SANTA ANA, Calif. and THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Aug. 09, 2023 (Globe NEWSWIRE) — NKGen Biotech Inc. (“NKGen” or the “Company”), a scientific-phase biotechnology enterprise centered on the growth and commercialization of innovative autologous, allogeneic and Automobile-NK pure killer (“NK”) mobile therapies, and Graf Acquisition Corp. IV (NYSE: GFOR, GFOR.U, GFOR WS) (“Graf”) nowadays declared that Michael Klowden and Kathleen Scott have been nominated to provide as unbiased members of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the submit-small business mixture business (“New NKGen”). Assuming the director nominees are elected by the stockholders of Graf at the distinctive assembly of its stockholders to be held to approve the business blend among Graf and NKGen (the “business combination”), their appointment will be efficient upon the closing of the business combination. The closing of the proposed company mix is envisioned to happen in the third quarter of 2023.
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Michael Klowden – Mr. Klowden is presently serving as the govt vice chairman of the board of the Milken Institute, a non-revenue, nonpartisan feel tank. Prior to this place, Mr. Klowden served as the Milken Institute’s chief govt officer for 21 decades, in the course of which time the institute improved its name and its around the world outreach, its yearly international convention became just one of the world’s leading small business, finance, and policy gatherings, and several specialized centers at the institute were designed, which includes the Asia Center, the California Heart, FasterCures, the Center for Economic Marketplaces, the Centre for the Long term of Getting older, the Middle for Public Health, and the Middle for Strategic Philanthropy.
Prior to becoming a member of the Milken Institute, Mr. Klowden labored as president of Jefferies Group Inc. (“Jefferies”), a world financial investment bank and institutional securities business, the place he was liable for directing the firm’s changeover from a trading firm to a full-company financial investment bank. Prior to signing up for Jefferies, Mr. Klowden was a senior partner at the worldwide legislation firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he served as a member of the firm’s management committee, was running associate of the Los Angeles business office, and national vice chairman of the firm’s business enterprise and finance practice. Mr. Klowden obtained a bachelor’s degree from the College of Chicago, the place he has served as a trustee, and a J.D. from Harvard Regulation Faculty.
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Kathleen Scott – Ms. Scott has been serving as the chief monetary officer of ARS Prescription drugs, Inc. (“ARS Pharma”) (Nasdaq: SPRY) given that February 2022. Prior to signing up for ARS Pharma, Ms. Scott was the chief economic officer of numerous everyday living science companies, such as Neurana Prescribed drugs, Inc., Recros Medica, Inc., Adigica Wellness, Inc., and Clarify Healthcare, Inc. Ms. Scott serves on the boards of administrators of Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRMA), where she has served considering that August 2021, the YMCA of San Diego County and Corporate Administrators Forum, and beforehand served as a member of the board of Conatus Prescription drugs Inc.
Ms. Scott beforehand served as a partner at RA Cash Advisors LLC, a San Diego personal financial investment financial institution, delivering fiscal advisory companies and completing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and restructurings for a broad vary of company clients. Ms. Scott begun her occupation as an auditor in Arthur Andersen’s San Diego office, concentrating on equally public and non-public clients. Ms. Scott retains a bachelor’s degree in economics/business from the College of California, Los Angeles and is a CPA and CFA constitution holder.
“We are honored and thrilled to nominate Michael and Kathleen to New NKGen’s Board,” mentioned Paul Y. Song, M.D., CEO of NKGen. “We think that Michael’s notable government leadership practical experience, coupled with his in depth proficiency in finance and regulation, and get the job done in setting up the Centre for the Potential of Growing old will make him an suitable addition to New NKGen’s Board. We also believe that that Kathleen’s broad knowledge and encounter within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and financial investment banking industries will supply New NKGen with a further priceless addition who can not only provide as chairperson of our Audit Committee, but also offer significantly necessary insight and counsel throughout New NKGen’s enterprise. We assume that New NKGen will gain significantly from the insights and guidance provided by these two director nominees.”
“Mike and Kathleen illustrate the outstanding organization developing close to New NKGen in link with our organization blend,” claimed James Graf, CEO of Graf. “The Milken Institute’s groundbreaking get the job done on health and growing old challenges has unique relevance to NKGen’s mission with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative illnesses. Kathleen’s expertise as a biotech CFO and directorship on the boards of public biotech companies delivers functional community company expertise that will be vital through New NKGen’s changeover to getting a general public organization.”
“I am looking ahead to becoming a part of these types of an revolutionary mobile therapy corporation,” commented Michael Klowden. “NKGen’s potential to battle neurodegenerative illnesses and cancers is not only inspiring, but also supplies the likelihood of positively impacting tens of millions of patients around the world. If I am elected as a member of New NKGen’s Board, it will be a privilege to support the committed New NKGen team of innovators and visionaries convey worth for clients and stockholders. I glance ahead to the possibility to operate with New NKGen’s other Board members and the management workforce to carry on advancing ground breaking therapies for neurodegenerative health conditions and cancers.”
“I am delighted at the opportunity to sign up for the New NKGen Board during this transformational time for the corporation,” commented Kathleen Scott. “The mobile treatment pioneered by NKGen has the possible to meaningfully influence the lives of people dwelling with neurodegenerative sickness and most cancers. I glimpse ahead to the prospect to perform along with the other distinguished members of the Board, as well as the achieved senior management group, to assist ensure the Company’s ongoing achievement and potential development.”
About NKGen
NKGen is a medical-stage biotechnology enterprise targeted on the development and commercialization of impressive autologous, allogeneic, and Car-NK NK cell therapies. NKGen is headquartered in Santa Ana, California, Usa. For extra info, make sure you visit www.nkgenbiotech.com.
