NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Molecular Partners AG (“Molecular Partners” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MOLN) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Molecular Partners securities between June 16, 2021 and April 26, 2022, both dates inclusive, or pursuant to the Company’s June 16, 2021 IPO (the “Class Period”). Investors have until September 12, 2022 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.
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Molecular Partners operates as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutic proteins. Leading up to and following the IPO, the Company repeatedly touted the clinical and commercial prospects of certain of its product candidates under development in collaboration with other companies.
Among other product candidates, Molecular Partners is developing ensovibep as a treatment for COVID-19 in collaboration with Novartis AG (“Novartis”). One of the Company’s most important development strategies for ensovibep includes securing Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) for ensovibep from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).
In addition, Molecular Partners is developing MP0310 (AMG 506) for the treatment of certain types of cancer in collaboration with Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”). The Company granted Amgen, among other licenses, the right to progress MP0310’s development program into later stage development, including into combination trials, following Phase 1 data.
On April 22, 2021, Molecular Partners filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the IPO, which, after several amendments, was declared effective by the SEC on June 15, 2021 (the “Registration Statement”).
On June 16, 2021, Molecular Partners filed a prospectus on Form 424B4 with the SEC in connection with the IPO, which incorporated and formed part of the Registration Statement (collectively, the “Offering Documents”).
Pursuant to the Offering Documents, Molecular Partners conducted the IPO, issuing 3 million of its ADSs to the public at the IPO price $21.25 per ADS, for proceeds to the Company of over $59 million, after underwriting discounts and commissions, and before expenses.
On November 16, 2021, Molecular Partners disclosed that “a planned futility analysis of ensovibep in [an] ongoing [Phase 3] clinical study . . . has not met the thresholds required to continue enrollment of adults with COVID-19 in the hospitalized setting.”
On this news, Molecular Partners’ ADS price fell $4.64 per ADS, or 31.37%, to close at $10.15 per ADS on November 16, 2021.
On April 26, 2022, months after applying for EUA from the FDA for ensovibep, Novartis’ Chief Executive Officer, Vas Narasimhan, disclosed that “given the latest feedback . . . in our discussions with the [FDA], we would expect the agency to require a Phase 3 study before granting an EUA approval or a general approval” for ensovibep, and that “we need to make a kind of sober evaluation as to is it a doable study in light of the waning rates of COVID around the world[.]”
On this news, Molecular Partners’ ADS price fell $2.68 per ADS, or 16.17%, to close at $13.89 per ADS on April 26, 2022.
Then, also on April 26, 2022, during after-market hours, Molecular Partners “announced that Amgen . . . has informed the Company of their decision to return global rights of MP0310 to Molecular Partners following a strategic pipeline review.”
On this news, Molecular Partners’ ADS price fell $5.19 per ADS, or 37.37%, to close at $8.70 per ADS on April 27, 2022—a total decline of $7.87 per ADS, or 47.5%, over two consecutive trading days, and 59.06% below the $21.25 per ADS IPO price.
As of the time the complaint was filed, the price of Molecular Partners’ ADSs continued to trade below the $21.25 per ADS IPO price, damaging investors.
The complaint alleges that the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation. Additionally, the complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, the Offering Documents and Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) ensovibep was less effective at treating COVID-19 than Defendants had led investors to believe; (ii) accordingly, the FDA was reasonably likely to require an additional Phase 3 study of ensovibep before granting the drug EUA; (iii) waning global rates of COVID-19 significantly reduced the Company’s chances of securing EUA for ensovibep; (iv) as a product candidate, MP0310 was less attractive to Amgen than Defendants had led investors to believe; (v) accordingly, there was a significant likelihood that Amgen would return global rights of MP0310 to Molecular Partners; (vi) as a result of all the foregoing, the clinical and commercial prospects of ensovibep and MP0310 were overstated; and (vii) as a result, the Offering Documents and Defendants’ public statements throughout the Class Period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Molecular Partners shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.
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Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
