interests of participants, and on the records of participants for interests of persons holding through participants.

The laws of some states may require that specified purchasers of securities take physical delivery of the securities in definitive form. These laws may limit the ability of those persons to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary for a registered global security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of the registered global security, the depositary or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the indenture. Except as stated below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security:

 

   

will not be entitled to have the debt securities represented by a registered global security registered in their names;

 

   

will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the debt securities in the definitive form; and

 

   

will not be considered the owners or holders of the debt securities under the relevant indenture.

Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for the registered global security and, if the person is not a participant, on the procedures of a participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the indenture.

We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the indenture, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take the action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through the participants to give or take the action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

We will make payments of principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on debt securities represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owners of the registered global security. Neither we nor the trustee, or any other agent of ours or the trustee will be responsible or liable for any aspect of the records relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to the beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depositary for any debt securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payments of principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, in respect of the registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that standing customer instructions and customary practices will govern payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the registered global security held through the participants, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” We also expect that any of these payments will be the responsibility of the participants.

If the depositary for any debt securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or stops being a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, we will appoint an eligible successor depositary. If we fail to appoint an eligible successor depositary within 90 days, we

 

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will issue the debt securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security. In addition, we may at any time and in our sole discretion decide not to have any of the debt securities of a series represented by one or more registered global securities. In that event, we will issue debt securities of the series in a definitive form in exchange for all of the registered global securities representing the debt securities. The trustee will register any debt securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security in the name or names as the depositary, based upon instructions from its participants, shall instruct the trustee.

We may also issue bearer debt securities of a series in the form of one or more global securities, referred to as “bearer global securities.” We will deposit these securities with a depositary identified in the prospectus supplement relating to the series. The prospectus supplement relating to a series of debt securities represented by a bearer global security will describe the applicable terms and procedures. These will include the specific terms of the depositary arrangement and any specific procedures for the issuance of debt securities in definitive form in exchange for a bearer global security, in proportion to the series represented by a bearer global security.

Concerning the Trustee

The indenture provides that there may be more than one trustee under the indenture, each for one or more series of debt securities. If there are different trustees for different series of debt securities, each trustee will be a trustee of a trust under the indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee under that indenture. Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, any action permitted to be taken by a trustee may be taken by such trustee only on the one or more series of debt securities for which it is the trustee under the indenture. Any trustee under the indenture may resign or be removed from one or more series of debt securities. All payments of principal of, and any premium and interest on, and all registration, transfer, exchange, authentication and delivery of, the debt securities of a series will be effected by the trustee for that series at an office designated by the trustee in New York, New York.

The indenture provides that, except during the continuance of an event of default, the trustee will perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture. During the existence of an event of default, the trustee will exercise those rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

If the trustee becomes a creditor of ours, the indenture places limitations on the right of the trustee to obtain payment of claims or to realize on property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee may engage in other transactions. If it acquires any conflicting interest relating to any duties concerning the debt securities, however, it must eliminate the conflict or resign as trustee.

No Individual Liability of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers or Directors

The indenture provides that no past, present or future director, officer, stockholder or employee of ours, any of our affiliates, or any successor corporation, in their capacity as such, shall have any individual liability for any of our obligations, covenants or agreements under the debt securities or the indenture.

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK

We are authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, no par value per share. As of November 13, 2009, no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding. We may issue preferred stock, in series, with such designations, powers, preferences and other rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions as our board of directors may authorize, without further action by our stockholders, including:

 

   

the distinctive designation of each series and the number of shares that will constitute the series;

 

   

the voting rights, if any, of shares of the series and the terms and conditions of the voting rights;

 

   

the dividend rate on the shares of the series, the dates on which dividends are payable, any restriction, limitation or condition upon the payment of dividends, whether dividends will be cumulative, and the dates from and after which dividends shall accumulate;

 

   

the prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be redeemed, if the shares are redeemable;

 

   

the terms and conditions of a sinking or purchase fund for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series, if such a fund is provided;

 

   

any preferential amount payable upon shares of the series in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of, or upon the distribution of any of our assets; and

 

   

the prices or rates of conversion or exchange at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be converted or exchanged into other securities, if the shares are convertible or exchangeable.

The particular terms of any series of preferred stock, and the transfer agent and registrar for that series, will be described in a prospectus supplement. All preferred stock offered, when issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable. Any material United States federal income tax consequences and other special considerations with respect to any preferred stock offered under this prospectus will also be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

The following description of the depositary shares does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by the relevant deposit agreement and the depositary receipts with respect to the depositary shares relating to any particular series of preferred stock. You should read these documents as they, and not this description, will define your rights as a holder of depositary shares. Forms of these documents will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of depositary shares.

