- Cancer Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: CGIX) saw its stock price increase 114.78% on Monday following the announcement that the company would be merging with StemoniX
Cancer Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: CGIX) saw its stock price increase 114.78% on Monday following the announcement that the company would be merging with StemoniX. And Cancer Genetics is known as a leader in drug discovery and preclinical oncology and immuno-oncology services.
StemoniX is a leader in developing high-throughput disease-specific human organoid platforms integrated with leading-edge data science technologies. And under the terms of the merger agreement, StemoniX will merge with a newly formed subsidiary of Cancer Genetics in an all-equity transaction. Upon shareholder approval, the combined company expects to remain listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. StemoniX will retain its name and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cancer Genetics.
This transaction is going to position the combined company to tap into the synergies between two critical modalities of drug discovery and development: advanced animal models and relevant human high-throughput organoid platforms. And the resulting integration of scientific and technology-based expertise, skilled management teams, and ability to offer customers an end-to-end platform will de-risk and accelerate development of preclinical and clinical pipelines for biopharma partners as well as for the proprietary pipeline of the combined company.
In combination, Cancer Genetics and StemoniX currently enjoy partnerships and R&D relationships with dozens of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
With the merger agreement, Cancer Genetics will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of StemoniX in exchange for a number of shares of its common stock which will represent approximately 78% of the outstanding common stock of Cancer Genetics, subject to certain adjustments and prior to the effects of the financing referred to below with the current equity holders of Cancer Genetics retaining 22% of the common stock immediately following the consummation of the merger. And the Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the proposed merger — which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to the approval of the shareholders of both Cancer Genetics and StemoniX, financing and other customary closing conditions.
H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as financial advisors to the Board of Directors of Cancer Genetics and Lowenstein Sandler is acting as its legal counsel. And Northland Securities, Inc. is acting as financial advisor to the Board of Directors of StemoniX and Taft, Stettinius & Hollister is acting as its legal counsel.
KEY QUOTES:
“The process of discovering and developing a new drug candidate takes years and comes with a price tag of hundreds of millions – or even billions – of dollars. However, we are at unique time in the drug discovery industry as the convergence of technological innovations in both biology and software will transform conventional workflows in time and accuracy. To convert the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of developing a drug for market, we now look to supplement traditional discovery and drug approval mechanisms to include humanized cell-based assays with artificial intelligence (AI) along with our core vivoPharm business. Given that our strategy and approach are strongly aligned with those of StemoniX, we are pleased to have moved forward with this proposed transaction.”
— Jay Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Genetics
“The pharma industry and society are at a critical pivot point. Viral pandemics and diseases lacking treatments require a new way of innovation. The proposed merger expects to expand our ability to engage with a larger audience of potential partners and expand our internal capabilities as we deliver on our mission to rapidly discover the safest and most effective therapeutics on behalf of our partners and our shareholders. The mission will stay consistent – allow scientists to quickly and economically conduct high-throughput toxicity and drug development studies in ready-to-assay plates containing functional microOrgans.”
— Ping Yeh, Chief Executive Officer of StemoniX
