Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp

Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 2024

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

**FORMS-3 **

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

**11 Apex Drive, Suite 300A, PMB 2006 **

**Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752 **

**(508) 767-3861 **

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Robert J. Bitterman

President & CEO

11 Apex Drive, Suite 300A, PMB 2006

Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752

(508) 767-3861

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Steven J. Abrams

Hogan Lovells US LLP

1735 Market Street, Suite 2300

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

(267) 675-4600

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time or at one time after the effective date of the Registration Statement as the registrant shall determine.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

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

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

The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Registrant has an existing “shelf” registration statement, File No. 333-256100, that was declared effective on May 21, 2021 and which expires on May 21, 2024 pursuant to Rule 415(a)(5) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) promulgated under the Securities Act, the filing fees previously paid in connection with the securities being registered hereunder will continue to be applied to such securities. In accordance with Rule 415(a)(5) and Rule 415(a)(6), the registrant may continue to offer and sell the securities covered by the existing shelf registration statement during the grace period afforded by Rule 415(a)(5). If the registrant sells any securities being registered hereunder during the grace period pursuant to the existing registration statement, the registrant will identify in a pre-effective amendment to this registration statement the new amount of securities to be carried forward to this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 415(a)(6).

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 17, 2024

PROSPECTUS

$100,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

We may offer and sell an indeterminate number of shares of our common stock and preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units from time to time under this prospectus. We will describe in a prospectus supplement or sales agreement prospectus the securities we are offering and selling, as well as the specific terms of the securities.

We may offer these securities in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. We may sell the securities directly to you, through agents we select, or through underwriters and dealers we select. If we use agents, underwriters or dealers to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement or sales agreement prospectus.

Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “PHIO”. On May 16, 2024, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, was $0.7324 per share. As of May 16, 2024, the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates, or public float, was approximately $4,884,163 million, based on 4,591,700 shares of outstanding common stock, of which 27,062 shares were held by affiliates, and a price of $1.07 per share, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock by Nasdaq on March 20, 2024. We have sold approximately $1,621,005 million of securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on and includes the date of this prospectus. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell securities registered on this registration statement in a public primary offering with a value exceeding more than one-third of our public float in any 12-month period so long as our public float remains below $75.0 million.

Investing in our securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on Page 4 of this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement or sales agreement prospectus for certain risks you should consider. You should read the entire prospectus carefully before you make your investment decision.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is , 2024.