General

If we elect to offer fractional interests in shares of preferred stock, we will provide for the issuance by a depositary to the public of receipts for depositary shares. Each depositary share will represent fractional interests of preferred stock. We will deposit the shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares under a deposit agreement between us and a bank or trust company selected by us. The bank or trust company must have its principal office in the United States and a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. The depositary receipts will evidence the depositary shares issued under the deposit agreement.

The deposit agreement will contain terms applicable to the holders of depositary shares in addition to the terms stated in the depositary receipts. Each owner of depositary shares will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares in proportion to the applicable fractional interest in the underlying shares of preferred stock. The depositary will issue the depositary receipts to

 

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individuals purchasing the fractional interests in shares of the related preferred stock according to the terms of the offering described in a prospectus supplement.

Dividends and Other Distributions

The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions received for the preferred stock to the entitled record holders of depositary shares in proportion to the number of depositary shares that the holder owns on the relevant record date. The depositary will distribute only an amount that can be distributed without attributing to any holder of depositary shares a fraction of one cent. The depositary will add the undistributed balance to and treat it as part of the next sum received by the depositary for distribution to holders of depositary shares.

If there is a non-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property received by it to the entitled record holders of depositary shares, in proportion, insofar as possible, to the number of depositary shares owned by the holders, unless the depositary determines, after consultation with us, that it is not feasible to make such distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, sell such property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders. The deposit agreement also will contain provisions relating to how any subscription or similar rights that we may offer to holders of the preferred stock will be available to the holders of the depositary shares.

Conversion, Exchange, Redemption and Liquidation

If any series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares may be converted or exchanged, each record holder of depositary receipts will have the right or obligation to convert or exchange the depositary shares represented by the depositary receipts.

The terms on which the depositary shares relating to the preferred stock of any series may be redeemed, and any amounts distributable upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, will be described in the relevant prospectus supplement.

Voting

When the depositary receives notice of a meeting at which the holders of the preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the particulars of the meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares. Each record holder of depositary shares on the record date may instruct the depositary on how to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying the holder’s depositary shares. The depositary will try, if practical, to vote the number of shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares according to the instructions. We will agree to take all reasonable action requested by the depositary to enable it to vote as instructed.

Amendments

We and the depositary may agree to amend the deposit agreement and the depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares. Any amendment that (a) imposes or increases certain fees, taxes or other charges payable by the holders of the depositary shares as described in the deposit agreement or that (b) otherwise prejudices any substantial existing right of holders of depositary shares, will not take effect until 30 days after the depositary has mailed notice of the amendment to the record holders of depositary shares. Any holder of depositary shares that continues to hold its shares at the end of the 30-day period will be deemed to have agreed to the amendment.

 

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Termination

We may direct the depositary to terminate the deposit agreement by mailing a notice of termination to holders of depositary shares at least 30 days prior to termination. In addition, a deposit agreement will automatically terminate if:

 

   

the depositary has redeemed all related outstanding depositary shares, or

 

   

we have liquidated, terminated or wound up our business and the depositary has distributed the preferred stock of the relevant series to the holders of the related depositary shares.

Payment of Fees and Expenses

We will pay all fees, charges and expenses of the depositary, including the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary shares will pay transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges as are stated in the deposit agreement for their accounts.

Resignation and Removal of Depositary

At any time, the depositary may resign by delivering notice to us, and we may remove the depositary. Resignations or removals will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of the appointment. The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million.

Reports

The depositary will forward to the holders of depositary shares all reports and communications from us that are delivered to the depositary and that we are required by law, the rules of an applicable securities exchange or our restated certificate of incorporation to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock. Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if the depositary is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstances beyond its control in performing its obligations under the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to performance in good faith of the duties stated in the deposit agreement. Neither we nor the depositary will be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding connected with any depositary shares or preferred stock unless the holders of depositary shares requesting us to do so furnish us with satisfactory indemnity. In performing our obligations, we and the depositary may rely upon the written advice of our counsel or accountants, on any information that competent people provide to us and on documents that we believe are genuine.

DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

Common Stock

This section describes the general terms and provisions of the shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share. This description is only a summary. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws have been filed as exhibits to our periodic reports filed with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should read our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws for additional information before you buy any of our common stock or other securities. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

General. We are authorized to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock. As of November 11, 2009, there were 12,918,222 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

 

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Voting Rights. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share for the election of directors and on all other matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. There are no cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in the election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they so choose.

Dividends. Subject to the rights of holders of the any other securities subsequently issued, holders of the common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and as declared by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available. We have not paid any dividends since our inception and have no intention to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future dividends would be subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and would depend on, among other things, our future earnings, the operating and financial condition, our capital requirements, and general business conditions.

