CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 23, 2015--
bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE), a clinical-stage company committed to
developing potentially transformative gene therapies for severe genetic
and rare diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies, today announced the
pricing of an underwritten public offering of 2,941,176 shares of its
common stock at a public offering price of $170.00 per share, before
underwriting discounts. In addition, bluebird bio has granted the
underwriters a 30-day option to purchase from it up to an additional
441,176 shares of common stock.
BofA Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Cowen and Company are acting as
joint book-running managers of the proposed offering. SunTrust Robinson
Humphrey, Wedbush PacGrow and Roth Capital Partners are acting as
co-managers. The offering is expected to close on or about June 29,
2015, subject to customary closing conditions.
bluebird bio anticipates the total gross proceeds from the offering
(before deducting underwriters' discounts and commissions and estimated
offering expenses) will be approximately $500 million, excluding any
exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
bluebird bio intends to use the proceeds of this offering primarily to
advance its immuno-oncology programs, build its commercial
infrastructure to support a potential conditional commercial launch in
Europe, expand its manufacturing capabilities to support ongoing and
anticipated development and commercial efforts and initiate clinical
studies of LentiGlobin in adult, adolescent and pediatric subjects with
beta-thalassemia major. The balance will be used for general and
administrative expenses, potential future development programs,
early-stage research and development, capital expenditures and working
capital and other general corporate purposes.
The shares are being offered by bluebird bio pursuant to an
automatically effective shelf registration statement that was previously
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A preliminary
prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the
offering was filed with the SEC on June 23, 2015. The final prospectus
supplement relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will
be available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. When available,
copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus relating to these securities may also be obtained by
contacting one of the following: BofA Merrill Lynch, 222 Broadway, New
York, NY 10038, Attn: Prospectus Department, or via email, at
dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com; Morgan Stanley, Attn: Prospectus
Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; or Cowen
and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Services, 1155 Long Island
Avenue, Edgewood, NY, 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these
securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or
qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
About bluebird bio, Inc.
With its lentiviral-based gene therapy and gene editing capabilities,
bluebird bio has built an integrated product platform with broad
potential application to severe genetic diseases and T cell-based
immunotherapy. bluebird bio’s clinical programs include Lenti-D™,
currently in a Phase 2/3 study, called the Starbeam Study, for the
treatment of childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, and LentiGlobin®,
currently in three clinical studies: a global Phase 1/2 study, called
the Northstar Study, for the treatment of beta-thalassemia major; a
single-center Phase 1/2 study in France (HGB-205) for the treatment of
beta-thalassemia major or severe sickle cell disease; and a separate
U.S. Phase 1 study for the treatment of sickle cell disease (HGB-206).
bluebird bio also has ongoing preclinical CAR T immuno-oncology
programs, as well as discovery research programs utilizing
megaTALs/homing endonuclease gene editing technologies.
bluebird bio has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Seattle,
Washington, and Paris, France.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements regarding the terms, timing and completion of the proposed
offering, the use of proceeds of the offering, and bluebird bio’s
existing product candidates and research programs. Any forward-looking
statements are based on management’s current expectations of future
events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties 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, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties
related to market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing
conditions related to the proposed public offering, that the preliminary
results from our clinical trials will not continue or be repeated in our
ongoing clinical trials, the risk that previously conducted studies
involving similar product candidates will not be repeated or observed in
ongoing or future studies involving current product candidates, the risk
of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical studies
and/or our development of our product candidates, the risk of a delay in
the enrollment of patients in our clinical studies, the risk that our
collaboration with Celgene will not continue or will not be successful,
and the risk that any one or more of our product candidates will not be
successfully developed and commercialized. For a discussion of other
risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could
cause our actual results to differ from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in
our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of
potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our
subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All
information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and
bluebird bio undertakes no duty to update this information unless
required by law.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150623006711/en/
Source: bluebird bio, Inc.
Investor Relations
bluebird bio, Inc.
Manisha Pai,
617-245-2107
mpai@bluebirdbio.com
or
Media
Contact
Pure Communications, Inc.
Dan Budwick, 973-271-6085