About Graf Acquisition Corp. IV
Graf is a blank-verify enterprise integrated as a Delaware corporation and fashioned for the reason of effecting a merger, money inventory trade, asset acquisition, inventory order, reorganization, or identical business enterprise blend with just one or additional firms.
Critical Information and facts and The place to Obtain It
The proposed business enterprise combination amongst NKGen and Graf will be submitted to stockholders of Graf for their thing to consider. Graf has submitted with the Securities and Exchange Fee (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Kind S-4, dated Could 15, 2023, as amended on June 26, 2023, July 17, 2023 and August 4, 2023 (as may well be even more amended, the “Registration Statement”), relating to the proposed small business combination, which contains equally a preliminary prospectus with respect to New NKGen’s securities to be issued in connection with the proposed company combination and a proxy assertion to be distributed to Graf’s stockholders in link with Graf’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders in connection with the proposed business enterprise mix and other issues as explained in the Registration Assertion. Graf urges its investors, stockholders and other interested people to study the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and, when accessible, any amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, as effectively as other paperwork filed by Graf with the SEC, simply because these files will have critical information about Graf, NKGen and the proposed business mix. After the Registration Statement is declared efficient, Graf will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to its stockholders as of a record date to be proven for voting on the proposed company mix. Stockholders may well attain a copy of the Registration Assertion, including the preliminary proxy assertion/prospectus and, as soon as offered, the definitive proxy assertion/prospectus, as very well as other paperwork submitted with the SEC concerning the proposed business blend and other paperwork filed by Graf with the SEC, without the need of demand, at the SEC’s web page found at www.sec.gov or by directing a ask for to: Graf Acquisition Corp. IV, 1790 Hughes Landing Blvd., Suite 400, The Woodlands, TX 77380.
Participants in the Solicitation
Graf and NKGen and their respective directors and government officers may perhaps be regarded as participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed small business mixture below the principles of the SEC. Data about the administrators and government officers of Graf is set forth in the Registration Statement and will be provided in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus when obtainable. Data pertaining to the individuals who may possibly, below the guidelines of the SEC, be deemed contributors in the solicitation of Graf stockholders in connection with the proposed enterprise combination is set forth in the Registration Statement and will be involved in the definitive proxy assertion/prospectus when readily available. Stockholders, potential investors and other interested persons need to examine the proxy assertion/prospectus carefully prior to earning any voting or investment choices. These files can be acquired cost-free of charge from the sources indicated above.
No Offer you or Solicitation
This push launch shall not constitute a proxy statement or a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with regard to any securities or in respect of the proposed enterprise mix and shall not constitute an supply to provide or a solicitation of an offer you to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities, in any condition or jurisdiction in which these supply, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification below the securities rules of any these condition or jurisdiction. No offer you of securities shall be manufactured apart from by means of a prospectus meeting the prerequisites of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Ahead-Searching Statements
This press launch involves ahead-searching statements inside the that means of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Personal Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements might be preceded by, adopted by or consist of the text “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “outlook,” “future,” “further,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “should,” “seeks,” “seems,” “targets,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “intends” or similar expressions. These statements are primarily based on the beliefs and assumptions of the administration of Graf and NKGen. These ahead-hunting statements are not ensures of foreseeable future effectiveness, situations or results, and contain a range of known and unfamiliar hazards, uncertainties, assumptions and other important variables, such as changes in domestic and foreign enterprise, current market, monetary, political and legal problems, numerous of which are outside the command of the get-togethers, that could lead to true outcomes or results to vary materially from those people talked about in the forward-hunting statements. Crucial things that may perhaps impact real outcomes or results contain, among some others, the inability of the events to productively or well timed consummate the proposed organization mixture the failure to satisfy the disorders to the consummation of the proposed small business combination, like but not restricted to the approval of the merger agreement by Graf’s stockholders, the satisfaction of the bare minimum funds ailment, the compliance with the acquiror closing income quantity and the receipt of specific governmental and regulatory approvals the lack of ability to get hold of any PIPE investments the lack of ability to elevate or attain adequate funds to continue on NKGen’s operations by means of the consummation of the proposed business combination the incapacity to identify the predicted added benefits of the proposed organization mixture the sum of redemption requests manufactured by Graf’s public stockholders the event of any party, adjust or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, and the skill to sustain the listing of New NKGen’s securities on a nationwide securities trade and individuals variables talked over underneath the heading “Risk Factors” in the Registration Assertion and other files of Graf filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. New risk variables emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all such hazard components, nor can Graf or NKGen evaluate the affect of all these kinds of chance variables on the businesses of Graf and NKGen prior to the proposed company mixture, and New NKGen following the proposed organization blend, or the extent to which any issue or combination of factors might trigger real effects to vary materially from individuals contained in any forward-looking statements. You should really not put undue reliance on these statements, which converse only as of the day hereof. All forward-searching statements attributable to Graf or NKGen or folks acting on their behalf are expressly competent in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. Graf and NKGen prior to the proposed organization mix, and New NKGen following the proposed business enterprise combination, undertake no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-wanting statements, whether or not as a end result of new info, potential gatherings or otherwise, besides as needed by legislation.
Inner Get hold of:
Denise Chua, MBA, CLS, MT (ASCP)
Vice President, Trader Relations and Company Communications
NKGen Biotech, Inc.
949-396-6830
[email protected]
Sabrina McKee
Main Financial Officer and EVP, Tactic
Graf Acquisition Corp. IV
[email protected]
External Contacts:
Chris Calabrese
Handling Director
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
[email protected]
Kevin Gardner
Running Director
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
[email protected]
