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Atea Pharmaceuticals’ Board of Directors Unanimously Rejects Unsolicited Proposal from Tang Capital Partners’ Affiliate, Concentra Biosciences

Key Takeaway: Atea Pharmaceuticals' Board of Directors has unanimously rejected an unsolicited acquisition proposal from Tang Capital Partners on behalf of Concentra Biosciences. The proposal offered $5.75 per share and a contingent value right, but the Board concluded that it fundamentally undervalues Atea and is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. Atea is engaged in developing oral antiviral therapeutics targeting serious viral diseases like COVID-19 and hepatitis C.

Market Sentiment Analysis

POSITIVE FACTORS

  • Atea's Board believes the unsolicited proposal undervalues the company.
  • The company is focused on developing novel antiviral therapies.
  • Atea has a strong pipeline for treating serious viral diseases.

Full Press Release Details

BOSTON, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVIR) (“Atea”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of oral antiviral therapeutics for serious viral diseases, today announced that its Board of Directors unanimously rejected the unsolicited proposal from Tang Capital Partners, LP on behalf of Concentra Biosciences, LLC to acquire all outstanding common shares of Atea for $5.75 per share in cash, plus a contingent value right representing the right to receive 80% of the net proceeds payable from any license or disposition of Atea’s programs (the “Proposal”).
After careful review and consideration with its independent financial and legal advisors, the Atea Board of Directors unanimously concluded that the Proposal fundamentally undervalues the Company and is not in the best interests of Atea or its shareholders.
About Atea Pharmaceuticals
Atea is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing oral therapies to address the unmet medical needs of patients with serious viral infections. Leveraging the Company’s deep understanding of antiviral drug development, nucleos(t)ide chemistry, biology, biochemistry and virology, Atea is developing novel product candidates to treat single stranded ribonucleic acid, or ssRNA, viruses, which are a prevalent cause of serious viral diseases. Atea plans to continue to build its pipeline of antiviral product candidates through using its internal discovery capabilities augmented by in-licensing. Currently, Atea is focused on the development of orally-available antiviral agents for serious viral infections, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, and hepatitis C virus (HCV). For more information, please visit www.ateapharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to the important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2023 and our other filings with the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Stern Investor Relations
Jamie Moser / Eric Brielmann / Tanner Kaufman
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Atea Pharmaceuticals' recent proposal decision?

Atea Pharmaceuticals rejected an unsolicited acquisition proposal from Tang Capital Partners.

What was the proposed acquisition price per share?

The proposal offered $5.75 per share in cash for Atea's common shares.

Why did Atea reject the acquisition proposal?

The Board concluded the proposal undervalued the company and wasn't in shareholders' best interests.

What type of therapies does Atea develop?

Atea focuses on oral antiviral therapeutics for serious viral infections.

Which viruses are Atea's products targeting?

Atea is targeting viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Last updated: May 30, 2023