UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K
 

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 17, 2020
 

CTI BIOPHARMA CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 

Delaware
 
000-28386
 
91-1533912
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(Commission
File Number)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
3101 Western Avenue, Suite 800
Seattle, Washington 98121
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (206) 282-7100
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
¨
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.001
CTIC
The Nasdaq Capital Market



¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.




Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

On April 17, 2020, CTI BioPharma Corp. (the “Company”) received a letter (the “Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that the closing bid price for its common stock had been below $1.00 for the last 30 consecutive business days and that the Company therefore is not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq Capital Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Requirement”). Under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company has a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the Notice to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. However due to recent market conditions, Nasdaq has determined to toll the compliance periods for the Bid Price Requirement through June 30, 2020. As a result, the compliance period for the Bid Price Requirement will be reinstated on July 1, 2020 (the "Reinstatement Date"). Accordingly, the Company has until December 28, 2020 (the “Compliance Date”), which is 180 calendar days from the Reinstatement Date, to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock must be at least $1.00 for a minimum of ten consecutive business days on or before the Compliance Date.

The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its common stock and may, if appropriate, consider available options to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq Listing Rules. If the Company does not regain compliance by the Compliance Date and has not requested an extension of the time period in which it must comply, Nasdaq will provide notice to the Company that its common stock is subject to delisting. In such event, Nasdaq’s rules permit the Company to appeal any delisting determination. However, there can be no assurance the Nasdaq’s staff would grant the Company's request for an extension of the compliance period or appeal of the delisting determination.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company regaining compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements and related expectations and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to: risks related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, clinical trials may not demonstrate safety and efficacy of pacritinib; the FDA may determine that the benefit/risk profile of pacritinib at the dose selected for the PACIFICA Phase 3 trial does not support approval based on the results of such trial, previously identified FDA concerns regarding safety and dosing limitations or otherwise; pacritinib may fail in development, may not receive required regulatory approvals, or may be delayed to a point where it is not commercially viable; we may not achieve additional milestones in our proprietary or partnered programs; the impact of competition; the impact of expanded product development and clinical activities on operating expenses; adverse conditions in the general domestic and global economic markets; as well as the other risks identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.




SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 
 
CTI BIOPHARMA CORP.

Date: April 22, 2020
 

By:
 

/s/ David H. Kirske
 
 
 
 
David H. Kirske
 
 
 
 
Chief Financial Officer