FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Terns” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TERN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule product candidates to address serious diseases, including oncology and obesity, today announced that it has commenced a proposed underwritten public offering of $125 million of shares of its common stock and, in lieu of common stock to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of its common stock.

In addition, Terns expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $18.75 million of shares of common stock offered in the public offering at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

All of the shares and pre-funded warrants to be sold in the offering will be offered by Terns. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

Jefferies and TD Cowen are acting as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. UBS Investment Bank is also acting as a bookrunner for the proposed offering.

Terns intends to use the net proceeds from the proposed offering to fund research, clinical trials, development and manufacturing of the Company’s key product candidates, including TERN-701, TERN-601 and other programs, including Terns’ TERN-800 series, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269508) relating to the securities offered in the underwritten offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 1, 2023 and declared effective on February 10, 2023.

The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov.

Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained from Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at 877-821-7388 or by email at prospectus_department@jefferies.com or TD Securities (USA) LLC, 1 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017, by telephone at 855-495-9846, or by email at TD.ECM_Prospectus@tdsecurities.com.

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