Viela Bio Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viela Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq:VIE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering treatments for autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases, today announced that it intends to offer and sell, subject to market and other conditions, 3,000,000 shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. In addition, certain selling stockholders expect to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of common stock from the selling stockholders.

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Cowen and Guggenheim Securities are acting as the joint book-running managers for the offering. 

Viela Bio intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to support activities for the commercialization of inebilizumab for the treatment of NMOSD, if approved; to advance the ongoing clinical development of inebilizumab in other indications and of VIB4920, VIB7734 and other pipeline candidates; and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Viela Bio will not receive any proceeds from any sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

The proposed offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus related to the offering may be obtained, when available, from:

• Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, Second Floor, New York, NY 10014;
• Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, email: [e-mail], telephone: [phone], fax: [phone];
• Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, email: [e-mail], telephone: [phone]; or
• Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, email: [e-mail], telephone: [phone].

A registration statement relating to these securities was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 26, 2020 but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a 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 registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.