Aura Biosciences Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aura Biosciences, Inc. (“Aura”) (Nasdaq: AURA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel class of virus-like drug conjugate (VDC) therapies for multiple oncology indications, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 11,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $9.00 per share. The gross proceeds from the offering to Aura are expected to be $99.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. The offering is expected to close on or about November 9, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. In addition, Aura has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,650,000 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount.

Leerink Partners, TD Cowen and Evercore ISI are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the offering. JMP Securities, A Citizens Company, is acting as lead manager for the offering.

A shelf registration statement relating to the shares of common stock offered in the public offering described above was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 1, 2022 and declared effective by the SEC on November 7, 2022. The offering is being made only by means of a written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will be filed with the SEC. When available, copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may also be obtained by contacting Leerink Partners LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, 53 State Street, 40th Floor, Boston, MA 02109, by telephone at [phone], ext. 6105, or by email at [e-mail]; Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]; or Evercore Group L.L.C., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 55 East 52nd Street, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10055; by telephone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities being offered, nor shall there be any sale of the securities being offered in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About Aura Biosciences

Aura Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing VDCs, a novel class of therapies, for the treatment of multiple oncology indications. Aura’s lead VDC candidate, belzupacap sarotalocan (bel-sar; AU-011), consists of a virus-like particle conjugated with an anti-cancer agent. Bel-sar is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells and activate the immune system with the potential to create long-lasting, anti-tumor immunity. Bel-sar is currently in development for ocular cancers, and Aura has initiated activities for the global Phase 3 trial evaluating first-line treatment of early-stage choroidal melanoma, a vision- and life-threatening form of eye cancer where the standard of care with radiotherapy leaves patients with severe comorbidities, including significant vision loss. Aura plans to pursue development of bel-sar across its ocular oncology franchise including for the treatment of patients with choroidal metastasis. In addition, leveraging Aura’s technology platform, Aura is developing bel-sar more broadly across multiple cancers, including in patients with non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive bladder cancer. Aura is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Forward-Looking Statements

Various statements in this release concerning the timing and completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and other federal securities laws. All such forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside Aura’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include fluctuations in Aura’s stock price, changes in market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the public offering, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the prospectus supplement and registration statement referenced above, Aura’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed on March 15, 2023 with the SEC and subsequent filings with the SEC including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. There can be no assurance that Aura will be able to complete the public offering on the anticipated terms. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and Aura undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.