Connect Biopharma Announces Receipt of NASDAQ Deficiency Notice Regarding Minimum Bid Price Requirement

SAN DIEGO and TAICANG, China, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: CNTB) (“Connect Biopharma” or the “Company”), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases through the development of therapies derived from T cell-driven research, announced today that on September 11, 2023, it received a letter from the Listings Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) indicating that, for the last 30 consecutive business days, the bid price for the Company’s American Depositary Shares (ADSs) had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1).

In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has been provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until March 11, 2024, to regain compliance. The letter states that the Nasdaq staff will provide written confirmation that the Company has achieved compliance if at any time before March 11, 2024, the closing bid price of the Company’s ADSs closes is at least $1.00 per share or more for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. The Nasdaq letter is only a notification of deficiency and has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s ADSs and the ADSs will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “CNTB.”

The Company will monitor the bid price of its ADSs between now and March 11, 2024, and fully intends to resolve the deficiency and evaluate its available options for regaining compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price rule within the compliance period.

If the Company does not regain compliance by March 11, 2024, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period. To qualify, the Company would be required to first transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market and then meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for the Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and would need to provide written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period.

About Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited

Connect Biopharma is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company applying its expertise in T cell biology and deep knowledge of the drug discovery industry to develop innovative therapies to treat chronic inflammatory diseases with the goal of improving the lives of millions of those affected around the world. The Company is building a rich pipeline of proprietary small molecules and antibodies, using functional T cell assays, to screen and discover potent product candidates against validated immune targets. The Company’s lead product candidate, rademikibart (formerly known as CBP-201), is an antibody designed to target interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) in development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma. The Company’s second product candidate, icanbelimod (formerly known as CBP-307), is a modulator of S1P1 T cell receptors and is in development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). The Company’s third product candidate, CBP-174, is a peripherally acting antagonist of histamine receptor 3, in development for the treatment of pruritus associated with AD. For more information, please visit: https://www.connectbiopharm.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

Connect Biopharma cautions that statements included in this release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “predict,” “seek,” “contemplate,” “look forward,” “potential,” “continue” or “project” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include the Company’s plans to advance the development of its product candidates, the timing of achieving any development or regulatory milestones or reporting data or whether such milestones or data will be achieved or generated,  the potential of such product candidates, including to achieve any benefit, improvement, differentiation or profile or any product approval or be effective, the Company’s ability to identify and enter into a strategic partnership, and when or whether the Company will be able to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Connect Biopharma that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual data may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company’s business and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on April 11, 2023, and its other reports. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and Connect Biopharma undertakes no obligation to revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Connect Biopharma’s filings with the SEC which are available from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and on Connect Biopharma’s website (www.connectbiopharm.com) under the heading “Investors.” All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Tim McCarthy

LifeSci Advisors

tim@lifesciadvisors.com