argenx announces full exercise of underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs

Regulated information — Inside information

May 29, 2020

Breda, the Netherlands / Ghent, Belgium — argenx (Euronext & Nasdaq: ARGX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated antibody-based therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced today that the underwriters of its previously announced global offering of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by American Depositary Shares (ADSs)) have exercised their option to purchase 548,777 additional ADSs in full on the same terms and conditions as the global offering. This option exercise brings the anticipated total gross proceeds from the global offering to approximately $862.5 million (approximately €784.7 million) from the sale of an aggregate of 4,207,292 ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs).

J.P. Morgan, Cowen and BofA Securities acted as joint bookrunning managers for the offering. Stifel, JMP Securities, Wedbush PacGrow, Nomura and Kempen & Co acted as co-managers for the offering.

The closing of the global offering, including with respect to the ADSs subject to the option, is expected to occur on June 1, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

The securities were offered in the United States 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 the securities was filed with the SEC on May 26, 2020. The final prospectus supplement relating to the securities will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at When available, copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the U.S. offering may be obtained for free from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at ; from Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department, by email at , or by telephone at (833) 297-2926; or from BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, or by email at .

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted or to any person or entity to whom it is unlawful to make such offer, solicitation or sale. Reference is also made to the restrictions set out in “Important information” below. This press release is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into any state or jurisdiction into which doing so would be unlawful or where a prior registration or approval is required for such purpose.

About argenx

argenx is a global immunology company developing antibody-based medicines for patients suffering from severe autoimmune diseases and cancer. By translating immunology breakthroughs into innovative drug candidates, argenx is building a world-class portfolio of first-in-class antibodies in both early and late clinical-stages of development. argenx is evaluating efgartigimod in multiple serious autoimmune indications and cusatuzumab in hematological malignancies in collaboration with Janssen, along with advancing earlier stage assets within its therapeutic franchises. 

For further information, please contact:

Beth DelGiacco, Vice President, Investor Relations (US)

Joke Comijn, Director Corporate Communications & Investor Relations (EU)

+32 (0)477 77 29 44

+32 (0)9 310 34 19

Forward-looking Statements

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” or “should,” and include statements argenx makes concerning the closing of the global offering. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. argenx’s actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic conditions will have on argenx’s operations and business; argenx’s expectations regarding the inherent uncertainties associated with competitive developments, preclinical and clinical trial and product development activities and regulatory approval requirements; argenx’s reliance on collaborations with third parties; estimating the commercial potential of argenx’s product candidates; argenx’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technologies and drugs; argenx’s limited operating history; and argenx’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its product candidates. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in argenx’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in argenx’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC as well as subsequent filings and reports filed by argenx with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. argenx undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise the information in this press release, including any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Important information

The preliminary prospectus supplement in respect of the U.S. offering does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”) and has not been approved by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (Stichting Autoriteit Financiële Markten) or the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit Financiële Diensten en Markten) or any other European Supervisory Authority.

No public offering will be made and no one has taken any action that would, or is intended to, permit a public offering in any country or jurisdiction, other than the United States, where any such action is required, including in the European Economic Area. In the European Economic Area, the offering to which this press release relates will only be available to, and will be engaged in only with, qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

European Economic Area:

No action has been or will be taken to offer the ordinary shares to a retail investor established in the European Economic Area as part of the global offering. For the purposes of this paragraph:

a.    The expression “retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of:

b.    the expression “offer” means any communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe these securities.

In addition, in the United Kingdom, the transaction to which this press release relates will only be available to, and will be engaged in only with, investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the Order), persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this communication or any of its contents.

This press release is not an approved prospectus by the Financial Services Authority or by any other regulatory authority in the United Kingdom within the meaning of Section 85 of the Order.