Viela Bio Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viela Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq:VIE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering treatments for autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 3,600,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $47.00 per share. The gross proceeds to Viela Bio from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $169 million. In addition, certain selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 540,000 shares of common stock from the selling stockholders at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions.

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Cowen and Guggenheim Securities are acting as the joint book-running managers for the offering. The offering is expected to close on or about June 1, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. 

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 offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final 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 (SEC) and became effective on May 27, 2020. The registration statement can be accessed through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. 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.