The Life Sciences industry is a major driver of San Diego’s innovation economy, accounting for over $33B in total economic impact. This DealStory organized by ACG San Diego will focus on the recent “merger of equals” agreement between San Diego-based Cend Therapeutics and Caladrius Biosciences. This strategic merger, in which Cend Therapeutics was represented by Procopio, created a financially sound company with a diverse product development pipeline, providing the financial ability to scale, and a collaborative leadership team perfectly aligned with identical visions for future growth.

Learn the stepping stones of how this all-stock transaction was made possible, from its humble early stage at Sanford Burnham, to what ultimately led to the development of a new publicly traded company. Along with its leading-edge product offerings, the icing on the cake for Founder Erkki Ruoslahti was receiving the prestigious Lasker Award, the U.S. version of the Nobel Prize, in September.

Key takeaways:

• How can M&A serve as an alternative fundraising vehicle to an IPO?
• How is the San Diego life sciences community on the leading edge of oncology therapeutics?
• How did the merger of Cend and Caladrius bring together a diverse product pipeline with robust clinical trial resources?

Speakers:

• Paul Johnson, Partner and co-leader of Procopio’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Joint Ventures practice
• David Slack, President and CEO, Cend Therapeutics