As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2024

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ANNOVIS BIO, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 26-2540421
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
101 Lindenwood Drive, Suite 225
Malvern, PA 19355
(Address of principal executive offices, Zip Code)

Annovis Bio, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Annovis Bio, Inc.
101 Lindenwood Drive, Suite 225
Malvern, PA 19355

(Name and address of agent for service)

(484) 875-3192

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Mitchell S. Nussbaum, Esq.

Janeanne Ferrari, Esq.

Loeb & Loeb LLP

345 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10154

(212) 407-4000

Joan Guilfoyle, Esq.
Loeb & Loeb LLP
901 New York Avenue NW
Suite 300 East

Washington, DC 20001
(202) 618-5000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer x Smaller reporting company x
           
Emerging growth company      x

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 to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Registration Statement is being filed by Annovis Bio, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register an additional 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), for issuance in connection with awards under the pursuant to the Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended Plan”). The Amended Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 12, 2024. The Amendment increases the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Amended Plan from 2,000,000 shares to 3,000,000 shares (an increase of 1,000,000 shares).

 

Except as set forth below, the contents of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-236457) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 14, 2020 and relating to shares of Common Stock issuable in connection with awards under the 2019 Plan prior to the Amendment are incorporated by reference herein as permitted by General Instruction E of Form S-8.

 

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Item 1 and Item 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to the participants in the respective plans. Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated into this Registration Statement by reference:

(a)      The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2024;

(b)      All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since December 31, 2023; and

(c)       The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-39202) filed with the Commission on November 17, 2021, pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

In addition, all documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof, but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or that deregisters all such securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless specifically stated to the contrary in such filing, none of the information that the Registrant discloses under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K that it may from time to time furnish to the Commission will be incorporated by reference into, or otherwise be included in or deemed to be a part of, this Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Registration Statement, any document or any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a subsequently filed document or a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated herein by reference modifies or supersedes such document or such statement in such document. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. Subject to the foregoing, all information in this Registration Statement is so qualified in its entirety by the information appearing in the documents incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, ending or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an "Indemnitee"), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors and officers for some expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

The following Exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

Exhibit 
No.
Description
4.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report filed February 6, 2020) as amended by Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 16, 2023.)
4.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report filed February 6, 2020)
     
4.3 Annovis Bio, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. (incorporated by reference as Annex A to Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 29, 2024.)
5.1* Opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP regarding the legality of the securities being registered

23.1* Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
23.2* Consent of WithumSmith+Brown,
23.3* Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
107* Fee Rate Table

* Filed herewith.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a)       The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)        To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement.

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(2)        That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)         To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b)      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act)  that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Borough of Malvern, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on June 21, 2024.

ANNOVIS BIO, INC.
By: /s/ Maria Maccecchini
Name: Maria Maccecchini
Title: Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Signature Title Date
/s/ Maria Maccecchini President and Chief Executive Officer June 21, 2024
Maria Maccecchini (Principal Executive Officer & Interim Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Michael Hoffman Chairman of the Board and Director June 21, 2024
Michael Hoffman
/s/ Claudine Bruck Director June 21, 2024
Claudine Bruck
/s/ Reid McCarthy Director June 21, 2024
Reid McCarthy
/s/ Mark White Director June 21, 2024
Mark White

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154

Direct       212.407.4000
Main         212.407.4000
Fax            212.407.4000

 

June 21, 2024

 

Annovis Bio, Inc.
101 Lindenwood Drive; Suite 225
Malvern, PA 19355  

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have served as counsel to Annovis Bio, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), registering the issuance of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “2019 Plan Shares”), of the Company issuable pursuant to the Annovis Bio, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records of the Company and other certificates and documents of officials of the Company, and others as we have deemed appropriate for purposes of this letter. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed and certified or reproduced copies.

 

Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares, when issued and delivered pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the 2019 Plan, and the awards granted under the 2019 Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We are furnishing this opinion in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and this opinion is not to be relied upon for any other purpose without our prior written consent. We consent to the reference made to our firm in the Registration Statement and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Sincerely,

 

/s/ Loeb & Loeb LLP

 

Loeb & Loeb LLP

 

Los Angeles New York Chicago Nashville Washington, DC San Francisco Beijing Hong Kong www.loeb.com

 

For the United States offices, a limited liability partnership including professional corporations. For Hong Kong office, a limited liability partnership.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan of Annovis Bio, Inc. of our report dated March 29, 2024, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Annovis Bio, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 21, 2024

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.2

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of our report dated March 31, 2023 (which includes an explanatory paragraph relating to Annovis Bio, Inc’s ability to continue as a going concern), relating to the financial statements of Annovis Bio, Inc. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, appearing in the entity’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

 

East Brunswick, New Jersey

June 21, 2024

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

(Form Type)

 

Annovis Bio, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant As Specified in its Charter)

 

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

 

    Security
Type
    Security
Class 
Title
  Fee
Calculation

Rule
    Amount
Registered
(1)
    Proposed
Maximum

Offering Price
Per Share
    Maximum
Aggregate

Offering

Price
    Fee
Rate
    Amount
of
Registration
Fee
 
Newly Registered Securities  
Fees to Be Paid   Equity     Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share     457(c) and 457(h)       1,000,000   $   5.58 (2)    $ 5,580,000       0.0001476     $ 823.61  
                Total Offering Amounts     $         0.0001476     $ 823.61  
                Total Fees Previously Paid                       0  
                Total Fee Offsets                       0  
                Net Fees Due                       823.61  

 

(1)Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the registrant’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

(2)Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act based on the average of the high and low prices of the registrant’s common stock as reported by The New York Stock Exchange on June 18, 2024.