Other Rights. Common stockholders do not have preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for additional shares, and the common stock is not subject to conversion or redemption. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable, and the shares of common stock offered, when issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable. In the event of liquidation, the holders of common stock will share equally in any balance of corporate assets available for distribution to them.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants for the purchase of debt securities, preferred stock, common stock, depositary shares, or any combination thereof. We may issue warrants independently or together with any other securities offered by any prospectus supplement and may be attached to or separate from the other offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into by us with a warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants. Further terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreements will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any particular issue of warrants will describe the terms of the warrants, including, as applicable, the following:

 

   

the title of the warrants;

 

   

the aggregate number of the warrants;

 

   

the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;

 

   

the designation, terms and number of shares of debt securities, preferred stock or common stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

   

the designation and terms of the offered securities, if any, with which the warrants are issued and the number of the warrants issued with each offered security;

 

   

the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

 

   

the price at which each share of debt securities, preferred stock or common stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

 

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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants shall commence and the date on which that right shall expire;

 

   

the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants which may be exercised at any one time;

 

   

information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

 

   

a discussion of certain federal income tax considerations; and

 

   

any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

We and the warrant agent may amend or supplement the warrant agreement for a series of warrants without the consent of the holders of the warrants issued thereunder to effect changes that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and that do not materially and adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3, we are permitted to utilize the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part to sell a maximum amount of securities equal to one-third of the aggregate market value of the outstanding voting and non-voting common equity held by our non-affiliates in any 12-month period. We may, from time to time, offer the securities registered hereby up to this maximum amount.

We may sell the securities offered by this prospectus to one or more underwriters or dealers for public offering and sale by them or to investors directly or through agents. The accompanying prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering and the method of distribution and will identify any firms acting as underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering, including:

 

   

the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

   

the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds to us from the sale;

 

   

any underwriting discounts and other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

   

any public offering price;

 

   

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

 

   

any securities exchange or market on which the securities offered in the prospectus supplement may be listed.

Only those underwriters identified in such prospectus supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities offered in the prospectus supplement.

The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at prices determined as the applicable prospectus supplement specifies. The securities may be sold through a rights offering, forward contracts or similar arrangements. In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and also may receive commissions from securities purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Some of the underwriters, dealers or agents who participate in the securities distribution may engage in other transactions with, and perform other services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.

 

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We will provide in the applicable prospectus supplement information regarding any underwriting discounts or other compensation that we pay to underwriters or agents in connection with the securities offering, and any discounts, concessions or commissions which underwriters allow to dealers. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the securities distribution may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts and commissions they receive and any profit they realize on the resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. Underwriters and their controlling persons, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward specific civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. In connection with an offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell securities in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of securities than they are required to purchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities while an offering is in progress. The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the underwriters have repurchased securities sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions. These activities by the underwriters may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. As a result, the price of the securities may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of any securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of Opexa as of December 31, 2008 and 2007 and for the year ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 incorporated in this prospectus by reference to Opexa’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as amended, have been audited by Malone & Bailey, PC, an independent registered public accounting firm, and are incorporated in reliance upon their report dated April 14, 2009, given upon such firm’s authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933. This prospectus is part of the registration statement but the registration statement includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy the registration statement and any document we file with the SEC at the public reference room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, such as ours, that file documents electronically with the SEC. The address of that site on the world wide web is http://www.sec.gov. The information on the SEC’s web site is not part of this prospectus, and any references to this web site or any other web site are inactive textual references only.

 

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The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than by including them in this prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus. Later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus from the date those documents are filed. We have filed with the SEC, and incorporate by reference in this prospectus:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as amended by our Form 10-K/A filed on May 18, 2009;

 

   

our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2009;

 

   

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed January 20, 2009, February 23, 2009, March 5, 2009, March 17, 2009, April 16, 2009, April 24, 2009, May 15, 2009, June 9, 2009, August 7, 2009, August 10, 2009, August 13, 2009, September 10, 2009, November 4, 2009, November 5, 2009 and November 13, 2009; and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on August 30, 2006, as amended by our Form 8-12B/A filed on August 31, 2006.

We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC under the terms of Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are made after the initial filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the effectiveness of the registration statement, as well as between the date of this prospectus and the termination of any offering of securities offered by this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to furnish and not file in accordance with SEC rules.

You may request a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference but not delivered with this prospectus, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and number: Investor Relations, Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., 2635 N. Crescent Ridge Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, telephone (281) 272-9331. We will not, however, send exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. We also maintain a website at http://www.opexatherapeutics.com. However, the information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

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