UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 13, 2022

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (858) 925-7049

_____________________________________________

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ☐

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On May 13, 2022, Artelo Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a purchase agreement and a registration rights agreement with an institutional investor, Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), an Illinois limited liability company, providing for the purchase of up to $20.0 million worth of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, over the thirty-six month term of the purchase agreement.

Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the purchase agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Lincoln Park, and Lincoln Park is obligated to purchase, up to $20.0 million worth of shares of the Company’s common stock. Such future sales of common stock by the Company, if any, will be subject to certain limitations, and may occur from time to time, at the Company’s option, over the 36-month period commencing on the date that a registration statement, which the Company agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the registration rights agreement, is declared effective by the SEC and a final prospectus in connection therewith is filed and the other terms and condition of the purchase agreement are satisfied.

As contemplated by the purchase agreement the Company, at its sole discretion, may direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to 200,000 shares of its common stock on any business day. The price per share for such purchases will be equal to 97% of the lesser of: (i) the lowest sale price of the Company’s common stock on the applicable purchase date and (ii) the arithmetic average of the three (3) lowest closing sale prices for the Company’s common stock during the ten (10) consecutive business days ending on the business day immediately preceding such purchase date (in each case, to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction that occurs on or after the date of the purchase agreement). The maximum amount of shares subject to any single regular purchase increases as the Company’s share price increases, subject to a maximum of $1,000,000.

In addition to regular purchases, the Company may also direct Lincoln Park to purchase other amounts as accelerated purchases. The price per share for such purchases will be equal to 95% of the lesser of: (i) the closing sale price on such accelerated purchase date and (ii) the volume weighted average price on such accelerated purchase date. In all instances, the Company may not sell shares of its common stock to Lincoln Park under the purchase agreement if it would result in Lincoln Park beneficially owning more than 9.99% of its common stock. There are no trading volume requirements or restrictions under the purchase agreement nor any upper or lower limits on the price per share that Lincoln Park must pay for shares of common stock. The Company has agreed with Lincoln Park that it will not enter into any “variable rate” transactions with any third party for a period defined in the Purchase Agreement.  The Company issued to Lincoln Park 292,968 shares of its common stock as commitment shares in consideration for entering into the Purchase Agreement.

Lincoln Park represented to the Company, among other things, that it was an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)), and the Company sold the securities in reliance upon an exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.

The purchase agreement and the registration rights agreement contain customary representations, warranties, agreements and conditions to completing future sale transactions, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties. The Company has the right to terminate the purchase agreement at any time, at no cost or penalty. During any “event of default” under the purchase agreement, all of which are outside of Lincoln Park’s control, Lincoln Park does not have the right to terminate the purchase agreement; however, the Company may not initiate any regular or other purchase of shares by Lincoln Park, until such event of default is cured. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy proceedings by or against the Company, the purchase agreement will automatically terminate.

Actual sales of shares of common stock to Lincoln Park under the purchase agreement will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including, among others, market conditions, the trading price of the common stock and determinations by the Company as to the appropriate sources of funding for the Company and its operations. Lincoln Park has no right to require any sales by the Company but is obligated to make purchases from the Company as it directs in accordance with the purchase agreement. Lincoln Park has covenanted not to cause or engage in any manner whatsoever, any direct or indirect short selling or hedging of the Company’s shares.

The net proceeds under the purchase agreement to the Company will depend on the frequency and prices at which the Company sells shares of its stock to Lincoln Park. The Company expects that any proceeds received by the Company from such sales to Lincoln Park will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.

This current report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of common stock, nor shall there be any sale of shares of common stock in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

The foregoing descriptions of the purchase agreement and the registration rights agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of such agreements, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in such agreements were made only for purposes of such agreements and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreements and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.

Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The information contained above in Item 1.01 is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)  Exhibits.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.